Nervous as hell, what do you do?

In the moments before the room filled the thought
flashed through my mind.  It was the expression
of doubt, lack of confidence and failure.  It had
a tangible emotional and physical effect in that
moment.

So, what’s the difference between what you felt
then and the people who don’t believe in
themselves at all, he asked.

Well, I answered, it depends on what wins in terms
of your feelings, thoughts and actions, what is
the driving force?  Is it the thoughts connected
to doubt and failure, or do you get rid of those
debilitating thoughts and strengthen your beliefs
and let that positive force lead you?  Do you
chose to empower yourself with self-belief and
confidence or give in to doubt?

My partner was in the room.  He could feel the
tension and nervousness, he sensed that I went
into myself for that preparation time and did
something that made a difference.

As the room filled beyond capacity, what emerged
was, in his words, a transformation.  I was
confident, comfortable and calm.  He said,
suddenly you created something new, you brought
your subject to life, you were inspiring and the
people in the room seemed to be quenching a great
thirst as they soaked up the knowledge you
provided.

So what exactly happened in those precious
moments?

Well, firstly, what was the thought?  I can tell
you that it was very simple, it always is.  It
goes something like this –

Who wants to hear a silly story?
or….Are you kidding yourself, these guys are too
sophisticated (or experienced, or educated or
rich… you can chose!)
or….why would they want to listen to me?
Or…who am I to think that I can teach them
something….
Or….is the material really as good as I think…
Or…what if I forget my stuff….

You see there is no end of self-sabotaging stories
that we tell ourselves, the question is how do we
get rid of them, what can we do to make ourselves
strong, confident and really shine?

There are four areas that you need to cover;
physical, intellectual, spiritual and emotional.

Your physical preparation should be to acknowledge
your nervousness for the positive effect that it
has on you.  The rush of adrenalin gives you
wonderful energy that you can channel into a
positive force for your work. 

Also, you can recite some tongue twisters and pull funny faces
so you stretch and warm up your facial muscles and
voice.  You can jump a few times or take a fast
walk, or pat down your body (cup both hands and
work up from your feet to you head); choose what
feels right for you so that you get this positive
energy flowing through your body.

Your intellectual preparation involves simply
knowing your stuff!  You need to practice,
practice, practice and then when you’re sure you
know your material perfectly, you need to practice
some more!

Your spiritual preparation involves connecting to
that higher place (whatever you choose to call
it!) and acknowledge this presence in your life,
in the room and within you.  Once you feel
connected you can enjoy the sense of blessing and
abundance within you and your ability to share
that with your audience.

And finally your emotional preparation; I
recommend a mantra.  For me it’s simple.  ‘Trust
the stories, trust the process, trust’.  I repeat
this in my head in the last few moments before I
start, and it gets me right where I need to be.

Part of my emotional preparation for this specific
event was in knowing that my partner was in the
room and witnessing this transformation.   It got
me thinking how often the people we chose to spend
our lives with, our partners, family and best
friends, never actually get to see us in this
moment of great passion, focus and clarity doing
what clearly we were always meant to do.

What happens when they see the transformation,
when they witness you at your best, radiating the
joy of whatever it is that makes you shine. 

When there is this quiet, appreciative support,
it’s almost like a shadow in the room; an angel
that protects and guides you with love, seeing you
as your true higher self.  It is a blessing.

Have you ever shared that amazing moment with
someone meaningful in your life?

What is your practice that gets your performing at your best?

I’d love to hear about it.  Please do write a comment below and share!

Best wishes and best stories

Lisa