Be Confident

Part of the “Delivering the Word To Kids” Series

Lack of confidence (aka fear) is one of the most common reasons for failure in speaking (or any other endeavor). So how do you develop confidence? First understand, you aren’t the only one who fears public speaking. More people fear public speaking than they do death itself. I heard someone say that most people would rather die than have to give the eulogy at funeral. Even professional speakers still deal with a bit of anxiety. They use it to their advantage.

I heard one guy talk about  riding a motorcycle. “You want to stay a little afraid of the bike because if you don’t you’ll get cocky and do something stupid.”  If you get overly confident in speaking you are bound to say something you’ll regret. I know that’s been my experience. When I get cocky, I get in trouble.

The more you do it, the less the fear will matter. The real fear is the fear of failure. When you keep at it that fear will grow smaller and smaller. It doesn’t always go away, sometimes it just gets manageable. Preparation is also a great tool for gaining confidence, as is of course prayer.