The Invitation
Inse had always been the quiet one in his class. He wanted to fit in, but he didn’t want to change who he was.
So when a group of classmates invited him to go skateboarding after school, he felt excited—and nervous.
There was just one problem: he didn’t know how to skateboard.
When he got to the park, he stepped on the board, wobbled, and—BAM!—landed on the ground.
Laughter echoed around him.
“You’re embarrassing yourself,” the Voice of Insecurity whispered. “You’ll never fit in.”
But then he heard another voice—Curity’s voice.
“Ignore the Voice of Insecurity,” she reminded him. “Trying something new makes you strong.”
Inse swallowed hard. He wanted to believe her. But right now, all he felt was embarrassed.
A Different Way to See It
That night, Inse sat on the porch with Curity. “I don’t think I’ll ever be good at skating,” he muttered.
“Maybe not yet,” Curity said. “But what if you used the Second Transformation—Use the Voice of Insecurity for Amusement and Inspiration?“
Inse raised an eyebrow. “How does that help?”
“Well, what’s the worst that happens? You fall? Falling is part of learning. Even pro skateboarders wipe out.”
Inse chuckled. “I guess that’s true. Maybe I’ll keep practicing.”
Building Confidence
For the next few days, Inse skated every afternoon. He fell—a lot. But instead of getting upset, he laughed and got back up.
“Now you’re using the Third Transformation—Let the Voice of Security be Your Guide,” Curity pointed out.
She was right. His inner voice wasn’t saying “You’re bad at this” anymore. It was saying, “You’re getting better.”
And that felt good.
The Real Test
A few days later, the same kids saw him skating.
“Hey, Inse! Want to skate with us again?”
He hesitated. The Voice of Insecurity crept in. What if I fall again?
Then he remembered the Fourth Transformation—Act Despite the Voice of Insecurity. He nodded. “Sure.”
This time, he didn’t worry about falling. He just focused on having fun.
Then, one of the kids pulled out a cigarette.
“Want to try one, Inse? Just once.”
Inse felt a cold knot in his stomach. He glanced at the cigarette.
“If you say no, they’ll think you’re lame,” the Voice of Insecurity hissed.
But then, he heard Curity’s voice.
“You know what’s right for you. You don’t have to do something just to fit in.”
Inse took a deep breath. “No thanks,” he said.
The kids looked at him.
Then one of them shrugged. “Whatever. Let’s keep skating.”
True Confidence
As he skated, Inse smiled to himself. He had just used the Fifth Transformation—Befriend Your Inner Voice.
He didn’t need to prove anything to anyone. He had made a choice for himself.
And that was what real confidence felt like.
This story helps guide kids through all five transformations! 🚀
