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Your Worst Nightmare
 
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Here are two statistics for you:  More people are afraid of public speaking than actually dying  Three out of four individuals suffer from speech anxiety Last night I judged a public speaking competition in Lanark. Competing in speechmaking is something I used to do for a hobby 30 years ago. I later went on to train a team who were runner-up in the national Scottish finals. Back then, was I afraid every time I got up on stage? You bet! All the usual fears, what will others think of my speech? Will they agree or disagree with my opinion? Do I look stupid and an actor or professional and competent? Competition rules dictated that we only got to choose a prescribed topic 15 min before performance so there was little time to prepare before delivering to an audience and being judged on every detail from confidence to content. Postcards were allowed, but no overhead projectors! Once before a competition our trainer allowed us to go to the pub for a one drink as Dutch courage to calm the nerves. Mine was of whisky and water. It was a disaster. It numbed the nerves to the point it made me less creative in my thought when it came to question time. Well they say "that which doesn't kill you, makes you a stronger person". Well that much was true, I avoided the alcohol in future...well for speechmaking at least! Whether we like it or not, the truth is we can all be called on to speak at any given time in life e.g. weddings, birthday toasts, job interviews, presentations, votes of thanks, chairing a meeting, to name but a few. It gives us a choice. Do we either embrace the challenge and overcome the fear or take the easier road and avoid speaking altogether? That's not to say that avoiding is necessarily wrong-but it does leave the situation to rear its ugly head again another time. So in this circumstance what do you do? Some would say "feel the fear and do it anyway" but maybe there is an alternative? I suggest this-use the opportunity to identify and dissolve the fear of public speaking, before deciding whether to actually speak or not. You will:  eliminate the negative behaviour driver  develop your life skills  feel you have conquered Mt by doing so  Love the results More importantly you will not feel as negative the next time or fear being asked to speak and deliver in front of an audience. And the best bit? You may even grow to like it or want to do more! Anyone who grows to like doing something they used to fear is a progressive person; someone who knows how to get on in life. This is not to belittle those who would rather avoid public speaking, it just offers an alternative to more of the same, that's living with and be controlled by fear. Solutions to everyday challenges. This is what personal development is all about. Why live with the problem when you don't have to? We can all use this reminder from time to time. This is what helps us to become more evolved individuals and a more fulfilled as a person. Have a great week Billy
view Comments  Post Comment Article Listing posted by: Billy Harvey
10th Nov 2011
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