When was the last time you tried something new? Something you feared or perhaps something that made you nervous? Last year, April of 2008, I was asked to speak and motivate approximately 800 students. - it was the peace by peace festival. That was my very first public speaking engagement. How exciting, or should I say, how nerve wrecking. I arrived at the venue a few hours before I was scheduled to speak so I could get a feel for the environment and to meet some of the students.
The moment of truth finally arrived after lunch. "Here to motivate you today is Bruno LoGreco. Bruno is a Life Coach and his job is to motivate people." I start my walk towards the stage, my nerves took over and I started to shake. I shook like a leaf in front of 800 students and teachers from across Toronto.
"I have a secret I want to share with you, do you want to know what my secret is?” All I heard was “YES”. I start off by saying, “I'm really nervous right now, but I know if I tell you the truth about how I feel my nerves will go away - See, I feel better already." I told 800 students and teachers the truth about how I felt that day.
Larry King, host of Larry King Live on CNN published his memoir recently. Larry is on his book tour giving interviews about his career. Did you know Larry King has interviewed over 40,000 people throughout his career? Wow! Anyhow, during his interview on the morning show yesterday, a reporter asked Larry King how he got his first break as a journalist and if he was nervous. Larry told a story about the first time he went on the air and how nervous he was. Larry told the reporter, on his first day as a radio announcer nothing came out of his mouth. He switch his MIC on and Off before his boss stormed into the studio and told him radio is about communication and he better start communicating. So Larry King went on the air and said, "Hi my name is Larry King, I'm new to radio and I'm nervous, please bare with me."
You are probably afraid to try new things for fear of failure, rejection, or you just simply do not have the confidence to try something new. Ask yourself, what am I afraid of? Now take your answer and challenge what you believe by exposing your fear to others. If you try this you will learn what you believe - your fear, is not true and you will slowly begin to build the confidence you need to try new things.
Don't let your fear stop you from enjoying life and living your dream. Nobody will be perfect from the start, not me, not Larry King, nobody. Face your fear and learn from it, because with mistakes come learning lessons, which build confidence.
1 comment:
Both of these stories remind me of the time my son did his first poetry reading. He was only 14 and was the first act before two adult poets in front of an educated, sophisticated audience at a local college.
His first words: "I hope I don't vomit." That kind of sincerity secured the audience's sympathy for him and his reading was a rousing success.
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