But it will also feel awesome.
We love what we once feared
I read once that the thing that people fear most in life is… no, not public speaking – it’s death, of course. But fear of giving a talk in front of an audience comes in a close second.
It got me thinking that public speaking is one of those activities that are too scary to enjoy at first, but get more and more satisfying as you get the hang of them.
You felt something other than fear when it’s the first time you rode a bike without support or swam on your own. Or the first time you got intimate with someone you really liked. Or that moment when you realise you’re no longer drenched in sweat after driving a car! You might’ve said to all these «that’s scary, to hell with it». But how much eventual joy you’d miss out on.
It’ll get better with every new speech
With public speaking, you’ll feel the thrill as you start commanding attention and steering emotions. When it’s time to say goodbye, but people are still listening. When you make a joke and the audience responds. When you share something that bothers you deeply and the audience connects. When they ask you to give the same presentation elsewhere. When people literally queue up to connect with you after the talk.
Just like with riding a bike, driving a car, or swimming – it’s an act of willpower at first, plus lots and lots of practice to get from fear to thrill.
Bonus tip
When getting ready to walk on a stage, often our focus goes inward: “I’m afraid.”; “What will they think of me?”, “What the hell made me do this?”. But we are not here for us, we’re here for the audience. The first thing that snaps me out of this self-centered state is establishing eye contact with listeners. Read how I do it in this short article.
Stay in touch
In case of emergency rehearsal text me on LinkedIn. Don’t sacrifice your goals to public speaking fear — be competent.
