Most individuals are paralyzed by the fear of public presentations - they perceive that their apprehension is beyond normal and that they can't possibly be helped.



The good news is that they are wrong. I have yet to meet anyone who with a little effort and an alteration in perspective has not been able to significantly reduce her/his apprehension of public speaking.

One of the easiest (and most effective) places to begin is to look at the area of paradigms. The phrase paradigm may sound intimidating, but what it really means is just your feeling of your current circumstance.

Most individuals have not stopped to examine their core beliefs. They just believe without question that their interpretation are reality. You are most likely similar. But commit to yourself that if you find any misperceptions you will correct them for your personal good.

For instance, many people feel that the audience is their enemy. They believe that the audience is recording every error and omission - that the audience is not listening to the content of the oration but the presenter's actual imperfections.

Think about the last time you listened to a speech. Did you worry about every time the presenter had to stop to review her/his notes? Did you question the presenters authority based on an accent?

Chances are you listened to the presenter for one reason - to get the information and knowledge that you needed. It is also true that you most likely would have assisted that speaker in any way you could have in order to have received that information. You were there first and foremost for the content.

This circumstance is relatively common. Most audience members are interested in the information the speaker has - not whether they stumble a bit in the speech.

Before you think your fear of public speeches to be worse than normal think about your paradigms. Examining how you feel about various aspects of public speeches (such as your audience) could reveal the source of your fearfulness. Realizing that there may be problems with your paradigms and correcting them has the power to begin helping you immediately.