Sweaty palms, butterflies, cottonmouth.
Nerves are one of the main reasons why people turn down the opportunity to give a speech. The old “I’d rather have root canal” situation. But, what if you rename your “nerves” and start calling those sweaty palms, those butterflies, that cotton mouth…..”excitement.”
Think about it: just before you are about to do something exciting—something you have chosen to do it (swimming with sharks, bungee jumping, trying new food)—you experience these same feelings, but it doesn’t stop you doing it! In fact, we use that nerve-jangling emotion to energize us, to give us the courage to finally step out of that plane or kick off our shoes and gallop down the hot coals. So, next time you are asked to speak, channel that “I am so excited to do this” feeling and say, yes!