Pushing Through Fear

The week before my keynote, I got in my head, and not in a good way.  I thought about taking a plane to an isolated island, instead of Las Vegas for the IgNS National Conference.

Some of you may find it surprising, especially since people at the conference described me as "confident".  And I am.  I truly enjoy what I do and I know my areas of expertise.

I've been publicly speaking in one way or another for years.  In the photo below, I'm in the high school talent show skit in which I was also the co-MC.

However, sometimes doubt creeps in and I wonder if I can still create magic. The magic is being in the moment. The magic is the connection with the audience.  Without connection, you are simply lecturing to an audience. 

First, I flooded my mind with all my negative thoughts. The audience won't like it.  They will boo.  They will throw tomatoes at me.  Hey, I didn't say negative thoughts were rational!  I actually laughed at some of the thoughts which helped me shift.  Resisting fear only allows it to persist.  Feel it, in order to let it go.

In the middle of my fear, my husband sent me How to Face Fear and Step into Bravery by Jocko Willink.  In one word, all you need to do is STEP!  Action creates momentum.

Second, I created my checklist and starting crossing things off.  Yes, I worked on the content, but this isn't a blog post about how you create keynote curriculum.

Finally, I imagined.  I imagined how I wanted to feel on stage.  I imagined how the audience would feel. I meditated. I prayed. 

On Friday, October 25, 2019 I delivered my keynote Diversity Reimagined: Why Bias Isn't a Four-Letter Word.  How was the keynote?  It was better than I imagined.  Why?  Because people are magic. You never know what will happen if you just stay present, listen, and connect. 

Why did I share this? Because you need to know seasoned speakers, leaders, and professionals still experience fear.  It is getting to the other side of it that matters.