What the F*** have I done!!

It is the morning before the first TEDx Aberdeen and I don’t mind telling you I am suffering from angst to the max - papping my pants as I say.

While we have had our ups and downs as a family (all safe and happy thanks) and a business over last year and half, I have found it particularly tough. Being locked up and removed from my greatest source of energy – people – has caused me to doubt myself and others more than ever.

When the opportunity to apply for TEDx Aberdeen came along – a chance to get on stage and speak and talk with actual people in the same room I thought – I’ll have some of that, thanks very much.

Then I realised I had to have an idea worth spreading, and for it to be good enough to get through the application process and for it and me to stand out from what I was sure were a million better ideas and presenters. This did not help my angst.

My idea was simple I thought?– fine is the worst four letter F word out there, and I have some ideas of what we can all do to make it better?

My state of mind at that point was – I hope I get through but if I don’t I know why – I wasn’t as good as the next person and I tell you what, as competitive as I am, that’s okay.?This is the self-doubt bit combined with the confidence in myself I carry around as part of my normal life.

But TEDx isn’t normal – not for most of us anyway.

It’s a platform that seeks the best ideas and story tellers for the impact of what they have to say and how they say it – your idea really must be worth sharing and you must be worthwhile to tell it. You must do this to their standard and values, their framework and process and to the levels of delivery for a global market.

GG rocking up with 25 years of subject matter expertise a few slides and not a lot of prep wouldn’t cut it.

That all might sound dictatorial and regimented – but the team at TEDx have been the best for me, and across all the speakers, at getting us to prepare and practice, listen to advice and take on board change – even when I was sure what I was saying was the best. Not altering the idea worth spreading but certainly making it more worthwhile for a wider audience to hear.

My expectation in myself and in others has always been better than fine, and TEDx has helped make this even better. I have learned things about myself that I knew were there and I am dealing with them better than ever before – preparing better, communicating better, and delivering better.

The process of getting match fit for the stage tomorrow in Aberdeen has been a massive learning curve for me - positive and game changing.

If you have an idea worth spreading and TEDx comes to town - where ever you are - give it your best effort, give it a try and see what happens.

It will be way more than fine.

?Thanks GG