We’re often told that people’s #1 fear is the fear of public speaking.
I don’t put much faith in that statistic, but there’s no denying that public speaking fills many people with dread bordering on panic.
I’ve been there. Once I was so nervous — scared out of my mind — that I froze halfway through my speech, completely forgetting what I was going to say, and bolted from the room.
Since then I’m more or less tamed my fear of speaking. Although I’ve given thousands of speeches over the years, I still get nervous.
So that’s my beginning premise. Don’t try to banish all fear. Try, instead, to keep it at a manageable level.
Panic is bad. Fear is disabling. A bit of nervous can be a good thing: it’ll keep you on your toes and add some energy to your presentation.
