How to Turn Nervous into Excited

Have you ever been excited and nervous for something at the same time? Often, it is much the same feeling. According to Psychology student Mollie Trainer, “Psychologically, what’s happening to you between the two of them is pretty similar.” She added, “You can trick yourself into thinking you’re excited rather than nervous by just saying out loud to yourself: ‘I am excited.’”

As my mission got closer, like many missionaries, I also felt very nervous. I was excited most of the time, but when it came time to actually do missionary things, my excitement shifted to nervousness.

One of those things that caused nervous feelings for me was teaching. I hadn’t been much of a teacher before this time in my life. I felt like I knew the scripture stories pretty well but developing a lesson plan felt like a big task. Especially, since it’s such a big part of missionary work. What happened next, helped calm my nerves a lot.

One day, while going about my day my Senior year of high school, my dad mentioned that I should call the missionaries to go on splits with them. I remember picking up my phone and calling the Elders to let them know I was available to go on splits with them if they needed any help. Kudos to these Elders, because they called me the very next day asking if I could go that night to a lesson with a young man they were going to teach.

I hurried and changed what little plans I had that day and put on my suit. They picked me up in their car, and we drove to the young man’s house. I brought my scriptures with me, and they told me that I could share anything I felt inspired to. They also told me they might ask me some questions during the lesson as well.

Despite feeling nervous and excited at the start, I remember a feeling of peace coming over me as we started to teach. I was also surprised at just how easy the teaching was as we opened up the scriptures and simply started to discuss and reread what he had studied prior to the lesson. I remembered something that I had learned in mission prep, just a few weeks prior:

We all have a spiritual bank of knowledge. When we go to teach a lesson, or bear a testimony, all we must do is pull from that bank of knowledge. We are only sharing what we already know!

That was all I needed to hear. I suddenly wasn’t nervous anymore. I had learned that teaching a lesson wasn’t all that bad. I contribute this greatly to my dad’s inspired invitation to go on splits with the missionaries. I only ended up going with them a few times until they were transferred, but their impact left a lasting impression on me. I would hope that all young disciples preparing to serve missions would reach out to the missionaries and ask to go experience a couple hours of the missionary life with them. I was more prepared to serve the Lord because of it!

- Zander Coombs