Motivational speaker and author Chaz Pitts-Kyser told a group of students how to overcome self-doubt and fear of failure through an interactive, intimate speech in Kent State’s Student Center the night of Wednesday, Oct. 15.

Pitts-Kyser said the first step in overcoming self-doubt and fear of failure is determining the root of it.

 “There is a reason why when you look in the mirror you criticize yourself,” she said. “It doesn’t just come out of nowhere.”

Pitts-Kyser used crowd participation to narrow down the cause of self-doubt: comparing ourselves to others and images we see in the media.

“Self-doubt is the voice inside your head that tells you you’re not good enough, not talented enough, not pretty enough,” Pitts-Kyser said. 

Pitts-Kyser is one of five speakers in the Leadership Speaker Series, which is a new initiative for Center for Student Involvement (CSI) this semester.

“The themes of what the speakers are specifically talking about has to do with leadership,” CSI Graduate Assistant Graduate Shannon Ashford said, “but as speakers and [as] individuals they are all different.” 

Ashford said she thinks the topic of self-doubt is often neglected.

“Self-doubt is a characteristic that often plagues people in leadership positions. It’s something a lot of people experience, but it’s not widely talked about,” Ashford said.

The audience responded well to Pitts-Kyser’s encouraging speech.

Julia Marchese, a freshman spanish translation major, said Pitts-Kysers speech was tremendously uplifting and interesting. 

“It’s nice hearing reassuring things like ‘I’m smart’ and ‘I’m creative,’” Marchese said.

Joiya White-Latimore, a freshman visual communication design major, found Pitts-Kyser’s speech very helpful and said her causal tone was refreshing.

“Her words were very impactful and inspiring,” White-Latimore said. 

Pitts-Kyser ended her speech instructing the audience to stand up and say: “I’m smart, I’m talented, I’m creative, I’m super-hella-fine, and I’m worthy of the life that I want.”

The next Leadership Series Speaker will be Women’s Rights Crusader Lilly Ledbetter on Monday, Oct. 20 at the Kent Student Center Kiva.

For more information about the Kent State’s Center for Student Involvement Leadership Series, visit http://www2.kent.edu/einside/articledisplay.cfm?newsitem=45D6A185-D4BB-B954-E7593F055D5ADF70.

 Contact Kailtin Siegel at [email protected].