By Aaron Harder

Have you ever felt so nervous that you feel like you’re going to throw up? I get this feeling all the time when I have to give a speech or a presentation – heck sometimes even before a flag football game.

If you’re like me, you understand that almost unreal amount of energy you have while waiting for your turn to give a presentation. No amount of rational talking to yourself helps. It’s just raw emotions making a ruckus in your stomach. You have an internal debate where you try to calm yourself down while also desperately trying to pay attention to what is happening in front of you. Heaven forbid if you have to take notes on the presentation in front of your own. Let’s be real teacher – it’s just not gonna happen.

I wonder if teachers sit in the back of class and observe who has the most nervous ticks before getting up for a speech. I would criticize those professors, but I would totally do the same thing.

Anyways, a couple of days ago, I began looking at these moments in my life in a different way. I confess I did not come up with this solution on my own. God seemed to drop it in my lap using a few emails from my mom and some cool videos and Facebook posts I saw while “studying.” What I am suggesting is not a microwavable, instant success formula. Embracing this idea might take some time.

So, here it is: Instead of getting nervous about what might happen, get excited about what might happen. When you think about college, lots of questions can make you nervous. Will I get accepted to my dream school? Who will be my friends? What classes will I take? What if I don’t like my roommate? Instead, try to get excited about the new opportunities available to you! Think about the interesting classes you get to take, the roommates that may become best friends and the chance to make friendships that could last a lifetime. It may take some time to fully embrace this idea, but in the end, it will make you more excited about college instead of being filled with dread at the thought of a university.

I was really nervous about climbing my first Fourteener, but the view from the top was a thousand times better than the missed opportunity at the bottom.

I am glad I took the opportunity to speak and share the gospel at my church. I remember being really nervous about it. Next time, I am going to look forward to the opportunity instead of being nervous about it.