#247 Confidence & Crouching Tiger
Aug 24, 2021
If you are holding yourself back from trying new things until you gain the confidence, keep reading.
I walked to the podium ready to give a five minute speech in front of a group of people for the first time in my life. I recall wondering why I could feel my heart beating through my molars.
I delivered a 5 minute speech in 3 minutes 15 seconds. I didn't pause once and I definitely didn't breathe.
That day was the beginning of my love affair with taking calculated risk. I had figured out a few things that became game changers.
I walked away with a few new truths.
First of all, I didn't die as I suspected I would. The fear of public speaking looms large for a lot of people and that thing that you're putting off doing likely scares you just as much but you 're not going to die. I lost the drama going forward. No longer is dying on the table.
Secondly, worst case scenario never happens. This one is huge - whatever that thing is that you imagine happening, it's fear driving that thought. No matter what goes wrong, the worst thing imaginable likely won't happen. That crouching tiger won't show up.
The best thing I learned is that confidence is a bi-product of bold action. It wasn't a perfect speech. There was a lot I could do to make it better. I started to think about next time I do it. I wasn't as shy about that next time and that next time presented itself in about a week. Where did that confidence come from other than that first bold step.
This stuff is golden.
This insight allowed me to manage my expectations going forward. Showing up as an expert on day one was never realistic. I was a work in progress and I knew that I would get better with each attempt. I was confident in my own efficacy to get better with each attempt.
Where are you being held back because you are waiting for confidence? Take that bold step and confidence is sure to follow.
