Oh, can I relate! Giving speeches has to be one of the worst things we can EVER be made to do, right? Ok, maybe I exaggerate a little, but I do completely sympathise with you on this one. Honestly though, nerves are so completely natural. We all experience it at some point in our lives, but I promise you, you are going to feel FANTASTIC when you're finished that speech! The relief you feel is going to be wonderful, and I'll bet that you feel so completely proud of yourself, too. Use this as motivation when you get really nervous about this, yeah? Also, there's absolutely nothing wrong with you asking friends and family to give you a confidence boost if ever you need it. Practice giving your speech in front of friends and family, maybe, as this really might help you feel comfortable speaking in front of people (sure, it won't be as many people as will be at your graduation, but every little helps!) Think about it this way, though - it's just a couple of minutes, right? And if not a couple of minutes then surely a relatively small amount of time? And if you've got something to say, out in front of you, there's not much at all that can go wrong. Make sure you know what you have to say, and I honestly think you'll do just fine. If you've got your speech ready in your head, or out in front of you, then there's not much chance of you getting up there and going "So... uhm... yeah..." while your mind is racing trying to think of something to say! So, I firstly suggest that you're sure of what it is you're going to say, yeah?
Also bear in mind that when you get started, you'll probably feel a whole lot better about the whole situation. It's the days and hours leading up to the actual event that are so scary. Once you've uttered those first few words and sentences, you'll honestly probably feel a lot better and the rest of the speech will just flow.
Above all though - be confident. Even if you're not really feeling it, you can totally fake confidence. Make eye contact, make sure you're voice is loud and clear (and cheerful and friendly!) and not only will this make other people feel completely comfortable throughout your speech, it might really help you, too.
I know it's really hard and scary, but this a learning experience and it's absolutely going to make you stronger. And, if ever you should be asked to make a speech again, you'll look back on this experience and it'll give you strength. You're going to do just fine! Take a deep breath and go for it!
Good luck! Let us know how you get on, yeah?
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and i wanted to ride with Yuri Gagarin
as he circled all around my world
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