I joined a public speaking club this year because I’ve always been afraid of public speaking.
As I watched my daughter learn to speak, I had the epiphany that speech is one of our most empowering skills. People who can speak well have more opportunities.
This might be obvious to you. It wasn’t to me. I spent years working on songwriting, recordings, writing and programming. Locked away in my room, I always assumed the world would come to my ideas when they were good enough.
Now I realize it doesn’t work that way.
I have to be able to express, speak, communicate in that old school way (of opening my mouth and moving my body). It’s up to me to keep people engaged if I want their attention.
Most people have a deep fear of public speaking. They avoid it. I did. Eventually I realized that living with the fear of public speaking takes more effort than confronting said fear.
Avoiding public speaking, holding onto the nerves, feeling low when I spoke at a work meeting and it didn’t go well… these things were eating at me.
Taking on the dragon has given me more confidence.
If you’re reading this and you live in the Asheville area, feel free to come visit our public speaking club some Thursday evening. It’s fun. You can email me for more info.
Takeaway for the year: Confronting fear is a good habit to get into. It pays off across the board.
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