Speaking At Events In The Future As A Teenager

Speaking at gluten-free support groups or just at events in general is something I want to try and get into. I've really never spoken in front of any group of people for a long amount of time before besides school presentations or back at the Gluten and Allergen Free Wellness Event in May. So getting into public speaking at age 16 would be something very new for me since I've never really done much stuff like this before. I know I'd be nervous since of course speaking in front of people isn't exactly something that keeps you calm. But speaking is something I want to do in general as I grow up so I know starting now is better than starting later!


Why I want to get into public speaking:
Really the main reason I want to start public speaking is because I feel like I can use my story and attitude towards the gluten-free lifestyle as a 16 year old to influence others. Sure blogging and writing things is good, but I feel that speaking would be taking it to a whole other level. I want to impact others lives and show that eating gluten-free doesn't have to mean it's the end of the world. Being 16 years old and having the attitude that I do towards being gluten-free I think is much different compared to most teens. If a 16 year old can do it and feel happy each day with what he eats, then I want you to be able to feel like you can do it too. Also meeting more people and being able to talk to others is something I really look forward to as well. I love being able to connect with others through social media and all that. But the experiences with what I have had at gluten-free expos in the past is one thing I enjoy the most.


What I plan on speaking about in the future:
At gluten-free events or support groups I plan on just sharing my story about how I got diagnosed with celiac disease and what led up to it. I mainly want to try and show that even through all that I've been through and deal with each day as a teenager that I still have a positive attitude and truly feel happy each day with how I live. It's not easy living my lifestyle, but I choose to make the most of it and never let a "bad" day get me down. Of course this is what I plan on speaking about at first but I feel like there are many other things that I am knowledgeable of that I could share about as well.

My adrenal disorder is by far the hardest thing I have to manage throughout my life. I know my blog is all about being gluten-free and sharing gluten-free info, but adrenal issues are the one thing I am very serious about making people aware about as well. I truly believe that adrenal issues are something that many people with celiac disease deal with throughout their life. Even just speaking briefly on this topic to the public could be very beneficial to changing someone's life since I know many people still deal with problems after celiac diagnosis and this may be it. Overall just sharing my story and lifestyle as a 16 year old is what I plan to do and will probably just add on to over time.


Why I can't travel to public speak:
So I was going to be speaking in Raleigh, NC on August, 16th...but unfortunately I will not be able to anymore. With my adrenal disorder any type of stress can throw my body off and make me unable to function. One of the things I've learned is that flying is a major stress on my body and leaves me unable to function for a couple days. That being said I'm definitely not going to be able to fly to really any places to speak since I guess I'm physically unable too. I'll admit it is pretty upsetting to me to think that this is just another thing being added on to my list of "can't do's", but I won't let it stop me. I plan on speaking at local events or expos in Florida whenever I can and will choose to make the most of it whenever possible. It sucks to not be able to fly or really travel anywhere without getting very sick. But that's just one thing that's going to be part of my life so I might as well choose to accept it now. I hope to be able to find a way to travel to more gluten-free expos in the future to meet some of you, but for now I just have to stay local. Hope to be able to see some of you at some Florida event soon!