The honest truth is this…
Public speaking may be terrifying for some—but I actually enjoy it.
It’s not just about sharing my stories and the lessons I’ve learned from my experiences—it’s about connecting with people.
I love the reaction of the audience members as I share something that is very personal. My hope in sharing my experiences is that those stories will move through the audience and reach out to the one.
If I can help just one person change the way they see the world—and especially the way they see themselves—it’s incredibly meaningful for me.
I love the ability to inspire others.
Public speaking was never on my radar.
I took a public speaking class in college, and I was okay at it. But doing it professionally wasn’t something I ever thought would be a part of my life.
It’s funny how life takes you places you never expected to go. As soon as I started speaking at different events, I realized how much I love everything about it.
To be honest, the first couple of times I was on stage, I was definitely nervous. I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been. I saw the podium as a place where I could stand to be shielded from the audience instead of just a place to leave my notes.
But like all new experiences, over the past few years I’ve learned how to do things differently, and even better.
I no longer hide behind the podium. And I’m no longer worried about my body movements and what my hands are doing.
I’m simply finding joy in my journey.
What’s my strategy?
When people ask me my strategy for overcoming the fear of putting myself out there, it starts with just one thing—my mindset.
I’ve realized that people are attending because they want to hear what I have to say. They have made the intentional choice to be a participant. That’s incredibly motivating to me. Going into my speaking event with this positive mindset makes everything else I do much easier.
The second thing that makes the greatest difference is coming to the stage completely prepared. In other words—practice, practice, practice. This means practicing what I’m going to say, how I’m going to say it, and where I’m going to stand on stage.
If I practice all these things before I get there, I no longer have to think about it once I’m speaking. Everything I do will come more naturally because I’ve already practiced it.
The best part about being prepared is that when I don’t have to focus on the words coming out of my mouth, I can really focus on the audience.
Connection is really where it’s at for me.
The better prepared I am—the greater opportunity I have to connect with the one who needs my message.
In the end, public speaking is just like anything else in life. We all have fears that we’re going to be judged or that we’re going to make mistakes. We wonder if we’re going to be interesting enough or if people will like us.
But when I step onto that stage, I recognize it as an incredible opportunity to inspire other people. And that, for me, is more motivating than any fear of speaking that I’ve ever had.
Why do I love public speaking?
Because it gives me a platform where I can reach a greater number of people with my message to love yourself.
Even though every presentation is to a large crowd, it is very personal. Each time I share my stories, I am speaking to the one. I can look in the eyes of those who are listening and see the effects of the words as they land in their heart.
That is very fulfilling to me.
The stories we share are powerful.
They are much more powerful than data and information. People may not remember what you say—but they will remember how your stories made them feel.
We all need more stories in our life—stories that make us laugh, stories that make us cry, and stories that make us feel alive.
But more importantly, we need to learn how to share our stories so that we can be the catalyst to help someone else make a change in their life.
Even if that change is simply their perspective.
