Today I got hit with one of those “not there yet” moments.

We were asked to present our group work in front of the class.
Simple, right?
These are the same classmates I joke with, laugh with, and say the most unserious things around… things that would make all of us look stupid without shame.

But the moment I was called to the front, something shifted.

My courage evaporated.
My words scattered.
My confidence shrunk into silence.
It’s almost as if the version of me that speaks freely with friends isn’t the same version expected to speak in front of a crowd.

And when I think about it, maybe I wasn’t scared of presenting;
Maybe I was scared of presenting my ‘best version’.
Scared that my classmates would see me try, and cringe.
Scared that effort would expose me more than mistakes ever could.

The truth is: I know I’m not alone.
Most people only rise to the level of confidence they’ve built and no higher.
Even the most fearless people have situations that shake them.
What matters is where you fall on that confidence scale.

As for me?
Honestly, I’m somewhere in the bottom quarter.
Not the worst, but definitely not where I want to be.

And if I don’t work on it now, it could catch up with me;
in opportunities, in leadership, in careers, in conversations that require a voice, not silence.

Confidence isn’t a quick fix.
It’s a muscle.
One I haven’t exercised enough.

So I’ll start small.
Small groups.
Small presentations.
Small risks that don’t feel like the world is watching.
Until slowly, quietly, the scale shifts upward.

Today wasn’t a failure, it was a warning.
A crisis I needed to acknowledge before it grows into something bigger.
A moment that said, “Work on this now, before it limits you later.”

And honestly, I’m glad I heard it.