Oh, the anticipation.
The sweaty palms…
And butterflies in your stomach…
You’ve seen the scene plays out in your mind’s eye a 1000 times.
And you think to yourself, this is it.
I’ve officially arrived!
This is your chance to step into the spotlight, and finally share your message with the world.
This is going to be the most amazing experience ever — You just KNOW it!
You’ve pictured the exact thing you’ll wear, the sizzle you feel as your presenter welcomes you on stage and announces you to the audience…
You’ve imagined how perfectly in sync you are with your audience…
You’ve felt the crescendo of feelings you’ll have when what you have to say lands with your audience.
And then it happens, and it’s not quite what you expected.
There are no fireworks.
You forget to properly introduce yourself…
And finding your flow is a bit awkward because the sound of your voice on a mic takes you a bit of getting used to…
Eventually though, you settle in…
And while you aren’t quite sure what you’re saying actually makes sense, you notice that the audience is responding.
They get you, and that feels really GOOD!
They are moved by what you have to share.
So you relax and lean into them.
And then even though there is another 10 minutes on the clock at your feet, you are suddenly out of material.
And a wave of nervousness arises within you as you not so gracefully end early…
Luckily the team that is there to support you helps you make your exit and things settle back in for the next presenter to start her thing…
Then, later, when you are walking back to your room, and are reflecting back on the experience, you have a funny thought.
An epiphany of sorts.
That was just like first time sex…
Not great, but certainly not bad.
And as a smile crosses your face, you realize you’ve got mad skills (just as you have known all along) and that with a little practice, time and attention, this public speaking thing has the potential to get really damned good!!
