In the moments before, you could hear a pin drop.
My heartbeat was thunderous in my ears; I could have sworn everyone could hear it.
My knees actually felt weak and my stomach was churning.
The little voice in my head and the devil on my shoulder were laughing really hard…at me.
They were saying that I was going to stutter, forget my words, sound really stupid and trip over.
They were telling me that everyone was so smart in that room that nothing I could say would be of interest.
They were asking me, who do you think you are anyway?
Sound familiar?
Have you felt like this?
It could be just before you wanted to say something to a group of friends…or before you get on stage to address a thousand people.
Stage-fright is one of the most common fears out there. I think next to death, we fear speaking in public more than anything else.
So what can you do?
Here’s a suggestion you may not have heard of before.
Tell a Story.
You might be saying, whatya’ mean tell a story? Who wants to hear a story? Well, the funny thing is, everyone loves to hear stories.
And when you have a great story to tell (and you know how to tell it!) then it’s a brilliant way to break down your fears and your nervousness about opening your mouth in the first place!
And you don’t have to be an actor.
You don’t have to be a professional Storyteller.
You just have to be human. You see, we are all Storytellers and we are constantly telling our stories but most of the time we don’t even notice.
Once you start paying attention to your own stories and to the stories that are being told all around you, you’ll be amazed!
You can simply choose a story that caught your attention; a story that means something to you and tell it.
You’ll be astounded how it lands for your audience, whether it’s one person or a hundred.
When you tell a story, you will instantly create interest and engagement.
It gives you time to catch your breath and then deliver the information you are there to deliver. The story is the perfect answer to those nerves, to that anxiety before you speak.
And the little voice, the pesky devil – they hate stories! Once you tell a good story, they can’t whisper their poisonous words anymore.
You feel confident and secure, you know your worth and you can say and do anything!
Isn’t it worth it to tell a story?
What helps you get rid of those pre-speaking nerves?
