She stood in front of the room.  Cleared her throat.  She took a quick scan of the room before uttering a word.  Then, it happened.  Her mouth opened, only to let a shriek of indiscernible sound. 

It was obvious.  Adrenaline and Cortisol were flowing freely through her blood stream.  Her heart was racing.  Her muscles tightened.  Her pupils were growing larger.  Sweat was beginning to bead up on her brow. 

                                                                        

Yet, she pushed through the words she had memorized.  After only 4 minutes, she concluded.  The audience stood and applauded loudly.  The applause seemed to go on for minutes, only to cease as she took her seat.  A small came across her face.  I’m not sure if it was from relief or a sense of accomplishment.  Regardless, she was done and it was over.

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”—Eleanor Roosevelt

This was my first experience with Toastmasters, an organization dedicated to building speaking skills through a structured program in a supportive environment.

This got me to thinking.  Fear is an instinctual response.  It can paralyze.  Yet, here she was.  Staring her fear right in the face. 

I talked with her afterwards and she mentioned she was nervous.  That was obvious.  The strange thing was that she was speaking to friends.  These were people she knew.  There were no strangers in the room.  Yet, she could not control her response to the fear.

This young lady was not a high level executive.  She was just a regular hourly worker. 

If she can stand up there, battle her fears for the sake of improving her own skills and abilities, why can’t I?

As you tackle your own career, remember that FEAR is only an indication that you are lacking information and confidence. 

THE KEYS TO FIGHTING FEAR:

• Surround yourself with people that will support you, no matter what.

• Tackle your fears. 

• Beat them one at a time.

Now, imagine the world you can create for yourself and others.