I do quite a bit of public speaking these days as a high-school teacher and coach. I have gotten to the point where I just expect that people are watching me and listening to what I have to say.
I certainly did not start out this way. I have had to work through a lot of anxiety over the years to become the extrovertish person I am today. Lots of classes, lots of lessons, lots of mistakes, and eventually I have arrived at my leadership and speaking style.
I am also a union representative for my school, so every once in a while I address the entire certificated staff at my school, which is over 120 people, who are usually not the happiest crowd.
Even though I know that my skills are solid, the nerves can still turn my meetings into less than what I want them to be. I have not allowed myself to give up and after a few years of trial and error and hitting my stride here as well.
I guess my advice to anyone who struggles with this would be, public speaking is a skill, it is not a gift per se. Even if you struggle initially with public speaking, you can practice and improve upon it to make public speaking a strength instead of something you dread. If I can do it, anyone can, trust me!
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