Take Control: Kill The Fear Of Public Speaking
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear” –Ambrose Redmoon
The above mentioned lines were said to me by father. They helped me to fight away my fear of public speaking. I was a normal girl, no good at speech making. I would usually get scared or, run away or even get sick, at the very mention of speech. I didn’t dare to think beyond talking to my friends or my family, going on stage and saying exactly what I want to was beyond my thinking capacity. It so happened, when I was in my last year of school, I had to participate in debate, as a part of my grading process. I was avoiding thinking about it, but the time had come, I was given a topic and 1 week to prepare for it. My fear of public speaking was so deep-rooted that I tried every possible way to escape. I ate and over ate, so that I was barfing, but it didn’t last for very long. Medicines cured me. Then I thought of croaking. With a bad throat, I was pretty sure, nothing could come up. So I ate ice-creams and everything else that would make my throat go bad. It worked, I couldn’t speak for two days, but medicines again, helped me get my voice back. I was just getting anxious, with passing day. I tried convincing my teachers, but they weren’t listening. My parents too weren’t exactly what could call as supportive. They tried helping me with my fear for public speaking. They would listen to me, speak, would help me with postures, and voice modulations. There was a point when I was as good as any other orator. But I knew, they were parents, so I could do it, but when the audience would be the entire school, I knew I would be a scum bag.
The D-day finally arrived. My parents were supposed to drive me to school. I told them that I’d come with lily, my best friend. They agreed and left for school. My fear of public speaking was so bad that, I packed my bags, and my cat Nala. Took my car keys and was about to leave, when I came across an envelope, on the dining table. It was a letter addressed to me by my father. It read something like this.
My Dearest daughter,
As your dad it is my duty to help you when you find yourself distressed. Through this letter I want to pass on a piece of wisdom to you, as my father passed it on to me. Mila, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear”. I know you are planning to run away, but I want you know that whatever decision you make today will engrave your path for future. From now on, you will be travelling the road between who you think you are and who you can be. Like you I too had fear of public speaking, but I didn’t let that stop my life, I didn’t let that fear win over me. I want you to know that you too can win over your fear of public speaking. There is nothing in this world that you can’t achieve once you set your heart on it.
Mila you are an amazing girl, on the journey to become an equally amazing woman. I don’t want you to regret years later, what you could do, but you chose not to. As your father I have full faith in you and the decisions you will make. I write this to you because from here I can see a beautiful, world ready woman in you; you just have to find her. Is your fear of public speaking so much that you can’t fight it? Keep your hand on your heart and you will have the answer. I know your capabilities and hope that you know them too. I love you forever and more.
His letter gave me a whole new insight, on what exactly could I become and what my capabilities were. I ran to school. I knew I had to face my fear of public speaking, but I also knew that nothing can be bigger than my capabilities, not even my fear of public speaking.
This is how I learned to face the fear of public speaking and I will forever be grateful to dad for it.