“I would rather have a Dentist drill than speak in public!”  Fear of public speaking is one of the most common fears.  There are many practitioners that can help with this issue, but hopefully, a story from my past may help.  Most people who meet me assume I’m an extrovert, but my personality profile puts me in this category only slightly.  I became an extrovert as a survival mechanism in childhood as I was very tall, overweight and not part of the “in” crowd.  I loved listening to records (please tell me someone still knows what a record is J) from comedian Steve Martin in the 1970’s.  I memorized all of his albums and found myself reciting his works to the school kids at recess, which enabled me to flip the script by controlling people laughing with me instead of at me.

When I entered High School, the Marching Band Director decided to cast me as a lead in a musical. It forced me to step outside of my comfort zone and learn two important lessons:  if you don’t act like you missed a line on stage, no one will know; all it takes in life is one key person in a power position (in this case a teacher) to have faith in you more than you have in yourself to guide you to success.

As I entered my career in western medicine, I was asked to give lectures to fellow practitioners.  I was so nervous being on stage and doing these events, but another brilliant teacher said, “It isn’t whether or not you have butterflies in your stomach; it’s about making them fly in formation.”  To this day, my hands sometimes shake and my heart pounds when I’m at a networking group or speaking in public, but I’ve found that no one knows if I act relaxed and focus on reaching people who might need help or information.  I also now think of the nervousness as a good sign to allow me to provide an energetic vs. flat presentation. I no longer fear mistakes.  When you think about it, some of the most brilliant scientific breakthroughs came from someone making a mistake, so why worry about being perfect?  Embracing imperfections leads to breakthroughs, learning, and powerful change!

It has been my mission to be the catalyst (that others have been for me) for my clients in western medicine for over 22 years and now in my current alternative medicine practice.  What a joy to watch others make their butterflies fly in formation in all areas of their lives!

 

Heather was honored to be a part of the Holistic Speaker’s Guild as a member and staff writer.

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August 26, 2018 3:38 pm