I recently met two women who were both afraid to speak. They approached me together at a busines retreat after they heard I was a speaking coach. The first woman described how she felt scared speaking in front of groups.  Then the other shared she was scared talking to people one on one, and it was a miracle that she was standing there in front of me sharing her feelings!

Wow! I was given a gift to have both of them approach me at the same time and share their fears with me.

It seemed they were scared of two different situations, but I know that deep down, it was really the same thing- the fear of being seen and heard and then feeling vulnerable.

The lie we tell ourselves is that once people know the truth about us, once they see our flaws – then it’s so much easier to be rejected.   It’s much safer to stay hidden.  To keep your light to yourself.

But is that the life you truly want –  to seclude yourself and stay small?

My mission is to help you find your authentic voice and shine brightly in this world! I want to help you discover your gifts, hone your message, and go out and start practicing and strengthening how you communicate – as a singer or a speaker – in any situation.

That’s why I want to share 5 Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Speaking and Shine!

1. Acknowledge Your Fear. It does you no good to pretend you aren’t afraid or to try to push the fear down and “fake it until you make it.”  Fear is your body’s way of telling you to pay attention.  So take some time to first acknowledge that it’s occurring.  Pay attention to how your body is reacting and stay curious about why you are having an uncomfortable feeling.  Journal about it.  Breathe through it.  But allow it to exist – at least for a little while.
2. Be Grateful for the Fear. Thousands of years of evolution have created our fear reactions for a reason.  They are there to protect us.  And even though we aren’t going to get eaten by a tiger when we speak to a group (or at least I hope not), it can still be viewed as a gift because it means we are about to do something outside of our comfort zone.  No one ever created something amazing without doing something differently, pushing themselves to try new things, or going somewhere new.  Even if that new place is simply picking up the phone to call a prospect, be grateful for this new opportunity to your use your voice and grow!
3. Get Excited. There’s a fine line between fear and excitement.  And now that you’ve acknowledged your fear and thanked it, you can transform it into the energy that will make you a powerhouse in any situation – Excitement!  We all want to hear an exciting speaker.  They are tapped into their passion.  They love what they do! They can’t wait to share it with other people!  So what makes you excited?  What can you talk about all day if given the chance?  There’s a speech in there waiting to come out and you are just the person to deliver it!
4. Practice. Even the best speakers have had lots of practice. You can start with delivering your speech to your bathroom mirror, but don’t make the mistake of thinking you need to perfect your speech before you try it out on a real person.  Some of the best speaking practice is in front of small networking groups, at a coffee date with a friend, or for your spouse.  The more you practice, the more confident you will feel.
5. Create a good warm-up routine. Every good athlete, singer, actor and stage performer has a solid warm-up routine to help them physically and mentally prepare for a performance.   Take a brisk walk, meditate, journal, review the opening or the closing of your speech, do some vocal warmups, and eat a healthy meal.   Do whatever helps you feel good.  This can only add to your energy and your mood.

And if you are still feeling terrified, seek the help of a professional coach who can help you develop a plan that works for you.  We all need coaches and mentors and the best ones are only a few steps ahead of you!