I’ve had a lifelong aversion to being the center of attention, and there’s no time where you’re more on display than when you’re speaking in public. I’ve been increasingly more comfortable with it over time, but it’s still nothing that I’ve ever actively sought out.
Yesterday, I had to deliver my branding and messaging presentation to the board of Junior Achievement of Silicon Valley and Monterey Bay. For the first time in my life, I was relaxed. My voice sounded surprisingly clear, loud and strong. My stomach wasn’t in knots. And midway through the presentation, I briefly wondered when the public speaker had taken over my body.
I’m usually a sucker for “how to overcome your fear of public speaking” tips, but this time I didn’t do anything. I didn’t scope out the room and didn’t practice my presentation. I didn’t dwell on it. Sure, I knew my material — I wrote it, after all — but for the first time ever, I got up and winged it. It was new. It was different. And it worked.
I think I always assumed that I had to love something to do it well. Clearly, today’s presentation proves that this isn’t true. I can’t say that I’m going to actively seek out speaking opportunities, and I still prefer to be the speechwriter than the one at the podium, but I now realize that there’s no reason to turn down a speaking opportunity if the occasion arises.