How I overcame my fear of public speaking
I was standing in front of a group of medical doctors about to give a speech on enzymes that my college physiology professor helped me write the day before. I remember thinking, “Is it too late to quit this job?” I wasn’t the first choice to give this speech. I was the third, but I was there now standing in front of the crowd. So yes, it was a bit too late to quit.
Two weeks earlier, I had started a job as an invoice clerk for a vitamin company. Someone figured out pretty quickly that people love to buy things from me so I got moved to sales. A trade show in Colorado that was coming up had us all busy helping my boss’s boss prepare to give a speech to a group of medical doctors—a notoriously unfriendly crowd. My boss’s boss got sick, and then my boss quit… Someone had to fly to Vail, Colorado to give the speech and spend the week selling vitamins at the show. For some reason, I—a 23 year old nursing student and new hire—seemed like the right choice. Those fools!
When approached about doing this, I gave the only answer someone who both needed the money desperately and was new on the job could give, ”Sure, no problem. I can handle it.” In my dreams maybe, but in reality, I was freaked out.
I threw up twice on the plane ride over, intentionally left my glasses on the table so I could not see the crowd while giving my speech and gave a 5 minute presentation in 90 seconds flat, but most importantly, I survived. Later, one of the doctors came up to me and commented that I seemed so at ease. She wanted to know how I became so comfortable with public speaking. I said, “I am an actress in my spare time (a total lie) and apparently, a VERY good one.”
Prior to that experience, I felt scared even using my company’s intercom system because I didn’t like hearing my voice vibrate throughout the whole building. After completing that public presentation, I could have sung “Yankee Doodle” on the intercom and been fine.
That’s what happens when you reach out of your comfort zone and up the next rung on the ladder to do something more difficult. Suddenly, everything below that level becomes easy.
In my career as a hypnotherapist I have since given countless speeches, presentations, radio show interviews and even a few you-tube videos and I sometimes get nervous, but it doesn’t keep me from wanting to get my message out there and doing it anyway. Still, I know that if something is hard for me, in order to make it easier, I reach for the next higher rung on the ladder and do that. This is why I started my own Blog Talk radio show interviewing guests about how to create the body and life they want using the power of their mind—I wanted to stop being nervous about being a guest on someone else’s show!
If you want to get out of the box of fear you have put yourself in, try doing the next harder thing on the ladder, the one that’s a big stretch. I guarantee you will be able to handle it, and I know that everything you previously thought was hard will suddenly become a lot easier. You will become a stronger, more amazing person because of it. I’ll meet you up there since I’m looking for my next thing too.
Love yourself enough to allow yourself to truly realize your full potential by always reaching and growing.
Jill K Thomas CHT
Soul Connect Hypnotherapy
760-803-2841
Jill@soulconnecthypnotherapy.com
www.Soulconnecthypnotherapy.com
Author of the books “Tales from the Trance” & “Feed your Real Hunger”
Appointments available Globally by Video Chat