Over the weekend, I attended the Toastmasters District 6 Spring Convention. It was an event that I will never forget. Everyone who attended was tackling the biggest human fear… public speaking.
The day started out by attending educational classes. There was many to choose from, but I selected “Dealing with People Who Drive You Crazy.” Before the lesson began, I already knew that it was going to be interesting.
The speaker started by asking, “Who irritates you the most?” The group jokingly responded their family members and distant cousins. From my observation, they were trying to be polite as possible about the truth. It’s a pretty common truth that swings both ways, so please don’t take any offence.
I replied, “Loquacious individuals who have nothing to say in front of an audience.” The group agreed with me. How is it that talkative people who are never out of words become intimidated when speaking in front of an audience? Because, public speaking is an art that must be practiced many times over. It doesn’t matter how many times you practice in front of the mirror or before those you are comfortable with, the fear is enhanced when you’re in front of an audience full of strangers.
As the lesson continued, we learned strategies on how to deal with people who drive us crazy. Listening is the first step followed by questions that uncover your true feelings. Oh, and by the way, loquacious individuals who master public speaking become garrulous.
The next class I attended dealt with taking the fear out of public speaking. The presentation was well-put together. The speaker helped us to confront our own fears with simple breathing and body gesture techniques. I learned that effective speaking consists of 55% Body Language, 38% Vocal Variety, and 7% Words.
The speaker closed with a quote from the great Vince Lombardi; “Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.” I fully agree with this statement.
As an aspiring entrepreneur, I understand that self-presentation is a work in progress. The first impression can lead you to climbing the mountain or getting you buried beneath one. It’s a struggle to attend my Toastmasters club meeting every Saturday morning at 8:27 am. However, I must do this if I want to continually have an edge over others. Its fair game!
How about you? Are you afraid to speak in front of an audience or publically? If your answer is “yes,” you might want to begin tackling this common fear. If you know what the problem is, you should have a solution to get past your problems. Otherwise, it would be insane to think that it will go away.
One Comment
Boun I like this. This is so true because if you don’t do anything about it. It’s not going anywhere. We all have some kind of Fears to work on. It’s good that you are taken the time to help yourself get over your fear. Keep going!