My gift of gab had always been confined within the walls of my fear.
The fear of being seen.
The fear of being misunderstood.
The fear that my voice might tremble and strip my message of its power.

For years, that fear kept my words confined to an audience of one—me. I had always had something to say, even as a child. I was the straight-A student who couldn’t stop talking in class. But as you grow older, you become acutely aware of other people’s judgments. And if you’re not grounded enough in who you are, those judgments can dim your light or worse, extinguish it.

My light barely flickered, but it never went out. It was kept alive by quiet optimism and a growing undercurrent that one day, I would say goodbye to fear for good. That day finally came when my fears and my purpose stood face-to-face. Only one could win. The question that echoed in my mind was simple: “What do I have to lose?” In that moment, I realized the uncertainty of embracing my gifts was far less frightening than a lifetime of hiding in the shadows of my fears.

It took the boldest move of my life to finally step into my power. In 2019, I moved abroad, to a city I had never visited, in a culture I had long admired. I made the Caribbean shores of Playa del Carmen my home. The white sand and warm breeze became more than scenery; they became a sanctuary for healing. The risk I took paid off in ways I could never have imagined. I wasn’t just discovering who I was—I was uncovering my voice.

Every day brought a new adventure: navigating an unfamiliar culture, learning a new language, meeting people from all walks of life, negotiating, bargaining. These were experiences I had never encountered in my day-to-day life in the States. I began to trust my discernment in ways I never had before. Alone and abroad, I had no choice but to believe that my internal compass was guiding me in the right direction.

The people I met while living abroad gave me the courage to fully embrace my voice. As an extrovert, conversation had always come easily but connection was my true currency. I loved the spark in someone’s eyes when we shared a moment of understanding but mostly when we shared a laugh. What I never could have predicted was how often those moments would end with, “You should do comedy.”

At first, I brushed it off. Then the suggestions became more frequent and impossible to ignore. So, I stepped up. My first comedy set was meant to be five minutes. But a few last-minute cancellations stretched it to twenty. Somewhere between minute one and minute twenty, something shifted. The laughter grew louder, my confidence stronger. By the end, I felt Seen. I felt Free. I realized I hadn’t just told jokes—I had reclaimed my voice. 

Moving abroad had already been the boldest leap of my life, but this…this was me stepping into my power. I began sharing my story. I was a guest speaker on podcasts. I visited my high school to inspire the next generation and built a growing global community on YouTube. My videos became a meeting place for people ready to trade fear for faith, ready to step into a life they’d been too hesitant to claim. Each story I told, each conversation I had, became proof that my lived experience wasn’t just mine—it was a blueprint for others.

The gift of gab I once hid became my greatest tool. Public speaking turned into more than a skill; it became a calling. My light, once flickering in fear, now burned bright with purpose. When you stop resisting and let the current carry you, your strengths rise to meet your purpose.

Your voice matters. Your story matters. And the moment you choose to share it, you open the door for someone else to step out of their shadows and into their own spotlight.

-Shawnie Young