Observers at my first-ever public speaking encounter at age five must have concluded that it would probably be my very last. It was our school’s speech day and I had been selected to represent the nursery class and recite a poem about “The Power of God.” The high point of the poem read, “Juju becomes tasteless when the power of God comes in.” I was expected to emphatically make that declaration with all the panache I could muster while brandishing a flywhisk and hurling it to the ground for maximum effect. The rehearsals had gone very well. But somehow on the day, with all the parents and the large audience in attendance, the ‘spirit’ left me. I stumbled through the poem with absolutely no conviction and no eye contact. At the supposed climax, I barely whispered the words “Juju becomes tasteless…” while dropping the flywhisk to the ground with the confidence of a dead fly. Spontaneously, my teacher and other classmates who had seen the rehearsals exclaimed, “Ooooh Albert!!!” in disappointment. I left the stage with tears in my eyes and vowed never to speak in public again. How wrong I was. Almost four decades later, I had just finished addressing a head teachers’ conference to a rapturous standing ovation when an elderly lady walked up to me and introduced herself with a palpable sense of disbelief. To my surprise, it turned out to be my nursery teacher. After exchanging pleasantries, she expressed her utmost satisfaction and sense of pride at my presentation. Her faltering little poet had finally become a well-drilled public speaker. Dont let your beginnings discourage you. Everybody has a story of terrible beginnings but as you persist you will rise to the top in your field. From the chapter on Confidence in our new book Speak Like A Pro coming out shortly.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 07:47:17 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015