“All set?” asked my friend, while I was going through the PowerPoint presentation on my laptop, the umpteenth time. “All wet!” I exclaimed, chewing my nails. This has been my state before every presentation or speaking engagement that I took part in. Stage fear engulfed me and turned me into a damp squib every time, trembling and shuffling my feet, in front of a crowd.
Unknown audiences rattled me more, even if the subject of the speech was one which I had mastery over. Sometimes, I swallowed my lines while I hurried through my speech and jumped off the stage, on other occasions. I have attempted eye contact with the spectators, but quite often, their reactions or lack of them, disturbed my focus and derailed my performances. There was also this voice in my head that was constantly screaming, “Cut the crap! What you are saying makes absolutely no sense!” Silencing this incessant voice, while interacting with the audience and remembering the content, all at once, is quite a strenuous task for my glossophobic self.
Nonetheless, the butterflies in my stomach have not been able to deter my dream of becoming a TEDx speaker. I eagerly grab every opportunity that comes my way, within my organization and on external forums. This year has ushered in significant opportunities in the public speaking arena, thanks to my B-school connections.
3 key habits that I adopted this year, which helped me deliver impactful speeches:
- Rehearse my speech in front of a mirror. Practice, practice, practice until it becomes perfect!
- Time my speech and factor in a few minutes as buffer. This helps with the pace of delivery.
- Arrive at the venue ahead of time and get acquainted with the audience. This helps tone down the anxiety of facing an unknown crowd.
I have also realized that, stepping on an elevated platform elevates the blood pressure for no reason, where as rendering the same speech from the comfort of one’s seat or standing amidst the crowd, feels less scary. Ever since this realization dawned on me, I have been actively seeking stages to perform on. Higher the altitude of the stage, tougher the challenge! For, there is no better way to train one’s mind, than to put it through fire. The deepest cut diamond sparkles the most!
“All is beautiful and unceasing, all is music and reason, and all, like diamond, is carbon first, then light” — Jose Marti
My journey in the terrain of public speaking has been rough, rickety and turbulent. But, I know that, this is the road that will lead me to the stage of my dreams, in the days to come! Looking forward to a spectacular journey of oratory excellence!
This story is inspired by the 100 day storytelling initiative by Your Story Bag. This is my story for day 6/100 of #2023TheStoriedWay
