Is there a connection between Confidence and Success?
What are the Worst Fears?
What are the Worst Fears?
What is Glossophobia?
It is the fear of Public Speaking.
Well ... having trained a few thousand people in the soft skills that lead to success, I can prove that people can transform there lives by focusing on the 2 C's -
Confidence and Communication Skills.
When we are able to believe in ourselves and we know that we have what it takes to succeed, we start to relate to the world as a winner. Because of this changed approach, we start to achieve what we want, and success seems only a matter of doing whatever is required.
What does it take to bring out self confidence in someone who is apprehensive and diffident?
In a recent public speaking programme I conducted, I asked participants to share what they expected to gain. The sharing was going well, until it came to the turn of a lady who suddenly burst out into tears, and said that she was forced to come to the programme. Actually, the lady's husband enrolled her to improve her confidence. I overlooked the tears and spoke calmly to the lady, saying.. that it was okay to cry, and she would soon be more confident. I put the lady at ease, by speaking in Hindi (National language of India) and telling her, that it was ok to be scared of the programme, but I guaranteed her that she would be fine, and if the programme did not work for her, then it was not her failure, but mine. I also told her that I was very very confident of making her a good speaker in just a few hours. Surprisingly, the entire group also rallied around and assured the lady that she was not the only one who feared public speaking. They also assured her that the group would all be journeying together, and each would support and be supported by the others through the 8 week programme. She soon regained her composure. For the next half hour or so... we continued with the workshop and in between I casually asked her for her opinion on some of the speeches done by the other participants. The incident was now behind us, and the lady too seemed to have forgotten it. We were all surprised when she volunteered to speak... and she did a reasonably good job. For the rest of the session, the lady participated wholeheartedly in the speeches and discussions. In less than 4 hours, she had transformed herself from a scared caterpillar... into a butterfly on a mission to improve herself.
The joy on the husband's face when he came to pick her up after the programme was a treat to behold. Transformation happens all the time... and I often wonder why people do not back themselves adequately. Why do we not have faith in our own abilities? Why do we think that we cannot speak in public? My philosophy is that if we can speak on an interpersonal level, we can surely speak to a crowd. After all... PUBLIC SPEAKING is only PRIVATE SPEAKING in PUBLIC SPACE.
Are you ready to ...
Improve your confidence, and grow your stature?
In my next blog... I will share some of the finer points of public speaking and how anyone can learn what it takes to be an effective communicator.
Till then... have faith in yourself, and remember, that your fear of Public Speaking cannot be removed by thinking about it, but by practically facing your fear, and doing more of Public Speaking. Fear can be eliminated ... and Eleanor Roosevelt has shared some great advice...
“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
“I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do ...”
I wish you more confidence... and assure you that I will be there to walk you through your fear... so feel free to ask questions... or clarify any doubts you may have. But... most of all... speak up... and change your life.
Sincerely,
Ian Faria.
