Believe it or not, even confident people don’t feel confident sometimes!
Have you ever known somebody who always acted as though they were ready to take on the world, regardless of the challenges they faced at the time?
Well chances are, they may have been freaking out on the inside, even though on the outside their confidence seemed unshakable.
A few years ago I was asked to present at a seminar, and I enthusiastically agreed to do it and everybody assumed that for me it would be a piece of cake (ok, I kind of talk a lot!).
On the inside however I was totally freaking out! I had never presented at a seminar before, and definitely not in front of that many people! I had NO idea if I’d do a good job, and even though I knew the topic well, I was scared I’d be standing up there in front of all of those people, with absolutely NOTHING to say!
Many people fear public speaking more than they fear DYING, and I finally understood why!
So the big day came, and I was unbelievably nervous and really just wanted it to be over. So I was called on stage, and I began my presentation.
I was shaking so much that I needed to hold onto the podium to stop myself from falling over, and about 10 minutes into my presentation, things started flowing a little better, and I was talking so fast that my presentation ended 10 minutes early but I was happy – and I received positive feedback from many of the attendees too. Phew!
I had finally accomplished something that totally scared the life out of me!
So why did I even want to put myself through that??
Many people asked me that question, and the answer was easy: I wanted to put myself through that so it wouldn’t be as scary next time.
And you know what? I was right!
I’ve been on stage several times since that fateful day, and I am happy to say that the shakes are gone, and I actually enjoy getting up there!
For me, accepting this speaking opportunity was more about stepping outside of my comfort zone than anything else. I really didn’t want to get up on stage and present to these people – but I knew that I needed to do it if I wanted to move one step closer to my goal of reaching millions of women all over the world so I could give them the tools and the knowledge to help them build their confidence and self esteem.
My talk had absolutely NOTHING to do with confidence or self esteem, but my actions did. I definitely did NOT feel confident, but I knew I had to do it if I ever wanted to feel confident with public speaking.
It’s like most new things you learn. At first it seems difficult and sometimes you don’t think it will ever become second nature. But before you know it, you’re practically able to do it in your sleep!
The concept of public speaking does not scare me anymore and I don’t shake uncontrollably either. A little bit of nervousness creeps in, but overall I feel good. The pic I posted here was taken just after I was called to go on stage with one of my mentors, David Cavanagh. He had asked me in the break if he could call me up and I gladly accepted. I did not feel an ounce of nervousness on this occasion. How good is THAT???!!! 🙂
What I did by accepting that first speaking gig is one of the many keys to building your confidence and self esteem – I just got out there and I did it, despite my fears!
Where do you sometimes lack confidence?
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