ZERO TO CONFIDENT EPISODE #1

The podcast is about building confidence and personal growth. The host shares her personal story of overcoming language barriers and communication anxiety. She gives practical tips such as using nonverbal communication, shifting focus from judgment to growth, and embracing vulnerability. She also talks about encounters with helpful people who restored her hope in a foreign country. Have you ever found yourself hesitating to speak up, feeling anxious in social situations or doubting your abilities? If so, you're not alone. But what if I told you that there's a way to overcome these challenges and unlock your true confidence? In this pilot episode, we'll lay the foundation for your remarkable transformation. We'll explore practical strategies and share my personal story of going from lacking confidence to becoming the confident person I am today. It hasn't been an easy journey, but it's one that has transformed my life in incredible ways. So thank you for joining me today. My name is Marcia, and I want to welcome you to this incredible world of Zero to Confidence, the podcast all about helping you build confidence and foster personal growth. So throughout this series, we'll dive deep into various aspects of building confidence. We'll tackle challenges like hesitating to speak up, feeling anxious in social situations or doubting our abilities. And don't worry, guys. I understand that building confidence and personal growth can be challenging. It's not always an easy journey, and there may be moments of doubt or hesitation along the way. However, I want you to know that you're not alone in this process, okay? And we'll be navigating through these challenges together and provide practical strategies to help you overcome them. So remember, progress takes time and effort, but with dedication and belief in yourself, you can achieve remarkable results. So let's face those fears head on and embark on this transformative journey towards confidence and personal growth. And our goal here is not just to become confident individuals but also truly remarkable ones. So by embracing our individuality and nurturing personal development, we have the power within ourselves to inspire others along the way. Let's dive into the first episode. So imagine this. You hop on a plane, leaving behind everything familiar, and you end up in a new country where people speak a totally different language. I'm pretty sure that your confidence is very low. Well, that was me 14 years ago when I came to the United States. Let me tell you, it was quite an adventure. So I get on that first plane feeling scared out of my wits. I was thinking layovers, more flights. It felt like every step was taking me further into an unknown territory, and those screens at the airport with flight numbers flashing everywhere, they were like reminders, like little reminders saying, you're way out of your comfort zone, girl. In that same moment, I was faced with having to confront language barriers because communication became or it has always been the trickiest things for me right from the start. My English skills were very, very limited back then. So understanding others or expressing myself clearly made me always, always super anxious. So during a layover in Japan, things got real when I tried ordering food at McDonald's but couldn't understand what the food attendant was telling me. I know she was talking in English, but she had this Japanese accent. It was a big Japanese accent. And I chose to eat at McDonald's because I am pretty familiar with their menu having it back home. So I was thinking, I don't want to complicate, you know, things by trying on some of the other food places I'm not familiar with even though they look better. So anyway, guess what I did when the Japanese lady said something to me which I assumed a question on what I was ordering. I just pointed at the Big Mac on their menu with a big smile on my face because we all know smiles are universal, right? And I know that Asians where English is not being used frequently as a mode of communication, they can relate to what I'm talking about here when you just smile at the person talking to you because you didn't understand what they said. But anyway, going back to the story, so me and this Japanese girl managed to communicate somehow. And I had that big smile walking away from McDonald's to the empty bench that I chose to sit at and eat my Big Mac. I was still smiling because I had conquered that fear or my fear that has been in the back of my mind when the plane first took off. My fear was that I made up this story that I will not know what to say when I had to ask someone at the airport in Japan or if I had to order food or if I get lost and I had to ask for the way back. So that small win made me breathe a huge sigh of relief, which leads me to this practical tip number one, that when faced with language barriers, don't be afraid to use nonverbal communication like pointing or using gestures to get your message across. With that positive momentum, let's now shift our focus to my second encounter when I overcame communication anxiety. Picture being stuck between two English-speaking passengers on your next flight and you are the someone that has a very limited English skill. That was me. This is when we boarded the next plane that is headed to the U.S. So for me, I was already turning red because of embarrassment. I was feeling the humiliation that hasn't really happened. Anxiety started creeping in again. I had so many things going on on my mind as soon as I sat down on my assigned seat. I was thinking, what if my seatmates try to talk to me? What if I say something silly and embarrass myself? What if they start telling me something and I would not understand them and they'll laugh at me? And thinking about it now, it's a lot of nonsense, but at that time that I was feeling it, it was so hard. So to avoid awkwardness, I pretended to be asleep for most of the flight. However, with this encounter, I came up with this tip that can help you when faced with the same situation. So practical tip number two is you have to remember that everyone has their own insecurities and fears, and by shifting our focus from worrying about judgment to embracing the opportunity for growth, we can alleviate some of that communication anxiety. And instead of trying to impress or please others, let's just simply be ourselves and use these interactions as chances to practice our communication skills. Additionally, a lot of times when you are trying to avoid something, I feel like God is trying to make ways to push us out of our comfort zones. Because for me, I had this plan of just pretending to be asleep throughout the entire flight and will just wake up when it's time to eat or if I need to use the restroom. But of course, sometime during the flight, I got so thirsty that it got to a point that my throat was really dry. It was so hard to swallow, and it seemed like I had no more spit left to swallow to lubricate my throat. It's because I was trying to wait for the next meal before I drink something, so I don't have to be using the restroom a lot. But at that point, it started to get the better of me, and I was forced out of my hiding spot. So there I was, summoning all the courage I had left to go talk to the flight attendant and ask for some water. And the only reason I know the attendants give water when you ask is during one of my visits to the restroom, I was in line and I saw one passenger ask for a cup of water. It sounds very simple, right? Well, let me tell you, it wasn't that easy for me. So the attendant started to ask me a question that I couldn't quite understand, and just like my first encounter with that lady in Japan when I didn't understand her, I just gave her a smile too. So the attendant, she mumbled something under her breath while reaching for a plastic cup on top of the cupboard, and she poured half a cup of water in it and handed it to me with a very deep sigh. She wasn't friendly at all for me, basing it on the expression of her face, because she looked straight down the hallway and crossed her arms after handing me the water. While that was a bit overwhelming at first, when she finally handed over that half a cup of water, it felt like a victory worth celebrating. I say I was celebrating and I was being proud of myself because I was able to initiate a conversation, even though I was not expecting that reaction from her. So anyway, let's move on to another helpful suggestion that can really come in handy when navigating through this situation, and this is practical tip number three, which is stepping out of our comfort zones and embracing vulnerability can lead to unexpected triumph. It's a reminder that growth happens when we push past our anxieties and take courageous steps forward. Transitioning to my third encounter, I call encounters that restore hope. So let me tell you about some amazing people I met during my journey who restored my hope in being able to survive in a foreign country. There was this incredible older lady seated right next to me on one of my flights. This is actually the last leg of my flight from St. Paul in Minneapolis, Minnesota, coming down here to Houston, Texas. So I just gave her a smile. That was my go-to, guys. She said hi to me and she asked me if I was coming to Houston or going to Houston to visit a family for Thanksgiving or if I was from here and visiting from a different state. I know she had quite a bit of questions. And I told her that this is my first time coming here in the United States and my fiance's family is in Houston. That's why I'm going there. I also told her that I did not know about Thanksgiving because we did not celebrate that or know what that even is back home. We didn't have that kind of holiday. So this very nice lady started talking about what Thanksgiving is and what's usually served during Thanksgiving, what her family is going to be serving, who is in charge of the cooking, and all that good stuff. So the entire duration of the flight is about two to three hours total. But that felt so quick for me because we were talking the whole time, although throughout the conversation, I probably asked her to repeat what she was saying multiple times or I would say, I'm sorry, I did not understand. But she really showed so much patience and understanding and did not make me feel stupid or I did not even feel at all that she wanted to end the conversation, even if I did not or I wasn't understanding what she was saying multiple times. As we landed at George Bush International Airport here in Houston, we said our goodbyes, and I was having an amazing, amazing feeling. I was having a happy and hyped-up feeling walking towards the area where we get our checked-in luggage. Moreover, here's another valuable piece of advice to guide you through these encounters with ease, which leads me to practical tip number four, embrace opportunities to learn about new cultures and traditions. Engaging in conversations with people from different backgrounds can broaden your horizons and help you feel more connected to your new environment. And finally, the pinnacle of my journey when I experienced unexpected connections and growing confidence. So I was circling around the different luggage claim conveyor belts looking for my luggage in a big box filled with baby supplies. Thirty minutes went by, 45 minutes. There were no more suitcases left on any of the, I believe, three or four conveyor belts, but I am still missing my box full of baby supplies. The only thing I noticed is this thing that appeared to be a round object fully wrapped in clear plastic. I wasn't paying attention to it that much earlier, but as it was the only thing that was left on the luggage claiming conveyor belts in the arrival area, I started to panic. The negative side of my brain started kicking in again. I was thinking that the baby supplies are not allowed and that's probably why my box was open, but I was also wondering why it didn't look like a box anymore. It looked like a big ball made from cardboard and put together with saran wrap. So as I moved closer to it, I can clearly see a sign that said, Tampers. So as I struggled to, I was struggling to reach for it without breaking the wrap apart and making it look even worse or have its contents explode like a confetti at a party. Like imagine. So I had missed it a lot of times and I was already sweating with everything that I had in me. My backpack, my blanket, my neck support. I know I had something else, but I was trying to follow the conveyor belt as well instead of just waiting for it to come around. I don't know why I was doing that. I was so ignorant that time. But for some reason, maybe because of all of the things that I was holding, I can't seem to have a grip on that stupid thing. So I stopped and to my left was an airport attendant on his phone. My heart was already beating so fast just from all that running around, but also because I was debating if I would go to him and ask for help. I know I needed help, but I stood there and I was just staring back and forth at the guy and my beat up box before I had the courage to approach him and ask if he can give me a hand. And he was very nice enough to help me. He grabbed my box, handed it to me, and said to be careful because it looked like some of the contents are starting to leak out of the plastic wrap. I wish I knew who made that box so I can tell them that the quality is subpar, like such an embarrassing moment. But me and the airport attendant were laughing the whole time. He had made a comment. I don't remember exactly what it was, but because the box was unrecognizable, he didn't even think that it used to be a box. So here's an extra tip to help you on your journey when encountering similar situations like this, which leads me to practical tip number five. Stay calm in stressful situations by taking deep breaths and reminding yourself that things will eventually work out. Additionally, don't be afraid to ask for assistance when you need it. Most people, I mean most people, not all people, but most people are willing to lend a hand if you just muster up the courage to ask. And I believe that these encounters were more than just random meetings. They were reminders that there are kindhearted people all around us who are willing to lend a hand or offer words of encouragement. For me, this amazing lady and the airport attendant, they truly left a lasting impression of America on me. Their warm and helpful nature exemplified the welcoming spirit that I associate with this country. So there you have it, guys, a sneak peek into my personal journey from zero confidence to where I am today. And remember to celebrate those small victories along your own path towards feeling confident, whether it's finding the courage to talk to someone or making unexpected connections. Every step forward brings you closer to your goal. We're in this together, my friends, so stay tuned for more awesome episodes where we will be exploring different ways to boost your confidence. And if you have any questions or topics you want me to talk about in future episodes, just let me know by sending me a direct message. Link will be down below. So until next time on Zero to Confidence, keep believing in yourself and embracing your journey towards confidence. And I am leaving you with this message. Don't forget to share the universal language of happiness, a smile. Share it with someone today.