For nearly every performer or speaker, stage fright is a very common state of mind. Standing on stage in front of many people and not flinching is a great feat for anyone. I have had a few encounters with class presentations and speeches. To present in front of my classmates scared me and the mere thought of even standing alone to present is frightening and traumatizing.
When I was nine, I had stage fright. There was a story telling class and it was my turn to present my story to the class. However, I was frozen stiff, convinced that I could not do it, and I cried. I could not speak and was led away by my teacher amongst the students’ laughter. I never presented again until I was in secondary school. But, when I spoke in front of my friends for a project presentation, I remembered that I could do it and that I did not make a mistake.
Surprisingly, the words flowed freely out of my mouth! I was amazed and as I finished, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I had overcome my fear! I was ecstatic, as I knew it would greatly benefit me for sure in my future talks and presentations when I was much older.
Indeed, I was glad to have overcome my fear. It meant so much to me. I had finally grasped the true concept of overcoming stage fright. Overcoming that fear was the simplest thing one could accomplish without a sweat. I realized that all I needed to do was to relax, and to speak my mind, but of course, controlling my words. I was afraid of making a mistake, which caused the first episode of stage fright that time.
The Essay on Useful Steps to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking
http://www.toastmasters.org/tips.asp (retrieved on 26/06/2013) This website provides some useful tips that should be followed to overcome the fear of public speaking. First, it instructs presenters to choose a topic that they are interested in, and try to know more about it than they include in their speech. Second, rehearse loudly with all the material that they plan to use and try to practice ...
Ever since that incident, I have changed and I am no longer afraid of speaking publicly or on stage. That incident has caused me to be more confident in whatever I did, be it my presentations, or what I did. I was no longer the old me, who used to be so frightened at every presentation and every task that required speaking to groups of people. Now, I can speak and present to audiences smoothly without mistakes, getting better and better at them.
