So we’ve all heard the statistics around how many people fear public speaking more than death. I don’t fear public speaking… But I used to. I started doing something that was more fearful to me than public speaking… Boxing. But not boxing with beginners like myself, I started training with an 8-time Golden Gloves winner. This is how I eliminated my fear of public speaking… Nervousness is another story which we’ll touch on at the end of this post.
How does boxing help me become a better speaker? Perspective. When you’ve stood across the ring from someone who is faster, stronger, better than you are, and ready to hit you harder than you’ve ever been hit before… Speaking to a group of people about a subject you know inside and out seems like not such a big deal. It helps to put things into perspective… That’s a strong word here… Perspective.
For those who truly believe they fear public speaking more than death… Do you honestly believe that when you’re lying there, with so much life left to live, dying, that you’re going to say to yourself, “This is so much better than having to give that presentation,” seriously?? Put the speech or presentation into perspective… In the grand scheme of life, it’s not that big of a deal.
So, start doing something that scares you. Maybe it’s as simple as spending a week camping far away from civilization, maybe it’s as monumental as swimming with sharks or climbing a Chilean mountain, maybe it’s running a marathon… For me it was boxing with a champion more than once. The key is to do something that scares you, overcome that fear, and put your fear of public speaking into perspective.
The nervousness will never go away… But when you put the fear in check, those nervous feelings actually become your ally. Making you more alert, better able to think on your feet, and improving your ability to communicate the message effectively.
[Image Credit: roger_alcantara via Flickr]
