Public speaking make you nervous?

How do you feel when you have to speak in front of a group? Are you nervous? Join the club… it has been said that public speaking is one of the greatest fears that people have. When put into that situation, many people get nervous, tongue-tied and start stammering. For the longest time, I would beat myself up if I spoke in front of people and didn't do as well as I thought I should have. If I didn't come across as a marvelous orator, I would feel embarrassed and like I had failed. Then I had a change of heart.

What I realized is that on some days, I will be able to speak eloquently, with a captivating narrative and with the ability to communicate the subtlest of points with ease. And on some days, I'm barely able to state my name and address! But every time I talk to a group, I follow this simple rule I learned from one of my mentors - "Speak from the heart, tell the truth and you can never go wrong". So when I speak in front of people nowadays, my only measure of success is "Did I speak from the heart about something I think is important?" If the answer is yes, then I was successful.

Sure, on some days my words may flow more naturally than on other days. But you know what? Even on my off days, the audience can usually figure out what I'm trying to say. And since they are more focused on the message than on the words, everything works out in the end. As a result, I now truly enjoy speaking in front of people.

If you have a fear of public speaking and this helps you deal with it better, send me a note and let me know. I always enjoy hearing about people's successes.