Special experience in New York

I used to be a shy, introverted, and anxious person. I was scared of presentations, performing, socializing, and talking with strangers…but one experience changed me.

This experience was very different from other stories. It starts on a day when it was snowing in New York. It was January 28, 2026. I was on a plane to New York, waiting for a piano performance. I was nervous and scared, thinking ‘what if I did badly on the performance?’, What if I did this and what if I did that?’. Before the performance, my palms started sweating because of nervousness. I looked around. Everyone else looks very relaxed and calm, even happy. I was more nervous. I can’t imagine that there will be many audience members looking at me when I’m performing. I kept telling myself I would do well , but I know I can’t lie to myself. I’m nervous.

It was my turn. When I was walking on the stage, I could feel that my heartbeat was really fast. Surprisingly, I did well on the performance. I can’t imagine that feeling. After that performance, I went back to the hotel. On the way back, I was thinking about that feeling all the time. Suddenly, I figured out that there’s no need to be nervous and scared about things that haven’t happened yet. Even if it happened, it was also a useful experience for me. After that experience, I was way less nervous about presentations, performances, and socializing. I did become braver after that experience. It is really important to me and has helped me a lot.