Have you ever been in a meeting room and chosen not to speak because you were afraid to do so? Sure you have. What goes through your mind: “Can I say it right? “Will my ideas be rejected?” “Am I good enough to contribute to this discussion?”
I’ve been there. And I’ve been in the company of many others who fear speaking in public.
Most fears are learned, not innate. Encouragingly, studies tell us that we can overcome some of our fears by continued exposure to them.
Communicating effectively is a learned skill set. Unfortunately, most people, don’t invest the time to increase their capacity to communicate well. To speak or not to speak doesn’t have to be the question. Like any other challenge or problem that you may have, more than likely, there is a solution. It does require your commitment and determination to make the needed changes. Think about this, if you do nothing about your fear of speaking, or any other challenge, this time next year, you will remain exactly where you are today.
That’s why you’ll often hear me say, Life is a Mountain. Every day counts to get you to the goal you set for yourself; it literally takes one step at a time. And the more you practice doing what needs to be done, the less intimidating it will become. It’s not easy, but life requires us to rise to the challenge.
Worldwide, we think about Toastmasters as a safe and effective vehicle to develop and practice our communication and leadership skills. The Toastmaster’s family I belong to is a talented, caring, and diverse group of professionals. We volunteer our time to help each other reach our goals. I coined a phrase it takes a team to climb a mountain — because it does.
Whatever your mountain top goal or fear is called, find the help you need!
Speak up!
