We're born with just two natural fears.
Fear of falling.
Fear of loud noises.
Every single other fear we have is learned and boy, do some of us dedicate a lot of time and effort to helping our fears to grow!
As the season starts to change and the kids return to school my thoughts always turn to renewal. What am I afraid of and allowing to hold me back? What changes could I make to my life to make it better for both me and the people around me?
In my job as a public speaking coach I help people to overcome one of the most popular home-grown fears: fear of public speaking.
Fear of public speaking is not one of the two fears we're born with, but many people cite fear of public speaking as more frightening than death! I wonder, where do we learn to be afraid of helping other people by sharing what we know?
A bad experience in the past when things didn't go the way we expected them to? A disapproving look from someone in the audience who reminds us of a scary teacher from our childhood. Or the dreaded 'mind going blank'.
These all sound like tiny things to be afraid of.
That's because they are tiny things.
They have only become big worries in our minds because we have built them up and made them huge!
Here's some good news. Just as we have learned to be afraid, we can learn to be unafraid. Isn't that great?
I run workshops in Watford to help people just like you to overcome your public speaking nerves forever by showing you very simple techniques that you can try at home. With regular practice you will find you can let go of your 'unnatural' fear of public speaking and learn to love it!
For more information about a workshop near you visit http://www.juliehowell.co.uk/public-speaking-training-courses/
