Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety: Confidence Through Intention

You can be very nervous and still deliver a great speech.

At Mindful Presenter, we successfully help people overcome their public speaking anxiety, so if the thought of presenting makes you anxious, you’re not alone, you’re in good company.

Throughout history, many individuals have openly admitted their nerves before delivering important speeches, often feeling they would never be able to get through them. Yet, somehow, they managed not just to speak but also to convey their messages with power and impact.

For example, Mahatma Gandhi, one of the world’s most respected leaders, was not just nervous; he was terrified of public speaking. Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, suffered from social anxiety that made him fearful of addressing crowds. Even the legendary actor Sir Laurence Olivier once said, “The day I lose my stage fright is the day I will stop acting.”

This list of famous figures includes many others who have admitted to feeling nervous about public speaking, such as Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Rowan Atkinson, Tiger Woods, Sir Richard Branson, Adele, Julia Roberts, and J.K. Rowling.

Indeed, you are in good company. The world is filled with people who perceive themselves as lacking the confidence to inspire an audience, yet who have gone on to do precisely that.

The Key to Overcoming Anxiety: Intent

The key to overcoming public speaking anxiety is intent. A sincere, heartfelt intention to share something valuable with your audience is the best starting point. Confidence grows quickly when you believe in your message and understand how it can help others.

Take J.K. Rowling’s Harvard commencement address as an example. She begins with a candid opening line: “The first thing I would like to say is ‘thank you.’ Not only has Harvard given me an extraordinary honour, but the weeks of fear and nausea I’ve endured at the thought of giving this commencement address have made me lose weight.”

Her transparency earns her rapturous applause and laughter, helping her to connect with the audience as she settles into her speech.

Three Powerful Communication Tools

How does she manage to do this while expressing such anxiety? Rowling employs three powerful communication tools:

Self-Disclosure:

This process involves opening yourself up to your audience and accepting the vulnerability that comes with it. By sharing challenges she faced on her journey, J.K. Rowling humbles herself and invites her audience into her world.

Story:

The power of storytelling is one of the greatest ways to connect with an audience. Watch how Rowling engages her listeners by sharing her own story.

Message:

The strength, clarity, and belief in your message help dissolve fear, doubt, and confusion, allowing you to deliver your point authentically.

J.K. Rowling delivered her message beautifully: “I have decided to talk to you about the benefits of failure. And as you stand on the threshold of what is sometimes called ‘real life,’ I want to extol the crucial importance of imagination.”

When you speak about something you care about, nerves often dissipate. If you lack a message that you feel can benefit others, it’s natural to be anxious. However, when you care deeply and set a clear intention to make a difference, those feelings of nervousness can transform into excitement.

When you care and set a clear intention to make a difference to your audience the idea of feeling nervous transforms into one of excitement.

If you need help overcoming public speaking anxiety :

– Book yourself onto a powerful public speaking course.

– Invest in some really good one to one public speaking coaching.

– Get yourself some excellent presentation training

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