In Michelle Obama’s new book, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, she opens up with a collection of personal and powerful essays. In one of the stories, which range from dealing with menopause to motherhood, the former first lady discusses her first major televised address in 2008, which nearly ended in disaster.

According to Insider, in the book, she reveals that the teleprompter broke during her 16-minute speech at the Democratic National Convention. Thankfully, she had the speech memorized.

"I was standing there on live television, knowing I was supposed to speak for 16 minutes straight," she wrote. "There was no pausing the show or calling for help. For a second, I felt wildly alone — and also wildly exposed."

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"I could stop fretting about everything that was broken and blocked and rely on what was in my head and also in my heart,” she continued. “I had what I needed, it turned out, even with my nerves going haywire and tens of thousands of people watching, even with a malfunctioning teleprompter and a confidence monitor obscured by a sea of waving signs. I spoke for the next 16 minutes without missing a single word."

Watch the speech below:

The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times is available now.