What are you scared of?
It’s Halloween on Saturday.
Halloween is about being scared.
Ghosts. Witches. Monsters. Things that go bump in the night.
But if you really wanted to scare people, you could turn up to a Halloween party dressed as…
Public Speaking!
Or perhaps: Failure. Rejection. Being judged. Change.
Imagine opening the door to a trick-or-treater smartly dressed, mic’d up with a PowerPoint clicker. Terrifying.
Almost half of British adults have some degree of fear of public speaking.
I find that fascinating.
I’ve coached thousands of people on how to present and speak with confidence. And one of the biggest things I’ve learned is that you don’t need to get rid of the fear. You change it.
Fear and excitement are remarkably close.
Think about what happens when you’re frightened.
Your heart beats faster. You get butterflies. Your breathing changes. You feel a surge of energy.
Now think about what happens when you’re excited.
Your heart beats faster. You get butterflies. Your breathing changes. You feel a surge of energy.
Hmmm something to think about.
Psychologist Alison Wood Brooks found that people who told themselves, ‘I’m excited’, before performing did better than people who attempted to calm themselves down.
Next time you’re about to do something that scares you, don’t automatically attempt to get rid of the feeling.
Change the label.
Instead of: I’m nervous. Use: I’m excited.
Instead of: What if it goes wrong? Ask: What if it goes brilliantly?
Instead of focusing on yourself: What will they think of me? Focus on them: How am I helping?
Perhaps the feeling you thought was fear was just excitement wearing a scary costume?
Be Brilliant!
Michael
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