Overcoming Your Fear

Overcoming Your Fear

You will benefit at the beginning of your speech if you free yourself
from two misconceptions:
1. Effective speakers are born, not made; it is hopeless to try being
one if you were not gifted with a God-given ability.

2. For most people, fear and nervousness are impossible to overcome;
it is useless to even try.

Let’s take a look at each of these false assumptions.


Are Good Speakers Born and Not Made?

You don’t actually believe this, or you wouldn’t be reading this blog. Everyone is born a baby, and babies can’t speak. The “born speaker” myth is an alibi for not attempting. People who believe it simply want to save their face from the disgrace speech blunder may bring. It is a fact that practice makes perfect.
A speaker is one who speaks to others for a reason. When you were two or three years old and first said, “Mommy, I need a glass of water,” you were making a speech. Actually you’ve been making speeches from the time you could talk; the difference is that you didn’t treat it then as what you now
dreadfully call “speech.” You can become a good speaker if you have these tools:

1. A voice.

2. Basic language construction: i.e., a working vocabulary and grammar.

3. Something to say.

4. A need to express your ideas to others.

You have been using these tools for years. You have been saying something to others, several times everyday, and under these conditions, you call it “conversation.” Conversation is talking to a few. Public speaking is,
essentially, talking to a larger group.

Your audience is merely a group of individuals. You can talk easily with one or two individuals. So just think of public speaking as talking to individuals all at the same time - or talking to the group as to one person.

Can You Conquer Fear?
There are three solutions to help you reduce fear and make it work for rather than against you:

1. Accept it as nature’s way of helping you.You don’t need to be terrified of fear when you accept it as nature’s way of protecting you and helping you. Recognize it. Don’t condemn yourself for having it. We all feel fear. Whether your fear stems from the thought of standing alone by yourself on stage before hundreds of people, or even from the thought of getting upstage to speak, keep in mind that you are responding normally.

Athletes are nervous before an important competition; musicians tremble before a concert; performers experience stage fright. Seasoned speakers never get rid of apprehension before speaking, nor do they want to.

An experienced actor once said: “I used to have butterflies in my stomach every time I stand in front of an audience. Now that I know how to make them work for me, they fly in formation.”

Knowing that you are subject to a normal and common human response, you can drive out the strongest factor contributing to your fear: You can stop condemning yourself for being unusual.

Psychologists tell us that fear is not the real obstacle. We feel awkward or ineffective because we think fear is improper. It is not fear itself but your feeling about it that disappoints you. Franklin Roosevelt’s note on the speech of Henry Thoreau sums it up: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” As soon as you know this and recognize it, you are on your way to self-mastery.

Fear is nature’s way of preparing you for danger, real or fancied. When you face a new or different circumstance, or when many are watching you and you don’t want to mess up, nature does something great to help you, if you recognize the help rather than being disappointed by it. Nature adds the adrenaline in your blood stream. It speeds up your pulse and your responses.

It increases your blood pressure to make you more alert. It provides you with the extra energy you need for doing your best. Without the anxiety there would be no extra effort. Identify fear as a friend. Recognize it and use it well.

2. Analyze Your Fear.

Your next step in mastering fear is easy and effortless. Analyze your
type of fear. Fear is a tool for protection. What are you protecting? You are
worried about your self-esteem. In public speaking there are only three
dangers to self-esteem:

(a) Fear of yourself – fear of performing poorly or not pleasing your
self-esteem.

(b) Fear of your audience – fear they may tease or laugh at you.

(c) Fear of your material – fear you have nothing sensible to say or
you are not well prepared.

Fear of yourself (a) and fear of your audience (b) are very much connected. It is possible to be pleasing yourself while failing to satisfy your audience. Aiming for audience approval is often a better alternative because, if you succeed, you are in fact also pleasing yourself.

But in aspiring to satisfy your audience you must never compromise your message. Sometimes you may have to give a message to people you know are particularly opposed to it. This calls for courage. Don’t fear to
disagree. Good speakers have done so and have proudly walked off the stage successfully. Honest beliefs equip a speaker and give force to the speech.

3. Make use of what you have learned.

You now know that fear, nature’s secret weapon, can actually help you succeed. You found you were not really afraid of fear but of yourself, your audience, and your material. Now, use your knowledge. Here’s how you can:
a. Hide your negative feelings from others. 

If you lack self-confidence, hide it. Letting the audience know it won’t help you in any way. Never discuss it. This will just make you feel worse. Act confidently. It will rub off
on you. You will look the way you feel. Ever heard of the scared boy who walked past the cemetery one night? As long as he walked casually and whistled merrily he was all right. But when he walked faster, he could not refuse the temptation to run; and when he ran, terror took over.

Don’t give in. Stay calm and relaxed. Enjoy your talk and your audience.

b. Assess your condition reasonably. 

Think of the reasons why you were called to speak. Among other possible speakers, you were chosen.
Whoever asked you had confidence in you, or you would not have been chosen.

You are thought of as a competent, good speaker. And you know your topic. You know more about it than your listeners do. Your assessment reveals that you are prepared to do well and that you
have the benefit over your listeners. When you accept this, your confidence will show to your audience. It will make them believe in you and in your speech.

c. Assess your audience reasonably. 

They want you to do well. Listeners suffer along with a speaker who is having difficulty delivering, and
they do not enjoy suffering. They would much rather react and criticize; that would give them a good time. So consider your audience rather than yourself. Win their interest, and you will be more confident, and everybody
will be happy.

Another way of putting this: Focus on a good message and speech delivery. You will make the audience happy with this and you will succeed in your mission. Do the first well, and the second will follow.

d. Assess your material reasonably. 

Fear of speech material is the easiest to conquer since the solution is simple: knowledge and preparation.
Knowledge and preparation dispel fear, but by themselves they do not automatically assure the delivery of a successful speech.

A good start is when you recognize you don’t need to be afraid – of yourself, your audience, or your material. And as you succeed in making speeches, you will soon say, “I can do it because I have done it often.”

Strategies for Managing Speech Anxiety

Every speaker has to know the different strategies available for managing speech anxiety. As you give speeches, you learn strategies that work especially for you. Let’s look at some strategies that have been very
effective to many speakers.

1. Be Well-Prepared and Practice Your Speech.

Nothing can make you feel more anxious than knowing that you are not well prepared. After all, isn’t your anxiety all about looking stupid in the eyes of your audience? Poor preparation will guarantee this.
To prepare adequately, first, try to know your listeners beforehand (if possible) and organize your speech and visual aids for this specific group.

Next, prepare easy-to-follow notes. Using these notes, practice your speech three or more times from start to end – speaking out louder each time. Mentally thinking through your speech is not the same thing as actually
speaking in front of the audience. For instance, if you will be standing during your speech, stand while practicing. If you will be using visual aids, practice using them. As you practice, time yourself to check if you have to shorten or lengthen the speech.

Lastly, expect possible questions and prepare answers for them. Knowing that you are well prepared will help lessen much of your apprehension.

2. Warm Up First.

Speakers are no different from singers who warm up their voices,musicians who warm up their fingers, or athletes who warm up their muscles before a performance. Before giving a speech, you’ll need to warm up your voice and loosen your muscles. Various techniques can help you do this. For instance, try singing up and down the scale, the way singers do before a concert. Read aloud a note or a page from a book, changing your volume,pitch, rate, and quality. Do some stretching exercises such as touching your toes and rolling your head from side to side. Practice different gestures such as pointing, pounding your fist, or shrugging your shoulders. Just like musicians and athletes, these warm-up exercises will help you relax and will
make sure that you are prepared to present at your very best.

3. Use Deep Breathing.
One fast way to calm your anxiety is through deep breathing. This involves taking in deep breaths through your nose, holding it while you count to five, and then slowly exhaling through your mouth. As you exhale, think that the pressure and nervousness are slowly draining down your arms and out your fingertips, and down your body and legs and out your toes. Repeat the procedure a second or third time if necessary.

4. Prepare an Introduction That Will Relax You and Your Audience.
Most speakers find that once they get a favorable audience reaction, they will relax. This is why several speakers begin with humor – it relaxes them and their audience. If a humorous introduction is improper or you are uncomfortable with humor, sharing a personal experience is another alternative. Whatever you prefer, make your initial moves work so you can feel comfortable throughout your speech.

5. Focus on Meaning.
Rather than worrying about how you look or sound, or about whether you are impressing your listeners, focus your energy on getting your meaning across to your audience. In other words, be sure your listeners are
following the order of your speech and understanding your ideas. Pay close attention to their nonverbal feedback. If they look confused, explain the concept again or add another example. A speaker who is focusing on the audience soon forgets about being anxious.

6. Use Visual Aids.

Visual aids (Chapter 10) make listening easier for your audience and increase your confidence as a speaker. They make it practically impossible for you to forget your main points. If you’re unsure of the next point, just put up your next visual aid. Moreover, using visual aids such as posters, flipcharts, or actual objects not only can add eye-catching movements to your presentation, but can also keep you fully engaged in your presentation, so you’ll be bothered less by your appearance.

7. Develop a Positive Mental Attitude.
With positive imagery, you develop a positive, vivid, and detailed mental image of yourself. When you visualize yourself speaking confidently, you become more confident. In your mind, you can simulate feelings (of pride, for instance) even when no real situation exists. Obviously, positive imagery alone will not give you the outcome you want unless you prepare and practice your speech.

Positive self-imagery can be used in many aspects in life. It can help us manage apprehension in job interviews, problem-solving discussions, testing situations, or any circumstances in which our confidence needs a boost.

To succeed in public speaking, you have to visualize yourself as a successful speaker. No amount of talk, encouragement, or practice will make you successful if you deem yourself an anxious or ineffective speaker.

Developing Speaker Confidence

No matter how interested and experienced we may be in public speaking, anxiety cannot be avoided. We experience it especially as the day of the speech gets closer. We start to ask questions that make our stomachs churn. For example: Will the audience like me? Will my mind go blank when I begin to speak?

Have I prepared adequately?

If the thought of delivering a speech makes you nervous, you are not alone! According to a commonly quoted survey, more people are afraid of public speaking than they are of dying. People who experience a high level of apprehension while speaking are at a great disadvantage compared to more conversational, confident people. Individuals who confidently express themselves are viewed as more competent. They also create a better impression during job interviews and are more likely to be promoted than apprehensive people.
Confidence develops a positive impression while anxiety creates a negative one. When we speak, we are communicating in three ways - verbally, visually, and vocally. Our verbal delivery may be clear and well
organized; but when we are anxious, the audience will likely notice more our negative vocal and visual signs (for example, lack of eye contact, poor posture, hesitant delivery, and strained vocal quality). Yet, when we are confident and our verbal, visual, and vocal signals are in unity, we look more credible.

If we want people to believe us when we speak, if we want to improve the impressions we make, we need to boost our confidence. This chapter will give you some tips on how to manage speech anxiety to give more confident and professional deliveries.

Call it speech anxiety, stage fright, or communication apprehension; you have to understand it for numerous reasons. First, speech anxiety can incapacitate you. Second, misconceptions about it can strengthen your
anxiety. Finally, knowing the strategies for managing speech anxiety can help lessen your apprehension.

Factors Contributing to Speech Anxiety
Speech anxiety is not new – it’s been around for as long as people have been talking to one another. Most speakers who have experienced speech anxiety know the importance of being calm and confident when
speaking.

Some feel nervous while others stay calm and relaxed when speaking
Factors in speech anxiety differ from person to person. But general factors apply to all of us.

Knowing the causes of speech anxiety is the first step in managing it effectively. Many anxiety-generating factors affect nearly all of us, including:

 Poor preparation
 Inappropriate self-expectations
 Fear of evaluation
 Excessive self-focusing
 Fear of the audience
 Not understanding our body’s reactions

Misconceptions about Speech Anxiety

No one would agree that experiencing speech anxiety is enjoyable. However when we better recognize why our bodies respond as they do, we become more prepared to face our anxieties.

Let us examine some misconceptions and how to counter them.

Getting Started: Your First Speech

Getting Started: Your First Speech


Imagine you’re in a classroom. Who do you think speaks excellently? You may select those who look smart or those who often recite in class. You may think that these people are actually more confident than you think they are. Or perhaps, they are born speakers and you are not. Well, it may surprise you that they’re probably thinking the same thing about you! They may also feel that you are a born speaker and envy you
because they have fears in public speaking. Some may have special interests in public speaking, but most people do not know anything about it.

Then again, you may actually be a good speaker without realizing it. It pays to find out by actually doing it and by seeing yourself doing it. You may be just like this student during his first speech in class.
He needed to prepare a long speech. Two weeks before, he had started writing his speech. He could not sleep at night. In fact, the night before his speech, he did not sleep at all. However, when he finally did his
speech and saw it on video, he realized that it was not as bad as he expected it to be. He did not experience the usual symptoms of speech anxiety, such as going blank while speaking, or speaking very softly and hearing chuckles in the audience. Through the video, he discovered that he has actually
improved in public speaking.

If no video of your speech is available yet, you can watch yourself speak formally in front of a mirror.
Preparing Yourself to Speak

Here are the basic rules of public speaking:
 Gain an understanding of who you are. Discover your own knowledge,
capabilities, biases and potentials.

 Gain an understanding of your audience. Ponder upon what the
audience wants to hear, what provokes their interest, what they
believe in and what they want to know.

 Gain an understanding of the situation. Consider how the setting of the
place and other unforeseen factors could affect the way you deliver
your speech.

 Anticipate response from the audience. Make sure you have a clear
purpose in mind so that the audience will respond in the way you want
them to.

 Search for other sources of information. There might be more
materials available for you to make your speech more colorful.

 Come up with an argument that is reasonable. Make sure that the
purpose of your speech is supported by clear and reliable data to
formulate a sound argument.

 Add structure to your message. Organize your ideas so that the
audience will not have a hard time following and digesting your ideas.

 Talk directly to your audience. Make sure the language you are using
is one that your audience is comfortable with. Consider the occasion in
delivering your speech.

 Gain self-confidence through practice. It is only through practice can
you effectively present your speech. Master the flow of your
presentation by repeatedly rehearsing it. That way, you can have
command over your speech.

Becoming a Good Public Speaker
You have probably heard professors give boring and monotonous lectures. Dull presentations clearly point that a lot of people do not give much importance to good speeches. These speakers may even be unaware
that they are boring or ineffective because they lack knowledge about the basic characteristics of a good speech. Hence, to prevent this pitfall, you must remember some basic principles.

1. Respect the variety of the audience.
Good speakers do not look down on their audience. They consider the audience as equals. They know that the listeners have different backgrounds; hence communicating to each of them effectively would also entail different methods.

Before actually organizing a speech, you have to take into consideration your audience. Consider such things as age, gender, and cultural backgrounds. What do they know about your topic? What are their
beliefs and values? By looking at these factors, you can choose a topic that suits them and style your speech in the way you feel would be most effective.

The whole experience can be more enjoyable if you prepare well for the individual and cultural differences of your audience. For example, will both male and female listeners appreciate the information you will prepare?

Would your Hispanic audience be comfortable with the language you’re using as much as the Native Americans would? Would some of your comments offend the senior citizens while addressing the younger generation? The more you know about the audience, the better the chances that you will capture
their attention and the more you can make your speech fit their situations.

They would feel comfortable listening to you and you would have a better interaction with them.

2. Know as much as possible about listening.
Successful communication does not only depend on good speakers; it depends on good listeners as well. It is a two-way process. If the speaker prepares a very polished speech, it would be useless if the audience does not listen. Know also how to “listen” to the gesticulated reactions of your audience. How comfortable or uneasy they look speaks volumes in terms of their interest or comprehension.

3. Organize carefully to improve understanding and recall.

The best presentations are those with interconnected ideas that flow smoothly from one idea to the next. It is effective because the listeners will be able to follow your arguments and will not get confused along the way.

Three parts of a well-organized speech:
 Introduction: Capture the attention of your audience, boost their
interest, and give them a background of your topic.
 Body: Start with your main ideas. Keep them organized and
support them with visual and verbal aids as much as possible.
 Conclusion: Provide a recap of all your points and join them
together in a way that will create an impact on your listeners,
making them remember your points.

4. Use language effectively.

Keep it short. The simpler the language you use, the more powerful
and interesting your speech will be. Too many words expressing a single idea
will only confuse the audience and will make your argument weak. By
keeping it short but accurate, your audience will remember what you will say
and they will appreciate it.

5. Sound natural and enthusiastic.

The problem with first timers is they either memorize the speech verbatim or rely on too many flashcards for their notes. These can make the speaker sound unnatural. Talk normally to people so they would listen more
to you. By being natural and enthusiastic, it would be like discussing a favorite subject with your friends. Basically, avoid putting up a “speaking disguise” when you talk. Treat it like an ordinary conversation with your usual companions.

6. Use high-quality visual aids.

A simple text containing key phrases and pictures is an example of a visual aid. Usually, visual aids (Chapter 10) can be anything that supplements your speech. It will greatly help your listeners to follow the flow
of your ideas and to understand them at a faster rate. It also gives credibility to your speech, which makes you feel more relaxed and confident throughout. However, avoid making poor visuals because they become more
of a distraction than support. Treat visual preparations with equal importance as the speech preparation itself.

7. Give only ethical speeches.
Accuracy is very important. It would be difficult for your audience to make informed choices if the information you give is false or vague. Research to ensure credibility and clarity. Avoid plagiarism, falsification and
exaggeration of your information. Also, when trying to persuade, do not manipulate, deceive, force, or pressure. Develop good arguments through sound logic and concrete evidence. This is ethical persuasion. Once information is falsified, it becomes unethical because it prevents listeners from making informed choices.

Basically, good speakers aim to change the beliefs, values, or attitudes
of the audience through clean persuasion.

Public Speaking and You

Public Speaking and You
Some people are born speakers. Most are not. Hence, you are not
alone when you say that you do not enjoy making speeches and speaking in
front of a large audience. Stage fright is inevitable. Actors are always
nervous to a certain degree before every play.

Perhaps you think your career does not entail public speaking. Well,
this is where you’re wrong because no matter what your job is, public
speaking ultimately will come into the picture in some ways. This chapter,
therefore, focuses on the significance of public speaking in our daily lives and
on some specifics of the communication process.

Four General Types of Public Speakers 
CATEGORY CHARACTERISTICS
The Avoider Does everything possible to avoid facing an audience. In
some cases, avoiders seek careers that do not involve making
presentations.

The Resister Becomes fearful when asked to speak. This fear may be
strong. Resisters may not love to speak in public, but they
have no choice. When they speak, they do so with great
reluctance.

The Accepter Can do presentations but is not that enthusiastic to do them.
Accepters occasionally give presentations and feel good about
them. Occasionally the presentations can be quite persuasive,
and satisfying.

The Seeker Always looks for opportunities to speak. Seekers understand
that anxiety can be a stimulant that fuels enthusiasm during
presentation. Seekers work hard at building their professional
communication skills and self-confidence by speaking often.

What Roles Can Public Speaking Play in Your Life?
Success in public speaking can open a whole world of opportunities for
you. It can help you conquer new frontiers. It can broaden your horizons
through personal development, influence, and advances in your profession.

1. Public Speaking Improves Your Personal Development
In Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, realizing man’s self-worth
ranks the highest. Giving speeches helps the speaker realize self-worth
through the personal satisfaction he experiences whenever a good speech is
given. The speaker becomes more confident especially when the audience
responds positively. It also reduces anxiety when asked by an authority to
speak in front of some people.

There was once a student who dropped a course five times because he
hated speaking in front of the class. But after a self-study on building up
confidence, he decided to give public speaking a try and was successful. In
fact, he came to enjoy the experience and even volunteered to give more
speeches.

Through public speaking tools like research, conceptualization, and
organization, you have a systematic and effective way of presenting your
ideas; and thus, you will be able to express yourself better. You will also
become more open to other people. Furthermore, speaking skills put you in a
more significant role as you talk with people of high standing. Lastly, public
speaking satisfies your sense of achievement when the audience accepts you
warmly. This reflects your level of communication skills and acumen. All
these contribute to your self-esteem.

2. Public Speaking Influences Your Society
It is not only you who can benefit from the art of communication but
society as well. Most governments heed the voice of their citizens; with
proper communication skills, you can represent the public in voicing out your
rights and opinions.

An example of this would be a community discussion. Usually when a
neighborhood holds regular meetings, it discusses certain issues or courses
of action. In the discussion, various opinions are expressed and there you
have a clear interplay of public speaking.

People from all walks of life need to speak in public, whether formally
or otherwise. From kids reciting in school, to folks in a town meeting, to
citizens voicing out national issues; from a plain market vendor, to a
president of a company. There is really no way you can avoid public
speaking.

3. Public Speaking Advances Your Profession
Public speaking can help in your career, and eventually, your finances.
Usually, success is gauged by answers to questions like, “How long have you
been in your job?” or “Do you hold an MBA degree or something similar?”

However, researchers have proven that the best indicator of success in any
profession is whether the person is often asked to give speeches. Those who
give more speeches tend to have higher salaries than those who give less or
no speeches.

Take this average engineer. She enrolls in a public speaking seminar
that teaches two hours a week for six weeks. After two months, she is
promoted to senior engineer! Her boss has been noticing her superb
presentations.

The longer you work for an organization and the higher you climb the
organizational ladder, the more your boss will ask you to preside over
meetings and to give talks to the staff and subordinates or the clients. The
higher your position, the more your responsibilities in leading people under
you; and the more you must speak effectively. A manager once said, “From
the chairman of the board to the assistant manager of the most obscure
department, nearly everyone in business speaks in public or makes a speech
at some time or the other.”

Aside from big organizations like IBM and General Motors, small
organizations and businesses in the country also need workers who are good
public speakers. Take the high school coach, for example. If he is not
persuasive enough to tell the school board that new gym equipment is
needed, the school athletes might have to bear with the old gym equipment.

In the same way, if parents are not convincing enough when they
complain about a school dress code, their children may end up still wearing
uniforms in school. If salespeople cannot explain their products with a
convincing sales pitch, then fewer people would buy their products. This is
also true for nurses, doctors, firemen, police personnel and other
professions. Even employees of General Motors meet regularly to make
group decisions that they will present formally to management.

The bottom line is this: Whichever road you take, you will encounter
instances that require you to speak in public.

Introducing Public Speaking

Introducing Public Speaking

Communication is a vital key in this new century. It gives an edge to keep abreast with the fast pace of the times. Public speaking definitely works towards this goal.

The diversity of opinions today, which are often controversial, has increased the need for public speaking. People need to voice out their views to function well in society. For some four thousand years, public speaking has been the key in building and keeping a democratic society and way of life. 

Its influences are vast and affect almost all aspects of life, such as the way we think or act. It is also used in court proceedings, in congress, and even in the plain setting of a classroom.

Speaking in public can sometimes be a real challenge, if not a source of embarrassment; not only to normal people, but even to persons of high rank such as scholars, doctors, artists and entrepreneurs. They may have

hesitations in facing an audience, often accompanied by sweaty palms, stuttering, and the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon. These dilemmas often cause untold problems to the speaker (especially in self-expression) and

unpleasant effects to the audience.

You probably got this book because you are up for a speech delivery soon and you need valuable tips. Or perhaps, you saw the link between success and effective speaking, and have realized this can help you.

Hopefully this blog would do just that.

Technical terms or jargons in public speaking are explained here, and in a humane way, to help you grow as a good public speaker. There are scores of books on public speaking. But few really give

practical help. This blog aims to do what other books have not in terms of giving direct beneficial information.

Careful thought has been given to people who really love to speak publicly but do not have the luxury of time to prepare for such. This will help you make your next speech a great one, and become better with each

succeeding speech. It aims to help people write and deliver an interesting, clear, and cogent speech quality. 

This blog also tries to answer the questions and fears of the occasional speaker.

Included also in this blog  is a summary of experiences in public speaking, and how they have led to success.

Aristotle said “a speaker needs three qualities – good sense, good character, and goodwill toward his hearers.” 

Thus, public speaking is also about developing speakers, and ultimately, decent human beings.

Whether the speech is short or long, the same rules apply, like the rule of preparation. The habit of preparing makes good speakers. Some would say that they speak from “inspiration,” when in fact they have been preparing their speeches all their lives.

Welcome To Public Speaking Course Online

Welcome To Public Speaking Course Online:


Attention: Public speaking plays a vital role in most people's success

"Who Else Wants to Dazzle and Influence Any Audience with Super Impressive Speeches by Having Supreme Confidence and Masterful Public Speaking Skills?"

Picture this. You are invited to speak in front of a large audience. As you walk to the stage, you feel an overwhelming sense of confidence and mastery over the subject you'll be discussing.

The people look at you as if they are very eager and interested to hear what you are about to say. As you started speaking, you notice that all the listeners are leaning forward. They are all smiling and nodding their heads, as if signaling their approval in your ideas.

You feel more and more enthusiastic as your speech goes on. As the speech comes to an end, you are cheered with a standing ovation from the audience. You hear some of them saying, "Great job!" You can tell from the many faces that they want to hear more. It's an enjoyable experience for both the audience and you.

Then you wake up. You can't believe it's just a dream. "If only it's true," you say in disappointment, "but that ain't happening to me."

Stop wishing and whining! Let's turn that public speaking dream of yours into reality, right here, right now!