Frequently I hear that speaking in public is the number one fear in America and probably the world. Why is it that people will more likely risk their lives rather than get up in front of a group of strangers or even people who they know well? If this describes you, think for a moment. You become self-conscious and tense. Your blood pressure goes up. Your mind is racing. You are afraid that you won’t remember what to say. You are afraid that you will look like a fool? You even remember your last attempt and have never gotten over that experience.

Fortunately, this does not need to describe your next speaking opportunity. What if every time you got up to speak you felt passionate and energized? How would you feel knowing that you can connect easily with your audience and that they will hold onto every word and gesture? What if your enthusiasm was contagious and your listeners became increasingly hungry for everything that you say and can’t wait for the next opportunity to hear more? This is possible.

Speaking phobias are a natural occurrence due to our human tendency to empathize with others. Indeed, our survival often requires us to sense and react to the emotions of others. The members of our audience are usually overly concerned about their own personal worries and may even be anxious or uneasy about any of their uncertainties regarding your presentation. It is natural that you will pick up on these negative feelings. However, rest assured that they are not caused by you. And, that as a presenter you will have the power and opportunity to drastically change them.

Another cause of our queasy feelings could be our extremely strong inclination to anticipate. Therefore, we react not only to the emotions of the people with whom we come into contact, but we also decide whether a future encounter will be one of nurturing and safety or present a threat. Unfortunately, this can create an unjustified and unreasonable fear.

Charismatic speakers realize that any less-than-positive vibes that they pick up from their audience and their unrealistic anticipation can be quickly overcome as they realize a couple of simple facts. First, their audience will also naturally empathize with them. This means that they are ready to receive just about any emotion that they send their way. Secondly, they are prone to anticipation just like you. Therefore, if you decide up front what emotions that you wish to convey and then set their expectations early on you’ll be surprised how quickly they will they will become enthusiastically responsive to your message. And then, you will find yourself feeding off of their excitement as you become more energetic and passionate about your message. Believe me. It feel much better being excited and passionate and not having to worry about those negative jitters that most speakers fret about.

Changing your speaking opportunities into a fantastic experience is reinforced by my Speak Publically like a Pro CD/MP3 session. Listening to this session daily for 20 days will help you find your inner ability to present charismatically.