Public Speaking Confidence

If I said you could be mastering public speaking and improve your public speaking confidence with a 5-minute exercise, would you believe me?

I don't suppose you would because I know how frightening public speaking can be.

I've been there on the sidelines waiting to go onto the stage, sweating, dry mouth and nervous as hell!

Then a few years ago, I attended a course run by Dr Richard Bandler (co-creator of Nuro-Linguestic Programming - NLP as it is widely known). It was a self-discovery course with only a few of us attending so we got real hands-on attention from Richard. Amongst the numerous lessons from the course, I remember one of the delegates saying to Richard "I'm just not a confident person". Richard said in return "Are you sure?". Do you know what the person said? "Of course I bloody well am". They certainly didn't lack confidence!

Richard went on to explain that everyone is confident - it is just they are confident about the wrong things. This delegate was super-confident about their idea that they have no confidence.

How would you feel if you could turn yourself into the most confident person you could be, whenever you needed to?

Imagine going onto stage to present feeling just as confident when you were promoted or just finished a 10 mile run or asked someone out on a date and they said 'yes'. Well you can and all it takes is practice.

This was an exercise from Dr Richard Bandler, which all super successful individuals use. Know it... use it... and you could be like them.

Try this 5-minute exercise:

• Imagine a time when you were super-confident


• Remind yourself what happened


• What were people saying to you?


• How did you feel?


• What did you see?


• Was there any particular sounds or smells?


• Are you painting the picture of when you felt super-confident?


• Make the picture really bright and big
  

How do you feel right now?

More confident then you did 5 minutes ago?

Most definitely.

By remembering past experiences and allowing the feelings to spread all over you, you are telling your brain that the experience is happening right now - in this moment.

This is a simple exercise to boost your confidence.

Try completing the exercise every morning and evening and feel that confidence wash all over you. Allow the exercise to become one of your new habits.

Complete the exercise the next time you are about to go onto the stage and publicly speak and need a confidence boost.

I have no doubt you will be on your way to mastering public speaking and your public speaking confidence will soar.

Your public speaking confidence is determined by your inner voice