It's a couple minutes past 6 p.m. on a Friday evening in October 2022.
I am in the Toastmasters Club meeting in the basement of a local church in Rolla Missouri along with a dozen other members.
The club president announces:
"We are requested to speak at the monthly club meeting of Rolla Lions Park Club, who is interested in signing up for a speech?"
Pin-drop silence follows the announcement ...
I avoid eye contact with the president and start staring at the table in front of me
... as if I just discovered it is the most interesting thing in the room.
"Waqas, how about you?" Asks the club president.
"Oh God! Why me, God!" I'm saying that to myself while feeling self-conscious.
I have no other choice but to look up and respond.
I look up and see this sincere earnestness and glowing confidence in his eyes.
It is reassuring enough that he thinks I am ready to take on this challenge and not shy away from this opportunity of a lifetime.
This is all I need
... a belief that I am worthy of the challenge to speak to an audience outside of the Toastmasters club.
I am saying to myself ...
Maybe it is time to say yes to this exciting yet scary challenge.
Maybe it is time to prove to myself that I am not scared anymore.
Maybe it is time to look my demons in the eye and say goodbye to the anxiety that had been a kryptonite my entire life.
I hesitantly respond to the president with an unconfident yes.
He notices the hesitation and reassures me that it's going to be okay.
A couple weeks later, I got scheduled to deliver a 10-minute-long speech on my birthday, November 10, 2022.
I wrote the speech and prepared it as if my future depended on it.
I rehearsed it during the regular club meetings over half a dozen times.
As Dale Carnegie said ...
"Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident".
Confidence is all I ever wanted from my public speaking training
... confidence to think that I can too become a public speaker.
Here comes the BIG DAY—November 10, 2022.
I enter the meeting hall and notice that there are over 40 people in the room.
Suddenly, the speaking nerves creep back in as if they never left.
My hands start sweating—again.
I am face to face with my demons—again.
My anxiety is off the charts—a level 7 for sure.
The feeling seems familiar—Heck, I have lived with this ugly feeling for almost 30 years of my existence.
I step up on stage and adjust the microphone height.
My heart is beating like a drum.
I take a long pause and breathe for a few seconds.
I am taking a good look at my audience in the meeting hall.
They are excited and anxiously waiting for me to open my speech.
I open my speech with an enrolling question:
"With a raise of hand, have you ever been to ... "
A few seconds into my speech ...
and I am feeling relieved and excited for being at the center of attention.
People are laughing at my jokes and applauding me.
This feeling is brand new for me ... as if I had finally freed myself from kryptonite and slayed my demons once and for all.
I am loving it and savoring every bit of this newfound confidence, excitement, and freedom.
It was priceless ... I cannot precisely describe it in words.
Reader ...
Believe me, it's totally worth it!
I want you to experience these same feelings for yourself.
Let alone other benefits, the self-confidence boost alone is worth doing it.
As Dale Carnegie has famously put it:
"Public speaking training is the royal road to self-confidence".
Book your free discovery call today to set yourself up for an amazing journey and see what's on the other side of your speaking anxiety.
I can't wait to talk to you and learn more about your public speaking situation.
Today I'm giving away a free comprehensive PDF (value: $97) that will get you started on your public speaking journey.
Enjoy!
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THREE MORE WAYS I CAN HELP YOU
1 - Free Discovery Call - Book your free discovery call now to uncover the root of your anxiety and fast-track your journey from nervous to confident speaker 🎤. Don’t miss out—time is of the essence! Seize the opportunity and take that first step toward transformation!
2 - Free live webinar - I will host a Live FREE Webinar on Friday (@1:30 PM MT, 12:30 PM PST, 02:30 PM CST, 03:30 PM EST) in which you will learn three secrets to overcoming your public speaking anxiety.
3 - Social media - I regularly share practical tips and insights on public speaking and communication skills. If you are active on Youtube, Instagram, or Threads, let's connect.
Best,
Waqas, Founder & Speaking Coach
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