I was leading a speech class the other day and we began with a wonderful exercise called Relational Presence, a way of being with the audience not often experienced and taught.
Reason being, it causes anxiety in people because perhaps for the first time in their life they are actually “being with” another person with no words, just maintaining eye contact.
How was that? I asked them. “weird, uncomfortable, always told never to stare, awkward.”
But after the second time through, they were more comfortable.
It’s the same idea the Tao Te Ching had: “The slow overcomes the fast.”
The mind entertains one thought at a time, and only one.
The greatest cause of feeling “nervous” and “dread” in speaking is caused by not knowing this.
The greatest source of stress in public speaking is the mind’s attempt to carry many thoughts, many tasks, many facts and figures, many observations, many worries, many concerns at once.
The mind can’t do that.
No mind can, not even Einstein’s mind could.
One thing. Slow down to one thing and your speech will be golden.
