Your greatest fear... It happened to me.
I suffer from a brain that always runs 100 miles a minute. On the positive side, I learn new concepts and skills quickly. On the negative side, my mouth frequently has trouble articulating those thoughts. That is one of the reasons I like to write my thoughts in a blog versus recording a video.
I was once asked last moment (15 minutes before) to speak about a specific social media topic to about thirty people. Generally, I am a very good public speaker. I rehearse like crazy before the event and although I usually forget those really impressive "quotables" I wrote in my practice script and kick myself later about it, my speaking engagements have always been well received.
Then your greatest fear happened to me.
The specific topic was not a point I really have explored so my knowledge was basic at best. I killed the opening and then I felt a sneeze creep in. That sneeze did not come but there was dead air and many eyes staring at me.
I came clean and admitted that elusive sneeze to the audience and they were on my side laughing with me. And then I fell from the frying pan into the fire.
I completely forgot the points I was going to move to on this particular social media topic. That 100 mile a minute brain? Crashed and burned. I spoke incoherently for about a minute before I had the good sense to open it up to questions.
I killed it on those answers and the audience forgave me for a minute of dead air and a minute of nonsense.
Have I decided against speaking in the future? Of course not. What could be worse than my brain deserting me? I survived losing my thoughts on stage and a couple of the people there even signed up for my email list AFTER that fiasco.
We can never be perfect. Do your best and learn from your mistakes. Will I accept a last-minute speaking gig on a subject of which I have a very small knowledge base?
Yes! And if I lose my train of thought I will go to questions immediately. (It is important to learn the right lessons after all.)
Until next time...
Have a great day,
Susanne
Check out my upcoming workshops here!
I suffer from a brain that always runs 100 miles a minute. On the positive side, I learn new concepts and skills quickly. On the negative side, my mouth frequently has trouble articulating those thoughts. That is one of the reasons I like to write my thoughts in a blog versus recording a video.
I was once asked last moment (15 minutes before) to speak about a specific social media topic to about thirty people. Generally, I am a very good public speaker. I rehearse like crazy before the event and although I usually forget those really impressive "quotables" I wrote in my practice script and kick myself later about it, my speaking engagements have always been well received.
Then your greatest fear happened to me.
The specific topic was not a point I really have explored so my knowledge was basic at best. I killed the opening and then I felt a sneeze creep in. That sneeze did not come but there was dead air and many eyes staring at me.
I came clean and admitted that elusive sneeze to the audience and they were on my side laughing with me. And then I fell from the frying pan into the fire.
I completely forgot the points I was going to move to on this particular social media topic. That 100 mile a minute brain? Crashed and burned. I spoke incoherently for about a minute before I had the good sense to open it up to questions.
I killed it on those answers and the audience forgave me for a minute of dead air and a minute of nonsense.
Have I decided against speaking in the future? Of course not. What could be worse than my brain deserting me? I survived losing my thoughts on stage and a couple of the people there even signed up for my email list AFTER that fiasco.
We can never be perfect. Do your best and learn from your mistakes. Will I accept a last-minute speaking gig on a subject of which I have a very small knowledge base?
Yes! And if I lose my train of thought I will go to questions immediately. (It is important to learn the right lessons after all.)
Until next time...
Have a great day,
Susanne
Check out my upcoming workshops here!
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