TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS

       You're getting ready to write a speech for an important occasion. Maybe it's a presentation for your company. Perhaps it's the toast at a wedding, a bon voyage send-off to someone who's retiring, or a memorial speech for someone you loved. When you sit down to write the speech, you stare at the white page while a million jumbled thoughts run through your head. Or worse, you can't think of a thing to say. You have a bunch of vague feelings about how you'd like your speech to sound, but you're totally confused when you try to find the words to begin.

       You're not alone. For many people, their fear of speaking in public is not getting up and talking.  It's not knowing if what they're going to say is "right".     

       What does it take to break through this wall of doubt?  

       It's easier than you think.

       If you've done the research you need to do before creating your speech, then you know already the basic thoughts, ideas or information you want to include.  Start by writing down randomly the major points you want to express. Forget about putting them in order.  Just get them out of your head and onto the page.  Whether it's a product description, a relationship story, a history lesson, or an emotional expression of love or thanks, just write them all down as they come to you. Fill the page with your preliminary ideas. Then take a break to let your brain settle for a few minutes before you go on to the next step.

       Now, take a look at everything you've written down. Organize it according to level of importance.  What do you want to talk about first, second and third?  Which one will make a good opening statement?  Which one do you want to save for your big finish?  Move them around like jigsaw puzzle pieces until you have them in an order which makes a good picture. You're almost home.

       Now all you have to do is write a few connecting lines between them to link them all together and, voila!, your speech is written!  How hard was that?  All that's left is to rehearse and polish it to make sure it fits into the number of minutes you've been given to speak. That's it.  That's all there is to it. 

       Here's the key. Trust your instincts. Trust that you do know, really, what you want to say. It's all there in your head, waiting to come out. You have something important to say in the way that only you can say it. Trust yourself to say it "right". Your audience is with you. They want to hear what you have to tell them. You have the power. You have the knowledge. Trust yourself to say it 'right'. 

       You will!