Speaking comes in many different shapes and sizes, and everyone has a unique picture of what speaking means to them. For some, speaking is really about being able to communicate how you feel. To have the courage to express yourself and share your thoughts with those around you. For others, speaking is about communicating their unique message to a group. This could be existing clients and customers, a new audience, or even strangers, but the emphasis is on sharing a message. Then finally we have those who are inspired to be up on stage, to speak to hundreds, maybe even thousands of people. Whatever the level you desire to speak at, it can be a daunting prospect. Here are five powerful quotes confident speakers focus on to help express themselves.
- “There are only two types of speakers in the world. 1. The nervous and 2. Liars.” – Mark Twain.
Some of the most experienced speakers in the world openly share how in the moments before they speak, they feel anxious, nervous, and physiologically stressed. If this happens to them, then we can all take a breath and appreciate how normal this is. Setting up the expectation that in order to be a good speaker there will be no nerves or anxiety will only deter you. But if you factor this in that pre-speaking nerves are par for the course, then it helps you feel more certain in how the process will go, helping you to feel more prepared. As the famous saying goes, the purpose isn’t to try and get rid of the butterflies, but simply to help them fly in formation.
2. “Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all.” – Winston Churchill.
It is natural to want to come across as well educated and informed about your subject area. The challenge with this is that sometimes the desire to be seen as intelligent can distract from the message of the presentation. It’s helpful here to be reminded of the highest intention behind the speech, to express yourself and share a message. In many cases using short, simple words is the most effective way to communicate your message. As a result, feel free to chop out any overly-complex words and jargon, and deliver just what is needed to express yourself. This takes a lot of the pressure off the speaker, and treats the audience to some easy listening.
3. “You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.” – John Ford.
The intention behind speaking is to convey a message, and we all have ideas and imaginations of how the perfect speech would go. But in reality, what some people consider a perfect speech, others may consider too complex, clinical or robotic. Everyone has a different value system and we all appreciate different kinds of speakers. The beauty of this is it liberates you from ‘having’ to speak in any particular way, and gives you the freedom to connect to the message your heart wants to express. When you are grounded and connected to your heart, your tongue will deliver the message in a way far more powerful than even a perfectly polished speech with no heart at all ever could.
4. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” – Mary Angelou.
Embracing the nerves, keeping things simple and speaking from the heart; all of these combine to influence and inspire your audience to see, hear and feel your message. When someone is speaking, if you can resonate and empathise with the speaker, you go on the journey with them, and this opens us up to experiencing all they have to say, as well as connecting their ideas to all of your past experiences. This is the power of speaking. There may be the odd error, the odd missed sentence – not that your audience would ever know – but sharing something meaningful to you helps affect a change in feelings of your audience, and it is this change that makes all the difference.
5. “If you’re not comfortable with public speaking – and nobody starts out comfortable; you have to learn how to be comfortable – practice. I cannot overstate the importance of practicing. – Hilary Clinton
Expressing yourself in any area can feel uncomfortable. This is where practice comes in. A combination of working on your mindset combined with practical time speaking will rapidly accelerate your progress. The more you can practice, the more experience you will gain, and the more comfortable you will start to feel. Comparing yourself to someone who has spoken over 10,000 hours on stage won’t help anyone, but comparing yourself to how you were a month ago after some consistent practice will boost confidence and keep you focused on your goal.
Human beings have the gift of language, and everyone has a message to share. No matter what level you want to play at, working on and practicing the art of expressing yourself is a gift to yourself and the world.