![]() Instead, I accepted it as the price I had to pay for personal progress.Įnglish playwright William Shakespeare said, “He is not worthy of the honeycomb that shuns the hive because the bees have stings.” The key was refusing to let my fear rule me. I say it because in those early years, when I was afraid the entire time I was speaking, I could not have imagined where I would end up decades later. And now in the 21st century, I’ve been blessed to speak live in events that were simulcast to even larger audiences. In the 90s, I actually spoke to audiences of tens of thousands. In the 1980s I spoke to an audience of more than 10,000. The first time I spoke to over a thousand people was in Columbus, Ohio, in the 1970s. In time I got chances to speak to larger audiences. ![]() Then I had to begin working to develop and improve my style. And after SEVEN YEARS, I finally felt more comfortable than fearful speaking to a group. I spoke to audiences (mostly small groups) at every opportunity. But even then I knew it was part of my calling, so I kept at it. After all, I really wasn’t any good at it. I could’ve given up then – decided that public speaking was not for me. People described my speaking style as “stiff.” In my first speaking opportunity as a senior in college, I was terrible. In fact, I remember being really fearful, and it showed. The irony is that when I first started speaking, I was anything but effective. Today I’m probably known most for my public speaking.
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