Public Speaking is an art, which requires oratory and rhetoric skills. Speaking in front of a crowd of strangers, or even known people, is not easy. It takes a lot of confidence and courage to be able to fearlessly speak to an audience attentively listening to you. From giving a speech to making a presentation, there are instances where people experience palpitations, cold feet or sweating due to the fear of being on the podium. For some the initial jitters go away as they ease their way onto the dais and for some the jitters are constant and bothersome. To reduce the jitters and nervousness here are a few tips that will help:

1)      Be well prepared and rehearse your speech/presentation. This will set your mind’s direction of thinking and keep you focused on what you say, instead of you grappling for words on stage, which is embarrassing. Rehearse at least one night before the day of your speech/presentation. A well prepared mind leads to a well presented self.

2)      Avoid using filler words like, ‘you know’, etc. If you have forgotten your lines move onto the next topic or slide in line. Don’t stand there pulling a blank on yourself, trying to remember the lines. You will make yourself more nervous.

3)      Keep your voice leveled. You are the only one that is nervous, no one knows that and you have to keep it that way. You don’t want the audience to think that you are nervous. Don’t sound too meek or aggressive. Make sure your tone is consistent throughout.

4)      Pause occasionally to give yourself and the audience a break, but don’t stretch it for too long though. If you take too long the audience might lose interest or you might just get back to your nervousness.

5)      Words and actions are all that you got, to show up there. While you have the words taken care of, you have to visualize and practice your actions too. Your body language will speak volumes about your confidence level and preparedness. Don’t fidget or overly make gestures. Practice your postures and expressions relevant for your speech/presentation. 

6)      Know your audience. Make eye contact with the audience. Don’t let your gaze go astray or be fixed on a certain spot, try to make eye contact. This will make it personable for the audience and keep them riveted to what you have to say.

7)      Make sure you get good rest the previous night. If possible do some relaxations exercises on both the day before and the day of the speech/presentation.

While going on the stage take a deep breath and stride in with confidence. Rise and let yourself shine up there in the spotlight.

By

Mary-Ann Roche

Public speaking tends to freak a lot of us out and I am certainly no exception.  The thought of having to get up in front of an audience to make a speech is enough for me to be paralized by fear. The fear of public speaking can cause enormous stress to some individuals and since they are completely overcome by fear at the time it becomes difficult to focus on the speech and its delivery. 
Fear of public speaking is quite common, however if you can break it down and approach it like you would do an everyday conversation this may help.  Of course it is easier said than done when you look up and 500 people are looking back at you!

Paralized by Fear

For me personally when I reach the podium and turn the microphone on from that point on I see not much more than a black canvas in front of me. I can feel the sensation welling up inside my throat knowing that I must soon speak. Like many of us I am a perfectionist, and put considerable emphasis on delivering the perfect speech. In a way that is a double edged sword for someone with a fear of public speaking in that it is the very thing that causes the fear in the first instance, and secondly it is the very thing that the audience is looking for!

When making a speech I tend to experience all the thoughts like “what if people hate my speech and begin leaving”, what if I simply cannot speak in a fluent manner, what if something goes wrong with my slide presentation and I have to wing it?

Focus is the Key

All of these feelings cause enormous anxiety making it very difficult to deliver an effective and memorable speech.  Perhaps the key is to try to actually focus on sharing your knowledge with the audience, after all that’s what they came for!  Forget if you can, about flawlessly delivering your speech but rather, focus on the value the audience can actually get from the content delivery.  Forget about impressing them but focus on delivering to them the information you know they want to gain.  Perhaps this focus, will help you to overcome your fear of public speaking.

Communicate the topic effectively to your audience so you can see by their faces that they are receiving the information they came for.  In focusing to this degree, the nervous or anxious feelings tend to be held at bay.

Preparation

Therefore always study your subject matter thoroughly beforehand so you feel confident when it comes time to deliver this information.  Practise and refine your speaking, pausing at the correct moments and speaking slowly and effectively.  Ensure your presentation materials are prepared correctly so as to aid you in delivering your address in an effective manner.

Visualize yourself already speaking in public

Lastly as Im sure many of my readers know by now, I am a great believer in the art of meditation and visualization.  Meditate an hour or so prior to delivery of your speech and visualize yourself speaking in front of the audience.  See yourself speaking clearly and with confidence to your audience.  Think about how you are feeling when you do this, do you feel good about yourself?  Are you feeling relaxed about it?

These are my thoughts on how to overcome your fear of public speaking, from a fellow sufferer.  I have practised what I preach and can say that over time my fear of public speaking has reduced somewhat and continues to do so if I follow my own advice.

By Maryann Roche

Tags: fear of public speaking, overcoming fear, public speaking anxiety

Fear of Failure

Failure comes to all of us at some point in our lives and in some shape or form; however the fear of failure can become one of your biggest life fears.

Fear of failure really is just a fear of the unknown. You don’t know what’s out there, and so you’re scared, sometimes to the point where you want to give up entirely just to avoid failing!  It doesn’t take long to figure out that the ultimate is to not try at all!

How can you overcome the fear of failure and gain the confidence you need to succeed?

Consider these actions steps:

1. Imagine the worst case scenario. Of course, you should spend time imagining everything turning out well, but it actually helps to imagine the worst case. This is because, while horrible, imagining the worst case gives your fears a face. Your fears are then no longer the unknown and they may not be quite as scary.

2. Take action. The fear of failure can hold you hostage but when you take bold action, you’re able to recognize you simply made a mistake, learn from it and move on.

3. Talk to successful people. Ask them about the times they experienced failure and how they felt. It’s likely that they were afraid and that they’ve even failed greatly before reaching success.

4. Learn to use affirmations. Daily affirmations help to change your mind set about your fears and can reprogram your thinking so you know you will succeed at anything you attempt.

5. Know that you will keep trying.  When faced with failure it is important to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and give it another try.

Help is always Available

Many people the world over suffer the fear of failure so of course there are many people to talk to who can help you.  It is wise to talk to those who have failed many times and overcome this but trying again and again. Of course a Counselor, trained in this field can also provide enormous assistance and support.

Long Term

Remember that life is full of lessons, and when we don’t learn the lesson the first time we get it back again and again until we understand and learn the lesson, that’s really all that failure is, a lesson in life’s journey!

Tags: failure, fear of failure, fear of the unknown, overcoming fear

Building Self-Discipline

Usually when we hear the word “self-discipline,” we relate it to things like losing weight or quitting smoking. Self-discipline is extremely helpful when trying to break those bad habits, but it can also be beneficial in other areas of your life.

It is important to realize that we are not born with self-discipline; it is something we must develop as we grow. Generally it begins with teaching from our parents, however it is a personal thing that we must all be responsible for.

Once we develop our self-discipline so many things in life can be achieved. Sounds easy?  Well personally, I can only say that some days I believe I have mastered self-discipline and other days I havent! It takes inner strength and perserverance to push through those tough times and stay focused on your goal. Grab a copy of Brian Tracy’s book, The Miracle of Self-Discipline” where he talks about obtaining and maintaining the discipline to get going and keep going. Well worth it, especially when you are at a low and feel like giving up on your goal.

When we master the art of self-disciple we will then develop an unshakeable focus in purpose! Firstly you must be committed, really committed to reaching your goals. You cannot and I mean cannot entertain a negative thought, an excuse or any doubts whatsoever.  You must be brutally honest with yourself and know that whatever it is you want to see it through to the very end.  Desire alone will not get you there.  Call upon your inner strength, as self-discipline is all about perserverance and inner strength will get you past those challenging moments, those times where you feel like giving up. If you are getting off track your inner strength will get you focused and committed again.

We all have inner strength and most of us have used it on more than one occasion. Trust this inner strength and remember to ask for support from family and friends. Gaining self -discipline to achieve a goal is a big undertaking and sometimes you will feel overwhelmed. Entrust a friend, spouse, or parent with what you’re trying to accomplish and they can be there to support you when your self-discipline is waning, to give you that gentle push to keep going.

If you have the self-discipline to stop smoking for one week, that is excellent, but the only way you are going to build upon your self-discipline is to do whatever is necessary to avoid cigarettes today, tomorrow, and forever. Once you develop patterns of self-discipline they soon become a habit! Everyone of us has something we want to achieve in life, but we sometimes lack the self-discipline to do so.

Remember to practise self-discipline techniques every day staying focused and committed on your goal, go the extra mile when you have to, and call on help through the tough times.

By MaryAnn Roche.

Tags: Brian Tracy, committment, focus, Goal Setting, inner strength, motivation, perserverance, Procrastination, Self-Discipline

Mediocrity No and Success Yes!

Is life passing you by? Well I say No to Mediocrity and Yes to Success! You can too…read on my friend!

There’s an exciting world out there with a lot to offer. Deep down you know you want to get out and take a big bite of it. Sure, it may be a bit overwhelming, and even scary at times, but you can’t let your life just pass you by.

So, it looks like you’re stuck in a rut. Are you bored with your life and the same routine day after day? Of course you can’t be happy like this!

It’s time to live those dreams, take a leap of faith, and get out of your comfort zone! Lose the mediocrity and find the success! But how do you get started?

Read on for some valuable tips and suggestions to help you find the success you desire:

1. Take the first step.

It’s time to take that first leap of faith. As much as you want to step outside the box and get out of this rut, nothing will happen without taking that first big step.

* No matter how frightening it may be, you need to focus on the big picture and the pot of gold at the end of that rainbow. Muster up all the encouragement and support you can find and just do it. Once the first step is accomplished, it gets easier!

Get Unstoppable Confidence for Your Journey! – Click Here
* You deserve to be the best that you can possibly be, and deep down inside you know this. You’ll be so glad you took action – and you’ll be so proud of yourself when you celebrate at the finish line!

2. Decide what you want to do.

Put your fears aside and step outside of your mediocrity zone. If you could do anything without fear, money, or time being an issue, what would you choose?

* Make a list of everything you would like to accomplish someday. It doesn’t matter how crazy or outrageous you may think it is, just write it down.

* It also doesn’t matter if your list has three or thirty-three things listed. Just search your heart and your mind and write down what you would really like to do.

3. Faith.

It’s important to have faith to see your journey until the end, yet this may be one of the hardest qualities to develop. Remember how it feels to be stuck where you are with no excitement and no real purpose. You know things can be better than they are now, but how?

* All you need to do is believe in yourself. You know that countless people before you have lived their dreams, so why not you? What makes them so different?
Get Unstoppable Confidence for Your Journey! – Click Here

* There really is no difference between you and others, except for the belief in the possibility for great success. You can be just like they are; you just have to believe you can do it!

4. Don’t keep it a secret.

If you’re ashamed of how you’re feeling, you shouldn’t be. Many people find themselves in the same predicament. The only thing that should embarrass you is if you intentionally decide to stay in that rut! Do yourself a big favor and open up to someone you trust.

* Whether that’s a parent, spouse, or best friend, tell them that you’re ready to make a change in your life and they’ll be able support you throughout your journey. They’ll encourage you on the good days and cry with you on the bad days.

* Most importantly, they’ll be there to support you throughout it all. It’s just what you need to achieve great success!

Final thoughts on Success and Mediocrity

No one enjoys being in a rut and just going through the motions of life. Feeling mediocrity is not a nice thing! Don’t let your fears hold you back. After all, this is a wonderful world that you deserve to enjoy to the fullest!

Go out and experience everything life has to offer. Take that first leap of faith and you’ll never look back again! What ever Success means to you – Just Go Get It!
Get Unstoppable Confidence, You’ll be So Glad You Did! – Click Here
By MaryAnn Roche.

Tags: Mediocrity, Success