Brave **habit

Thread Content

““Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin. Most people join Toastmasters in order to overcome their fear of public speaking. Therefore, at Toastmasters meetings, what you’ll see is, among other things, demonstrations of courage. Standing in front of a group of attentive listeners makes most people feel vulnerable; it also imposes a burden of responsibility, expectations, and opportunities. This can be overwhelming and truly frightening. At Toastmasters, members develop the habit of courage through encouragement and support. Just as Outward Bound programs teach people to be brave by putting them in life-threatening situations, Toastmasters serves as a kind of “Inward Bound” program. Like skydiving or rock climbing, speaking in front of an audience becomes easier the more often you do it. “Our members often face an internal demon that paralyzes them with fear. But we find that once that fear is confronted and overcome, we are pushed toward a life with greater ambitions,” writes veteran Toastmaster Michael Landrum in an article titled “The Habit of Courage” published in Toastmaster magazine. He offers the following four tips to help overcome that internal fear: Be aware of others. Don’t focus on yourself or what the audience might think; instead, replace your self-consciousness with concern for others. Try to focus on your audience—find one person in the crowd and make eye contact with them. Stay focused on that person long enough to finish a sentence or express a complete thought. If you take responsibility for ensuring that the audience understands your message, you’ll soon forget about your nervousness. Anxiety feels worse than it actually is. If you can avoid drawing attention to your fears and anxieties, no one will know about them. “It’s a classic case of ‘fake it till you make it,’” says Landrum. “Act confidently, and soon you’ll really feel confident.” Make it seem easy. The audience wants to hear your speech, not worry about you. Be humble: It’s not about you—it’s about your speech! Your ideas and thoughts, and how they benefit the listeners, are what matter most. Present them with grace, style, and enthusiasm, but avoid anything that might boost your ego. A speech that’s delivered easily is well-received. Allow yourself to be encouraged. Don’t be too modest or self-deprecating. Embrace the supportive atmosphere of a Toastmasters club and nurture your aspirations for success! “Learn to give yourself the same benefit of the doubt you’d give to anyone else!” says Landrum. “Perseverance is the most valuable virtue. You’re not defeated until you admit it.” Consider Eleanor Roosevelt as an example—she was naturally timid, introverted, and terrified of public speaking. But because she was married to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, she had to speak in public frequently. She overcame her fears and became one of the greatest speakers of the 20th century. Let her words inspire you on your journey: “You can gain strength, courage, and confidence from every experience in which you confront your fears head-on. You can say to yourself, ‘I’ve overcome this fear before. I can handle whatever comes next.’ You must do what you think you can’t do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt. The richness or emptiness of life depends on a person’s courage—Anais Nin. Many people join Toastmasters in order to overcome their fear of speaking in public. So, at the banquet host meeting, among other things, what you will see most often is a demonstration of courage. Standing in front of the group coming out of the banquet already made most people feel extremely vulnerable, without having to bear the additional burden of responsibilities, expectations, and opportunities. This is often an irresistible true fear. In the host’s home, through encouragement and support, the members developed a brave *habit. Just as outdoor expansion training teaches people to be courageous by putting them in life-threatening situations, the Hosts’ House is somewhat similar to an indoor expansion program. If practiced repeatedly*, speaking in front of an audience will become increasingly easier compared to activities like parachuting or rock climbing. In Host Magazine, experienced banquet host Michael Landram wrote in an article titled “The Courage to Habit”: Our members often have to confront evil thoughts within themselves, and are frequently paralyzed by fear. But we find that if we confront our fears and overcome them, it motivates us to live with greater ambition. He proposed the following four suggestions to help people reduce their own evil* tendencies. 1. Be aware of others: Do not focus on yourself, nor think about what the audience might be thinking. On the contrary, replace self-awareness with awareness of others. Focus on the audience! Find an individual among the audience and make eye contact with them. Wait for that person to fully express their thoughts. If you take responsibility for ensuring that your audience understands the information you are conveying, it won’t take long before you forget about your sweaty palms and trembling knees. 2. Anxiety is worse than it seems. If you can resist paying attention to fear and anxiety, then no one will notice them. Landerham said, “This is a classic example of pretending first before achieving success.” Act with confidence, and soon you will be full of confidence. ” 3. Make it seem easy: The audience wants to hear your presentation, not worry about the speaker. Be humble: it doesn’t refer to you personally—but to the content of your speech! Your concepts and ideas, and how they benefit the audience, are the most important aspects. Spread them with elegance, style, and enthusiasm, but avoid emphasizing the self. A speech that is easy to deliver is more likely to be accepted. 4. Encourage yourself: Don’t be too modest or shy. Embrace the supportive atmosphere of the Hosts’ Home and cultivate a vision for your own success! Landerham said: Learn to believe in yourself, and you can easily reach the heights that others strive for! Perseverance is the most useful quality in human nature; if you refuse to admit failure, you will remain standing forever. Take Eleanor Roosevelt as an example; she was naturally shy and timid, introverted, and afraid of speaking in public. But because she married U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, she had to give public speeches. She faced her fears head-on and eventually became one of the greatest orators of the 20th century. Let her words inspire you to embark on the path to success: “When you stop in your tracks and face your fears, you can gain strength, courage, and confidence from each experience.” You can say to yourself, ‘I have withstood the test of fear.’ I can bear whatever will happen... You have to do those things you can’t do. ’”——Eleanor Roosevelt, excerpted from Happy English by Hai Ci, for sharing among Hai friends