I, like many people, have a fear of public speaking. To my disservice, all throughout my schooling we never tackled public speaking. Of course, as a kid this never bothered me - I never appreciated the art of speaking. Speeches are for leaders, CEOs, presidents... I was none of those, so it wasn't for me.
As I grew older and joined the workforce my fear of public speaking only compounded. One day, my worst fear became a reality; my boss asked me to give a presentation in front of 500 people. This was incredibly dreadful for me! I had nightmares for weeks-- my heart would race and my palms would grow sweaty just thinking of that day. I actually considered quitting my job in order to avoid speaking?
When the big day finally came - I had 15 minutes to prepare. The sounds in the room during the intermission were like the roar of a train - I had to step outside. I went to my car, and found a bottle of Jägermeister. This, I had planned all along. I had hoped the alcohol would numb the incredible fear I felt. I drank a large portion of the bottle, unfortunately, it only made things worse - I got very hot , my face was flustered and my stomach hurt. When it was time to go on stage, I rushed over to give my presentation. I couldn't tell you what I talked about now, but it felt like I talked for hours. As I looked into the crowd, I spotted two guys laughing, whispering and pointing at me. I started to stumble over my words, my face became hotter and redder. By some miracle I finished and left the podium before the attendants could clap.
I felt horrible, yet pleased that it was over. I vowed never to be in this situation again - I needed help. That's when I joined ToastMasters. It's a speaking club which teaches you to speak in public for a very minimal fee. I've been attending the meetings and I feel much more comfortable. Yes, I still have a fear of public speaking but I am whittling that fear away with practice at ToastMasters. If you feel this fear, do yourself a favor and look into joining this club. It's scary at first, but after awhile it's fun and you will look forward to speaking. You are leader and speaking is for you!
