A Different Kind of Courage

A Different Kind of Courage       (little dragons home page)

At the beginning of each school year, Glen's school elected officers for their student government.  Other students he talked to liked his ideas and they would tell him, "You should run for student body president!"  Glen had thought about running for office, but he knew he couldn't do it because he had never spoken in front of a large group, and he was afraid to try.

Only one person decided to run for president.  Joe was an unpopular boy and a troublemaker who liked to pick on younger kids and get into fights.  Nobody wanted Joe to be the student body president, but no one else came forward to run.  Glen's friends begged him to try.  "Joe wouldn't have a chance if you ran" they told him.  "You've got to run or the entire school will suffer."  Glen just replied, "I don't want to be president."  He didn't tell him his real reason.

The week before the election, the candidates for student council positions were each given five minutes to speak to the entire school in the auditorium.  One after another they said that Glen should be president.  Glen couldn't believe his ears.  Hadn't they listened?  He didn't want to be president!  Then came Joe, the only official candidate.  He promised new sports equipment, longer holidays, and less homework!  It sounded good, but everyone knew he couldn't deliver on his promises.  They were just words.

When Joe had finished, the principal stood up and said, "I believe there is one more person the school would like to hear from.  Glen, please come to the podium."  Glen was terrified.  This was crazy.  He couldn't speak in front of this crowd, but he couldn't ignore the principal.  With butterflies in his stomach, he walked to the podium and faced the audience.   Clearing his throat, he began.  "Uh, hello, everyone, um, I think…"  Then he froze.

The principal tapped him on the shoulder and whispers, "Glen, you can do it.  Speak up so everyone can hear you."  It was quiet, Glen could hear his own heart beating, and he imagined everyone else could too.  He decided to be honest about his problem, so he took a deep breath and said, "This is really difficult for me.  I get nervous in front of crowds, otherwise I would love to be student body president, but believe me, I wouldn't be the best person for the job."

Stepping down from the stage, Glen wanted to crawl under a chair so no one could see him.  As he walked to his seat there was a loud applause, and he could hear shouts of encouragement from the audience.  When he sat down, several people patted him on the back and said, "That was great.  What a sense of humor.  We finally have a decent candidate!"

For the rest of the week, Glen felt anxious and irritable.  He couldn't sleep well, and he had nightmares about speaking to the class.  He decided to tell the school counselor about his fear of large groups of people.  After he told her everything, she said to him, "Well, Glen, you've already taken the first step by realizing that your fear is inside yourself.  I only see one way to deal with this situation.  Everyone liked your speech except you.  You can be a good speaker, but first you must learn to conquer your fears and move forward toward the goals you have set for yourself.  Everyone gets nervous about being in front of a group of people, including me.  Just learn to relax, be yourself, and be honest when you speak.  Before long, you will learn to enjoy public speaking."

"No way," thought Glen.  "I'll go along with being a candidate, but I know I'll never enjoy public speaking!"

The next week Glen won the election, and had to make an acceptance speech.  He asked the school counselor to help him prepare.  As he stood in front of the crowd of students and thanked them for electing him, he realized he was actually enjoying himself.  Sure, he was excited, but at the same time he felt positive instead of anxious.

After the speech he thanked the counselor.  "I couldn't have done it without your help.  Thanks for everything."

The counselor replied, "I knew you could do it Glen.  It was a new experience for you, but you overcame your fear.  Remember that having the courage to do something new can change your life for the better."

Questions for Younger Children:
What was Glen afraid of?
Do you think he was happy after he spoke the second time?
Would you be afraid to speak in front of a large group of people?
What new things have you been asked to do that you were afraid at first?
Do you have the courage to try new things?