This article was originally written in Turkish and has been translated into English with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). The translation may contain errors; the original Turkish version is the authoritative text.
As I explained in my previous article, once we breathe correctly and have brought our lips to a certain level with the exercises given, I must write that people still have a number of other problems when it comes to speaking in public. There are many people who, despite having received an excellent education, struggle to speak in meetings because they are afraid, nervous or embarrassed. Everyone knows today that a person who has graduated from very good schools may go to a job interview and be unable to express themselves, while someone with a much lower level of education and gaps in their knowledge is chosen because they speak well. In our lives there are many people who prepare very well for a presentation or a conference but cannot convey what they have prepared because of psychological problems (fear, embarrassment, nervousness). There are even many young people in our country who, because of these same problems, cannot express their love to the person they love. I have also witnessed aspiring artists with very good voices and a good musical or theatrical education fade away simply because of stage nerves, fear and embarrassment. So let us look at how we can overcome fear in speaking, one of the foremost problems in communication.
FEAR
There is the fear a person creates for themselves, and there is the fear they feel in response to negative behaviour directed at them. The first is a fear that can be brought under control, but the second cannot easily be controlled. The fear that causes problems in speaking is what we call stage fright. It shows itself when speaking in front of an audience. A survey carried out in the United States found that the fear of speaking in public ranked first among all fears, ahead even of the fear of death.
Think about it: although no one in the audience you are speaking to has any intention of using any kind of violence against you, you are producing fear by yourself. Yet the audience in front of you will listen to you quietly, calmly, with good will and perhaps with curiosity. Their only aim is to benefit from the information you will give them. If you have prepared well for your speech and there are no gaps in your knowledge, you have no reason to be afraid. The same applies to students who take practical examinations before a jury at the end of term in conservatories and schools of music, theatre and so on. A person who has prepared well and kept their shortcomings to a minimum should not be afraid. We can extend these examples to an actor going on stage or a singer performing a song. So if you have prepared well, you can direct your will and suggest to yourself: “I have prepared well; I have nothing missing.”
If, despite everything, your nervousness still does not pass, take a small token with you. It could be an unusual pen, a lucky charm or a small stone. Let this little token you keep in your pocket be your fear-remover. When you feel afraid, take your lucky charm in your hand without letting it show; you will notice that it calms you a little.