Public Speaking Starts With Confidence

I’m 16 years old. I’m standing where I usually stand during school assembly. The Deputy Principal calls out my name. Everything grows silent apart from my heart as it vigorously drums against my chest.

I take the first step then the next towards the podium. My partial deafness cures itself when I turn to face the students. I hear their claps mixed with laughter.

Assembly is adjourned. We are dismissed, but I remain behind; still and lost in thought.

An invisible monster (fear) wraps its cold hands around my neck, looks me straight in the eye and asks, “How will you survive the torture due the next several months?”

Above is a summary of how I felt when I was appointed the School Captain. I dreaded the experience owing to what I felt were valid concerns; I lacked public speaking experience yet I would be expected to speak at the assembly, every Monday and Friday. I didn’t have access to public speaking training neither did I have a mentor or a coach to guide me.

What follows is a summary of my experience delivering my inaugural address.

I take the first step then the next toward the podium. I turn to face the students. Their faces are somewhat expressionless, but their eyes say it all; they give me the impression that their expectations of my first address are high. My heart does as it’s accustomed to when I’m in a tense situation; it drums vigorously against my chest.

After seconds of silence, I begin to tremble. I decide to speak and get it over with. Words, devoid of structure and order, leave my mouth accompanied by a shaky voice. I tremble all the more, having noticed that my first sentence is as incoherent as it is incomplete.

A roar rings in my ears. The sound is familiar. It’s the laughter of the students. I feel a sudden heat around my collar and armpits. I want to reach into my blazer, pull out my handkerchief and wipe the streams that are flowing from my forehead. However, my hands are stiff as if tied to my hips.

After a few more incoherent and incomplete sentences, I leave the podium. My eyes are fixed on the ground. I can’t bear to look at anyone in the eye. Chuckles fill the air as the assembly continues.

Assembly is adjourned. We are dismissed, but I remain behind; still and lost in thought.

The invisible monster wraps its cold hands around my neck once more and looks me straight in the eye. “How will you survive the torture due the next several months?” it asks. “Find a way out of this! It demands.

Find a way out of it I do. However, it involves slaying this monster and slaying it for good.

The days preceding assembly I structure and order my thoughts. I rehearse them. I prepare an introduction and conclusion. I realize that I have valuable thoughts to share. My confidence is birthed. Every opportunity to speak before the students makes me better and more confident.

Months pass and bring us closer to The Science Congress. My class teacher earmarks me for a Chemistry related presentation. We work together on the details.

On the day of the presentation, words flow from my mind to my mouth to the audience. I solicit questions. No one among the students has any. The two-person panel fires questions. I answer them without hesitation. I look at my class teacher. His lips are stretched into a wide smile, revealing his dimples. I know I’ve made him proud. My presentation places 7th. Nonetheless, I am amazed by two things; that when I started seeing myself as someone with valuable information to share, my confidence grew. Secondly, the most unimaginable opportunity came because the confidence I exuded while speaking made me stand out.

In light of my brief story, I want to say to you that you can master public speaking. You just have to see yourself as one with valuable information to share. This will give you confidence you need to look forward to your presentation. Secondly, do not stand on that stage before you order and structure your thoughts. Come up with an introduction and a conclusion so that you know where your speech starts and should end. Have a clear body with clear points that stand on their own.

Try this the next time you are required to speak in public, then let me know what it did to your level of confidence.

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