Conquer the fear of public speaking

Conquer Your Fear of Public Speaking

Let's begin by hearkening back to a time when Romans considered it to be good sport to feed Christians to the lions. One day, the festivities had been going as usual when a strange thing happened. The Christian in the arena whispered something to the lion. The lion then turned tail and slunk away.

The crowd was amazed. The Emperor was impressed. He let it be known that he would spare the Christian's life if the man would reveal the secret of what he had said to the lion.

The Christian was brought before the Emperor. In a powerful voice, he said, "I told him he would have to say a few words after dinner."

The lion's reaction should not surprise anyone who has been asked to "say a few words." If you are like most people, a jolt of adrenaline courses through your body, your heart beats a bit faster, and your breathing becomes shallow. It's possible, too, that your palms get sweaty, your knees feel like Jell-O, and your mind goes blank.

Some years ago, The Sunday Times of London published a list of people's greatest fears. The fear of public speaking took first place, while "death" placed seventh. Though I don't really believe that most people would rather die than speak, I have had clients say to me, "But you only die once!"

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