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Barrett Howell's avatar

The timing of this article is fortuitous!

I was suggested to take the role of MC for rather large public event.

My initial response was "oh hell no" of something like that with a few more expletives 😂

Then I actually started considering doing it.

Growth occurs outside of your comfort zone right?!?

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Michael Easter's avatar

Do it. Remember the parting quote from Friday's Expedition post: "If the risk is not taken, the meaning of life is somehow violated, and the whole future is condemned to hopeless staleness, to a drab grey." —Carl Jung

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Josh's avatar

Tip: Remember that the audience knows less about what you are saying than you (otherwise, why would they be listening to you). You may notice a mistake or misstatement, but it’s unlikely that your audience will. Confidently push through the error and no one will know the difference.

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Michael Easter's avatar

That's a fantastic point. In some of my early talks, I'd come home and say "I forgot to say (insert point)" and Leah would reply "well, the audience doesn't know that."

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William Bett's avatar

Related to practice, find more low stakes environments to get in the public speaking reps, so that you can really excel when and where it matters!

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@CLJ3's avatar

I have found that preparation goes a long way with calming the nerves and boosting confidence. Likewise establishing engagement with the audience, if possible, to 'share the spotlight'. And if you get stumped then serve kudos to the questioner and promise to share out a response however appropriate.

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Craig O'Neill's avatar

I'm a strong advocate for Toastmasters.

I've been active in a club for over 6 years now and it's pure joy being a part of a club that gets people out of their comfort zone.

I've pushed the comfort crises on my friends and enjoy seeing how once someone embraces discomfort in one area, it becomes easier to do in other areas.

Glad to hear you talk on this!

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Charlie Newkerk's avatar

I gave my first speech in business (not counting High Scool book reports) to give an award to a group of older women. I was nervous, but got through it. I gave many speeches during my drinking career (cut short by reality!), which probably were awful. Since then, being in the insurance business for 40 years, I have given many speeches before employer groups,up to 100 employees. I studied my material, made notes and tried to remember that I was the SME, so if I made a.mistake it usually would go unnoticed, except by me.

Some advice and sayings that helped me:

my first insurance manager taught me that it was okay not to know all the answers but don't BS people. If a question arose I didn't know the answer, my response was " I don't know, but I will find out and get back to you"

Speaking at AA meetings is sort of like Toastmasters for drunks, you have hecklers, interested parties and everyone in between-exposure therapy.

My favorite quote is "anxious speakers have butterflies, but confident speakers still have butterflies but they fly in formation!"

Pick one person at a time in the audience to speak to as if having a one on one with them, changing people occasionally.

Imagine everyone in the audience just wearing their underwear instead of business uniform. It'll make you smile!

Nuff said!

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Soumaya's avatar

Help me

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Soumaya's avatar

Hi, can you please answer direct messages

Please!!!

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Michael Easter's avatar

Hi, Soumaya, I checked my inbox and don't have any messages from you.

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Soumaya's avatar

I have social anxiety, I have trust issues, and if I can solve social anxiety, the fear of judgment and I can live freely as a good human then I won’t fear death because I would know that I will go to heaven and not hell

Please my life depends on it

So contact me asap

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Soumaya's avatar

It hasn’t delivered because you haven’t accepted me, but here is the message

Hi can I have a therapy session with you, I’m 25 years old, coming from an immigrant family, I come as an refugee and I have a lot of trauma now I live in Sweden with my family , I’m the oldest daughter with five siblings, my family is religious, it is one year now that I have got depression and anxiety , and it’s exhausting I have fear of death and I feel miserable, I can’t even smile anymore, im really sick of it, I feel physically sick of it too.

Help asap I can’t live a day like this anymore

Help me please.

Waiting for your response

Regards

Soumaya

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