I Used to Hate Public Speaking Until…

Sonia Presenting Malibu Bank of Books

Public speaking is something we all fear, but guess what?

You may discover something about yourself you never knew.

For me, this happened the other evening at the Costa Mesa library.

Just like anything else in life, the more you do it, the more comfortable you get. It’s the anticipation that causes anxiety, but once you get going, things seem to flow.

So what changed within me the other evening at the library?

No one showed up.

Yes, you heard me. No one except the librarian, a nice guy named Chris, and his assistant.

Chris said, “We’d like to hear your story, so why don’t you start.”

As soon as I started my power point presentation, three people joined us. I connected with this small group and realized, I am having a wonderful time motivating others to take risks in life, and follow their passions. I am helping people realize that we can always find excuses to not pursue our dreams, and so we postpone them.

I realized that I have a powerful story and message to share, and while looking at my small audience, these people were entertained and totally focused on what I had to say. I felt a rush of adrenaline, and came to the realization that:

Motivating others to stop postponing their dreams causes a reaction I never expected:

While motivating others, I discovered that I also motivate myself to keep going.

It all started in 9th grade when fellow classmates made fun of me during my first speech. I have made it my mission to be “gutsy” and overcome this fear.

Here are some tips that work for me.

Don’t let pretentious people make you feel inferior.
Be yourself
Connect
Talk about something you love
Smile
Don’t act pretentious or superior towards others
Make fun of yourself.
Relax
Have a message to share

It feels so good when you can make a difference and motivate one person to follow their dream.

Here is an example of a presentation I made at Malibu Bank of Books indie bookstore on 2-9-13

So I plan to make it my goal to be just like Oprah, who wrote in the April 2013 “O” Magazine:

“When it comes to matters of the heart, emotion, connection, and speaking in front of large audiences, I thrive.”

What about you? Do you enjoy public speaking?

Please  vote for my “Ticket to Give”  so I can  give TOMS shoes to poor kids in need. See more about it here.

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I wish to thank Bonnie Kassel who wrote a “My Gutsy Story®” and introduced me to Ionia, a book reviewer on Amazon. She gave me an amazing 5 star review and I am so grateful to her. Here is Ionia’s bio:

Ionia Martin is a book reviewer, mother of four and a Ph.D. student in the field of brain and cognitive Science. She has a passion for books, music and photography. When she doesn’t have her nose buried in a book, she likes to spend time working on her charity, dedicated to animal welfare, which should be in full operation late this year. You can find her at http://readfulthingsblog.com or at Twitter via @readfulthings

Do you have a “My Gutsy Story®” you’d like to share?

NOW is the time to submit your “My Gutsy Story®.” Please see guidelines below and contact Sonia Marsh at: sonia@soniamarsh.com for details.

Please read and share our other March 2013 “My Gutsy Story®”  by Bonnie Kassel,  Owen Jones, and Linda Lochridge Hoenisberg

You can find all the information, and our new sponsors on the “My Gutsy Story®” contest page. (VIDEO) Submission guidelines here