~:[CH8 - Day 272]:~ Let Your Voice Be Heard

~:[CH8 - Day 272]:~ Let Your Voice Be Heard

One of the phrases I have my students say in my class is, "I am confident in my speaking abilities." I think confidence is one of the most important things you can have and that's one thing that Jae talked about in his speech tonight. In a way, I want to tell people to just approach a situation and be confident, but confidence is always something natural and must be slowly gained over time. I think that in order to gain confidence in something you do, you have to have confidence in yourself enough to give it a shot and not shy away from what's ahead of you. It takes time and patience, essentially baby steps. For some, it comes easier than for others, but in the long run, if you keep at it, you'll find your confidence and you'll find your voice. Jae talked about his struggles with his Korean and how Day6 has been his support group to help him learn. I think it's telling when someone who looks so confidence says some of that is lacking. However, for all of us, we must understand that we should be confident in ourselves and our abilities and believe that our voices should be heard. We have the ability to accomplish what we want if we work at it. Sure, not everything will be attainable, but you'll never know unless you head in that direction confidently. Jae did just that as he ventured into the world of music and it turns out that he found himself in the spotlight, talking to the second night of a packed theater at LA Live. Tonight, as the songs played on, I sung along and dance, but even more importantly. I heard the voice of Jae and his band, something we would not be lucky enough to hear if they weren't confident enough to give this opportunity a chance. We will all find our opportunities, but only we can decide if we have the confidence to let our own voices to be heard so we can also realize our own dreams, much like they have. Raise your voice and even if you aren't so sure, go after it confidently and just see where the road ahead takes you.  I was so proud of Jae as he stood in that spotlight and once again he reminded me that I have  to do all I can to ensure that at the very least, I teach my students to believe in themselves so that their voices can be heard.