| content | "<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Is it really a surprise that public speaking is tremendously feared, almost as much as death</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">6</span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">?</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why does public speaking cause so much fear? For many, public speaking triggers instinctual fears: fear of the unknown, fear of failing, or fear of people thinking badly of you. Public speaking anxiety has also been found to be associated with giving too much (negative) attention to ourselves</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">7</span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The reality is, no matter what external reassurance you receive, you will likely still feel fear. One piece of advice is: let fear motivate you and remind you that you are growing, risking, and learning. Dance with fear</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">8</span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Let it guide your way.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the fear might not completely disappear, there are ways to lessen it:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Tips</strong></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;">
<li><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Practice is the most effective step to reducing fear</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visualize your talk’s delivery from beginning to end </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have a beverage in hand as nerves can cause thirst</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take deep breaths before the session</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Channel the adrenaline into positive energy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember that everyone in your audience wants you to succeed!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember that this is a conversation from your heart about something you are passionate about. It’s not a performance<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">9</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember that the stakes are not high. You are not running for your life after all</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Name your fears. What are you afraid of? Is it rejection? Humiliation?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember that if you make a mistake, all will be well. Your audience may likely not even notice<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: sub;">6. This comes from Dr. Karen Dwyer and Marlina Davidson’s 2012 study titled “Is public speaking really more feared than death?”: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271993200_Is_Public_Speaking_Really_More_Feared_Than_Death</span></span><span style="font-size: 7pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: sub;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 7pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: sub;">7. This comes from Dr. John Daly et al.’s 1989 study titled “Self-focused attention and public speaking anxiety”: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0191886989900251</span></span><span style="font-size: 7pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: sub;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 7pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: sub;">8. The idea of “dancing with fear” comes from Seth Godin on an episode of the Steal the Show podcast: https://stealtheshow.com/podcast/seth-godin-public-speaking/</span></span><span style="font-size: 7pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: sub;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 7pt; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: sub;">9. Richard Greene explains this in his TEDx talk titled “The 7 secrets of the greatest speakers in history”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0a61wFaF8A</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 6.999999999999999pt; font-family: Montserrat,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: sub;"> </span></span></p>" |
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