From the archive
I was scared, but I did it anyway
His suggestion came on a Friday, and come Monday morning I was joining my first club.
Dai Manuel · Coach Moose · Vancouver
Originally published on LinkedIn on 3 October 2019 and republished here with light editing only.
It was about eleven years ago that I decided to challenge my fear of public speaking.
It started with my mentor and coach inviting me to challenge my fear head-on, by joining a Toastmasters International club.
His suggestion came on a Friday, and come Monday morning I was joining my first club.
I did what I needed to do. Chose to change, and then followed it up with decisive and specific action.
Everything changed as a result.
Limiting self-beliefs, underlying fears, and negative self-talk are just a few of the ways that we undermine our own desires, goals, and dreams. If we do not like that, then own the desire to change.
Many of the most confident people you know have anxieties when it comes to public speaking. Getting over a fear of anything can come with a huge amount of relief and the feeling of a large weight being lifted off your shoulders.
Four things that change when the fear goes
You become more confident generally
Overcoming one of the scariest things for many people to do will make you a more confident person across the board. You will feel that now you have conquered this, you can conquer other things. One to one conversations get easier. Small groups and meetings get easier.
You can say yes to more
You may have avoided agreeing to take part in things in the past, just in case you had to present or speak. That stops being a reason to decline, which means you get involved in more.
You care less what other people think
It is healthy to care to a degree. But caring a lot about how you look, how you sound, or how you present is not a good thing. Getting past this helps you focus on how you feel rather than on what the room is thinking.
You can inspire other people
One of the more effective ways to inspire people is just by speaking to them. One to one, in a small group, or in front of an audience, you have an opportunity to encourage other people to be the best version of themselves.
Are you ready to challenge the fear of public speaking?
One removal. The original closed with an invitation to email about coaching, which is recorded here rather than silently deleted.