The Shy Speaker’s Guide to Success on Stage

One of the most beautiful things about being human, is human ability to learn something new.

Wouldn’t you agree?

Ever since we were born, we’ve constantly been learning and growing with bombardment of information and knowledge. Cultivated and socialised by our parents and friends as we grew up and learned about how to “fit into society”.

Through that process, many skills are learned and gained. Perhaps, ingrained! Looking through the years, many of us have successfully learned to read and write (of course! Otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this!), and speak, and walk and run! Some of us have even learned to play the piano, or dance! Others, to fight, swim and debate? The list goes on…

Yet, do you realise that non of these had ever been possible for us when were still residing at the stage of dreamy infants? Seriously, unless you have an IQ of 152 like that 3 year old little girl recently featured in the newspapers to have an IQ equivalent to Stephan Hawkings, non of these skills above would have come naturally to you! Still, though she’s blessed with such an advanced IQ, it still does not discount her need to learn! (Admittedly, her mother has also hinted for her daughter’s need “grow up” because she throws tantrums! Hey… she is three years old after all! *winks*)

Now, do you still recall the first time you tried to learn something? Walking? How many times did you fall down? Or going to school (now let’s face it… how many of us really enjoyed going to school when we were younger)? First day at work?

Can you still remember the anguish and pain and frustration that you went through when you were put through the learning curve? Was it comfortable at all? How many times did you fall while learning to ride the bicycle? Were you afraid of crashing when you were learning how to drive?

These skills, like many others did not come naturally to us. Yet, for many of us, they now form a vital part of us.

Such is the human being’s natural capacity to learn… and grow. Hey, I didn’t say it would all be comfortable and plain sailing! And I’m still not saying it would be!

All I’m saying is we’re ALL blessed with this natural ability. And more often than not, our hard work will be worth it.

Could you still remember how you felt when you finally succeeded or mastered a skill or do something which you’ve never thought you could ever do? Do you recall that sense of victory and accomplishment?

Did you feel like you were the king of the world?

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. Skills can be learnt… and mastered.

That applies to public speaking and communication.

Learn it, use it… or lose it.

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What would your success story be?