I used to be terrified of speaking up in front of a group. One time I had to present my work, and my mind went completely blank. I rambled through it, and afterward I knew I had to change something. I began practicing on my own by talking into my phone, but listening back was rough. I could hear the filler words, and I wasn't sure what to fix beyond that. Part of me wanted an easier way to tell whether I was improving, but I kept going anyway. A few months later, the next time I had to speak up, I was still nervous, but I had a clear message. It wasn't about becoming a perfect speaker. The real win was feeling heard, and that made all the difference.