The greatest fear is…

public speaking

by Lisa Guyman

To get anywhere great we must take some risks.  We often think that by not changing, by not stepping out, that we are safe, when in fact staying in the known can lead to stagnation and discontent.  Is there a risk or a new territory that entices you?  What if you took a real step in that direction?

I took a risk this last weekend by speaking in front of about 150 people (at the World Wellness Weekend If I had known ahead of time that the room would be filled, I may have had second thoughts about signing up.  But there is also a huge part of me that likes to put myself out there first and then figure it out.  This was my biggest speaking engagement to date.  I was nervous and my adrenaline was pumping, but I was also excited and alive.

I used to believe that an action or direction was only right if we didn’t feel nervous about it.  But nervousness can mean there is some real excitement behind our choice and can mean that we are pushing beyond our present boundaries.  Growth doesn’t always come by being completely comfortable.  This means that sometimes we will be called to act in spite of our fears.  Two years ago when I was invited to be a coauthor in Sacred Healing. I had a pit in my stomach.  I wondered if this was the right choice, if I could write a chapter, if this was a wise investment, etc.   I acted in spite of my reservations and I’m glad I did.

As we look out onto the horizon of our lives we can imagine our new possibilities with fear or excitement.  A year ago when I was contemplating my future a friend of mine said:  well if your choice is to look at your future with excitement versus fear, she said ‘I’d choose excitement.’   So for anything new we can choose to focus on excitement (anticipation of having fun, stepping out, success, being in the unknown) or we can focus on fear (anticipation of a negative experience or outcome).  What are you going to choose  –  to hold back in fear or to go forward in trust and with a sense of adventure?

As I stood before a room that was filling up I shifted from fear to excitement.  I shifted from myself, to the audience and to the message I was there to deliver.  I took a moment to take it all in and when I did I felt this wave of positive energy filling the room.  I’m so glad I took that risk and as the saying by Helen Keller goes “life is a daring adventure or nothing” at all.  So be yourself and be bold.