Excellent It affects more people than you might think. Performance Anxiety by Rdfrdmom2 Free Verse Poem contest entry Artwork by VMarguarite at FanArtReview.com

When in competition especially as an individual in a non-team sport one's personal fear is often the foremost foe   Performance anxiety is an ongoing cross to bear rarely the result of an endeavor gone horribly wrong rather, a critical inner voice repeatedly saying, "You're not good enough, strong enough, poised enough" to do the thing one loves    Yet, we choose to make the speech, to play a sport or an instrument -- to become a part of something larger than ourselves not so much to prove to others we are made of the right stuff but to quiet that inner critic even if just for this event as, once it is done, the fear is not permanently quelled   Performance anxiety will reappear as soon as the next event is announced -  a lifelong journey rarely shared with the audience         jbh 1-12-2023   Author Notes I wrote this while awaiting the beginning of the results of a multi-school Forensics Match in which my granddaughter had participated. While taking her to school earlier that morning, we discussed how performance anxiety could be both good and bad. She seemed to get some relief when I told her I had performance anxiety every time I had to speak as a school administrator and as a speaker for a group I represent. We agreed that once the first word came out, we settled down and finished the job. A special thanks to VMarguarite for the use of Little Leaguer.

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