Are You Afraid of Public Speaking

The fear of public speaking is the second most common fear, right after the fear of death. Like many Toastmasters, I joined because when required to speak to any kind of group, I was terrified. This fear lasted through my first assigned Toastmasters speech, the Icebreaker, where a new member introduces himself or herself to the other members. The terror rapidly decreased, as I continued to speak to a group which was supportive, yet evaluated me constructively.

By the time I got to about speech #5, I noticed in amazement that I was actually beginning to look forward to my turn to speak. No college or high school speech class or work-related training had even come close to accomplishing this goal. What was the difference? As a Toastmaster, I became part of a group of friends. At Toastmasters, no one person is the "teacher" and there is no grade. We teach each other. We learn from each other. Most of all, we don't forget to have fun.

Yet, Toastmasters is not unstructured. The new member is given a basic manual of 10 speeches. Supplementing this is a wide variety of educational materials on speaking, evaluating, leadership and many other important topics. Guidelines are published on all the elements of a Toastmasters meeting. The monthly magazine alone is valuable, for its educational content.

If you share the very common fear of public speaking, think about giving Toastmasters a chance to help you. A year from now, when you look back, you will be amazed that you were once so nervous! What do you have to lose?

For another valuable perspective, please read this, from Club 31's FAQ.