telling myself it's okay

Once again, I find myself wishing I were more vocal in class, feeling that I have ideas that count for something, but I hesitate...am I wrong? What if I am?  I should really think about this. 

There's someone in my class that is just so good at articulating bright ideas succinctly, without any fear of being challenged.  I'm exactly the opposite.  I'm better now, I say more, but I continue to wonder where my motivations lie.  Do I speak to challenge? To bring up a point for discussion?  Or do I do it out of an expectation?  And this is the crux...What do I really want to do here?  Speak, think, stay silent.  Do I want my thoughts verified, validated? Do I want to seem smart?  Do I just want to contribute?  I really don't know.  It's probably a mix of all of these. But speaking out is still something that goes against so much of my personality.  I like to think and write, and only when comfortable, speak.  I realize that I have a voice and an opportunity, and it feels like shirking obligation not to use it.  But I also feel that there is pressure most people don't realize they are placing on those of us who are naturally introverted, or simply different in social situations.  That more vocal people are privileged by nature of being most readily heard and therefore seen.  And we're not always good at making the quieter ones more comfortable, and I don't blame anyone for that---it's hard to know how to respond to near silence.

So...do I accept who I am and simply take my time until I feel comfortable and ready?  Or, do I push to be heard and seen---and what for, anyway?  Do I disadvantage anyone by my silence?  Or maybe I disadvantage people by forcing something that doesn't feel right? And yet I have come so far by being just what I am, so where do I go from here?