Boooo! Happy Halloween!
Thought we’d talk about a big fear that many people have…the fear of Communicating!
More than anything else communication fears can limit and torment us! This fear can prevent us from meeting new people, strengthening our relationships, moving ahead in our careers…and generally overall connecting with our fellow humans!
Jerry Seinfeld made famous the line about funerals and public speaking: “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Does this sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket that doing the eulogy.”
C’mon…let’s take that scary communication fear by its spooky, scrawny neck and gain control! Get your bucket of Halloween candy, enjoy the communication ideas below…and conquer those fears!
Fear can be a good thing! It reminds us of our humanity, keeps us from getting hurt and activates our “fight or flight” reactions to protect us in threatening situations. As communicators however, we need to overcome the fear that may prevent us from trying to connect with others!
FDR said “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” His wife’s challenge inspires me more: “do one thing every day that scares you.” Eleanor recognized the value of fear and moved forward!
So what kind of communication fears do people have? Here are a few for you to do a self-assessment: fear of public speaking, meeting new people, asking for help, asking someone out on a date, asking for a sale, asking for a promotion, being rejected, etc….
“Who you gonna call…Ghostbusters!” and what can you do about it? Here are some ideas about overcoming communication fears. It might be challenging at first, but keep at it!
#1 – Acknowledge, identify and claim your fear! Determine what your fear is – detail it and write it down.
#2 – Get motivated! Understand the misery this fear is giving you and take action!
#3 – Learn the tools and techniques to conquer this fear! Take some courses, get some coaching, and get ideas from trusted sources. Learn how to conquer this fear and be relentless! Stay motivated!
#4 – You’re going to make some mistakes…but keep at it! A few stumbles will actually help you. Learn from your mistakes and “war wounds” and you’ll start seeing progress! Your confidence will grow!
#5 – Remember, communication skills are different than technical skills – if you don’t use them, you’ll lose them! Don’t let those fears sneak back in! The more you practice – the more you’ll learn and the better you’ll get!
Only by pushing through our fears in communication (and life) are we able to grow and succeed. Commit to taking action! Change is scary….but slaying that dragon will be worth it!
Betti
#motivationalspeaker #keynotespeaker #fear #dallas #horsepower
#motivationalspeaker #keynotespeaker #fear #dallas #horsepower