Chances are high that the words keeping you up at night, both in a good way and in a negative fashion begin with the letter “f.”
Some of the usual suspects that my clients and workshop participants have shared with me over the years appear below. Positive “f” words express what they were trying to achieve, how they were described, or what they felt like along the way. Negative “f” words reveal their worries about speaking and its consequences. These concerns included how they might be perceived by others as well as their own turbulent feelings during and afterwards.
First, consider the positive “f” words that fit you best:
“When I’m speaking, I will have, get, feel or can be described as:”
- Fun
- Fortune
- Freedom
- Family
- Fantastic
- Futuristic
- Fabulous
- Fame
- Fortuitous
- Flavorful
- Friendly
- Fortunate
And now, which of these not-so-positive “f” words plague you when you think about public speaking?
- Failure
- Fear
- Frustrated
- Facetious
- Flop
- Frivolous
- Feint-hearted
- Fart
- Flabbergasted
- Fraud
- Freaked out
Feel free to add your own words to either of these “f” lists.
Based on my experience as a communication coach and professional speaker over the past few decades, having worked with thousands of dedicated, passionate and anxious men and women of all ages, I have found that you CAN have it all. You can experience the fear, the loathing AND the fabulous outcome. They are not mutually exclusive.
For many, the dread of public speaking never fully departs. With the right tools, attitudes and experience, however, we gain control over these “f” words and begin to manage them and excel, instead of being under their spell. That’s what Public Speaking for the Genius is all about. I’ve written the book and excerpted it into these blogs to help you become a Genius in speaking, just as you are in other key aspects of your life.