Public speaking
#315981 - 10/02/07 02:28 PM
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How do I get to be one of those people who are so damn confident when they get up to give a presentation??!?! I have to give a talk to my university class, only about 15 people, and I'm so terrified, because I know what will happen, even though I know the material my hands will shake, my LIP twitches!!! and I choke on my words...
errrrrghhhhh I hate it I hate it!!! How can I stop at least the lip twitching???
  
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Every person who comes across as confident when speaking publicly has had to overcome the 'willies' you are describing. I guarantee it! Honestly, the only thing helps you get over your nervousness is lots of practice and belief in yourself! The more you get up and speak in front of groups, the more comfortable you will be. Also, if you trust in your capabilities and believe you can do it, you will amaze yourself with how well you do.
I used to be terrified of public speaking, but since I was dead set on appearing in court (I'm an attorney) I was determined to overcome my fear during law school. I forced myself to take many classes where I had to get up everyday and present arguments, questions witnesses, etc. And, it worked!
People always commented on how calm and collected I was and how they loved to listen to me speak. I couldn't get over it because inside I was terrified! But, as time wore on and I did it more and more, I found that I grew more comfortable and less scared.
Test yourself and go for it! You're going to be proud of yourself once you overcome this fear and believe me...no one is going to know you're scared! Good luck!
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You're so right; and to think I actually dropped out of courses when I found out presentations were part of assessment!! If only I'd had the guts to do them then, it wouldn't be so scary now.
I too want a career where I'll have to speak in front of people so I will try to look at this in a positive light as an opportunity rather than a big black cloud hanging over my head.
Thanks so much for your reply; I've cut and pasted it and printed it off because it's so positive, and totally encapsulates what I want my attitude to be. So fingers crossed....
"I love public speaking! I love public speaking!"
Cheers
Jodie 
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I forced myself to take a Public Speaking class in college. I could have taken another communications class, but I was determined to face my fear. I'd rather do anything than speak in front of people, but I refuse to let it keep holding me back. You can do the same.
I always volunteered to go first in my public speaking class. I figured everybody else was so worried about their speech, that they wouldn't notice so much if I screwed up : )
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I know how you feel! I have always been terrified of public speaking. I took an F on an assignment in high school speech class because I chickened out at the last minute. I had done all the work....but I lied and said I left it at home. It was actually in my locker.
I recently attended a presentation by the real Erin Brochovich. She was so inspirational. She just told it like it was and I remember one of her quotes when she related her ideals and morals to that of the story of the Wizard of Oz. She said that at one point she finally realized that she "wasn't afraid of the Wicked Witch or her fricken flying monkeys"....(only she didn't say fricken). Now when I get afraid of something I say that quote over and over in my head.
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Ah that's a good one. It's crazy isn't it, why do we get so freaked out about standing up in front of people! I can ramble on in class when I'm sitting in my seat, but the moment I have to stand up, I just know I'll fall to pieces. So frustrating, and so not worth the worry.
But I suppose, forcing yourself to get out of your comfort zone and do something you think you can't - or, really, really don't want to - can only be a good thing in the long run.
I've figured out something to help though - I'm going to make a PowerPoint presentation, that way I can turn and wave my hands in the air and gesture at the big screen to hide my shaking little paws!! Yessss!!! Although now I'll probably waste all my time picking colour schemes and forget to learn the speech. Oh well. Can't have it all.
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Oh my gosh! That's so flattering! You're so sweet. I am just glad that I could give you a boost in your confidence about it! You've got the right attitude! Attack those classes and don't let your fear conquer you! Once you get through a few speeches without passing out, vomiting, crapping your pants, having a heart attack, getting attacked by wild dogs....you're going to realize it's not as bad as you've built it up in your mind to be. So much of the turn-off with public speaking is the imagined fear we create about the whole ordeal because it's so foreign to our normal daily routine.
One thing you can try that works for me (and which all my professors strongly advocated we do) is to practice in front of a mirror numerous times before the actual presentation. Watch your gestures, your facial expressions, etc. and get it all down the way you want it to look. Create a good road map in your brain and stick to it. But don't memorize! You want to be able to speak on the fly and ad lib a bit so it sounds natural...conversational, if you will. I usually practice enough so that while it's not memorized or looking "acted out," my mind and body are in sync as to where I want to go next with my speech. It sorta becomes automatic.
Best of luck to you!! Let me know when you do a speech 
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Sometimes it is just practice. The more you speak in front of groups, the more comfortable you will be. I still get really nervous speaking in front of my peers in the workplace, but even then, if I practice, practice, practice the presentation, I do better.
You might also look into Toastmasters. It's a public speaking club with chapters all over the place.
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That's a good plan. I'm always more comfortable if my audience has something other than me to look at.
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Thanks Amanda; already a little shift in attitude has kind of taken the fear factor down a few notches - at least temporarily... I'm so glad I posted because the advice/support really helps, it's as if, you need to hear/read those kinds of words to get your mindset right.
It's not till Tuesday week. I'll let you know all the gory details, I can't wait till the moment I'm done and I can sit down and watch everyone else squirm for the rest of semester!
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I am by no means a public speaking expert. (Actually I have an oral presentation in my writing class on October 16th that I'm not looking forward to much). And I have actually dropped classes in the past because I didn't want to make a speech, but whenever I have, I find I am most successful when I just tell myself that these people love me and I can be charming as hell... cause half of the worry is that people won't approve. It sounds weird and semi-demented, but just pretend you're the coolest person in the room....... Good luck!
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21, female, Long Island, NY
school in Kingston, RI
IBS-C, abdominal pain, gas, bloating, cramping; acid reflux; fibromyalgia; chronic fatigue syndrome; chronic headaches
"Nothing is either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
"Suffering arises ... whenever we resist the flow of life and try to cling to fixed forms..., whether they are things, events, people, or ideas."
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I love it!!
It's such a mental game isn't it. Thanks Jaylyn.
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Hi all,
I thought I'd tell you I gave the 'dreaded' presentation today and I totally surprised myself by feeling and behaving confidently to the point that I actually, bizarrely, enjoyed myself!! I couldn't believe it; I just didn't get the shakes, I had a positive vibe about it, I just talked myself into believing it would be a positive and productive experience and to face my fear and I did and it worked!!!!
Thankyou all of you so much for your encouragement, advice and empathy. I actually feel like I have taken a step forward, I'm so surprised by myself. I feel like if someone asked me to do another one next week, I wouldn't mind a bit. Hooray!!!!
Thanks again; I feel on top of the world!!
Jodie - with her fear of public speaking seriously diminished!
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