Persistence Makes Perfection

Self-confidence comes as a natural consequence of careful preparation. Any normal person can become a successful public speaker if he allows himself to be natural and if he observes certain cardinal canons. Of course he becomes better by working at it, but many talents are lost to the world for want of courage. The woods would have little music if no birds sang except those that sang best.

No instruction equals the simple procedure of employing every opportunity to speak publicly. More than any other human activity, this is learned by doing and improved by practice. The way to develop self-confidence in public speaking is simply by speaking in public.

The first public speaking lesson just as the first swimming lesson, requires gathering up enough confidence to try. A library of literature on swimming techniques about the breast stroke, Australian crawl, or diving as it’s done by the experts, is without meaning until the beginner shakes off his shakes. Until the swimmer (or speaker) discovers that what he fears is not the water (or the audience) but himself, he is lacking in confidence and further effort is a waste of time.

First Shake Your Shaking

Shaking is due to an inner uncertainty when a speaker becomes the cynosure of an audience’s eyes. Their upturned faces frighten him; they make him think of evil gremlins and he’s just too “shook” to talk. Not much can be done to help this helpless lamb; a youth too shy about hitting a cool pool might be shoved into the water, but just as you can’t make him drink, you can’t make a speaker ignore his fear. When he learns that he alone must overcome that fright, he gains confidence and he’s learned one of life’s outstanding lessons; he’s learned to face facts.

The bud of confidence thus opened up may now be cultivated, and with proper care the individual may flower into a fluent speaker. The victory he has won boosts his morale and gives him more backbone. Even though he may develop it no further, this first lesson in public speaking means much in anyone’s life.

Tags: public speaking

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