Okay, you’ve booked a radio spot⎯ an opportunity to talk about your book, your business, and whatever else is important to you. And you’re feeling jumpy. You’ve got butterflies in your stomach, and they’re driving you crazy. Your mouth feels tense, or your knees feel weak, or you’ve got cotton mouth…sound familiar? If your answer is yes, read on. You can turn this completely around.
As a professional speaker and standup comic, I’ve experienced all of the above and some even more dramatic “fear” signals in the course of my work.
Helpful Tips
4, Oct, 2013
Turn Stage Fright into Fun
24, Sep, 2013
Break Free from Procrastination…Go Ahead and Do It
When it comes to writing, procrastination can be a formidable adversary. Do not allow yourself to fall for any of the fearful, negative thoughts that enable procrastination. Some procrastination-powered thoughts disguise themselves as cautions regarding preparation, or demands that the atmosphere in the office, your personal mood and other factors to be “just right.” The desire to be perfect, to have the perfect situation, to craft the perfect paragraph, to enjoy “the perfect writing career,” creates a pitfall that should be avoided at all costs.
Read More
16, Sep, 2013
The Magic Formula
Over the past couple of years, I’ve been engaging in an experiment. I thought I’d try playing by the rules, conforming to the standards laid down by the herds of advice-givers, experts, and self-declared Cognescenti that inhabit the world of creativity.
Believe in yourself.
I had been searching for guidance, for help in navigating the unfamiliar territory of entrepreneurship/publishing, daily plumbing the depths of Googledom for online articles that could point the way to the magic formula for internet visibility and book sales. I read articles in industry magazines and books by millionaire success gurus.
Read More
8, Sep, 2013
Seven Kickass Tips for Better Writing
Writing is something we all do, every day of our lives. We compose emails, social media posts, write heartfelt letters to friends and family or crisp missives to business associates. Some people are gifted wordsmiths, delighting everyone with their talent, and yet they don’t think of themselves as possessing any special writing skills. Others know they’re writers, because they are published authors or popular bloggers. No matter how⎯or if, you see yourself as a contender in the literary world, you can’t escape the fact that you are a writer.
Read More
3, Sep, 2013
Eight Ways to Reduce Stress and Increase Bliss
Life is precious and fragile, so why spend time stressed out and anxious about the future or past when you can be serene and steady, living in the present moment? Make an action plan to counteract negative thinking and resulting negative emotions that can drain you of energy and joy. When you practice any or all of the following strategies, you can build your enthusiasm, sense of purpose, and fun. You’ll notice you’re more relaxed, more productive, and more optimistic as you apply the following techniques:
Exercise Daily. Physical exercise reduces stress, counteracts depression, and pumps up your energy.
Read More
28, Aug, 2013
Maintain Your Sense of Purpose
Today I took a long walk outside in the sunshine. An intensive work schedule and many different projects demanding my energy and attention had begun to put a dent in my enthusiasm and focus. I figured a mid-afternoon hike would help, and it did. But when I arrived back at the office to resume working, I felt a heaviness, a sort of dread, which is weird, considering how much I love my work. I took a moment to check in and observe my thoughts, and captured the bummer thought that caused the bad feeling. It was something like, “You have too many things to do. You’ll never do anything well because you’re stretched too thin.
Read More
26, Dec, 2012
Overcoming Public Speaking Fear: Surefire Techniques
I love speaking and doing standup. I’ve performed in front of audiences of thousands and wowed them, and groups of less than a dozen people, and done just as well. But I didn’t start out that way. I learned by trial and error. And I learned some valuable techniques that I now use in any and every public speaking situation. You can use these tips and probably save yourself some of the growing pains I experienced.
When I started doing standup, I sought the advice of comics I admired. I asked them how to be a better performer. Most comics told me to simply keep getting up on stage.
Read More
Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking: Prepare Your Mind and Find Your Motivation
Experts agree that fear of public speaking is one of the most common, if not the most common, phobias in modern society. This doesn’t surprise me. What does in fact, amaze me, is that millions of people who fear public speaking are required to do it on a regular basis – at work, doing presentations and reports, for example – and they suffer miserably as a result. They endure silently in order to keep their career positions. Many resort to powerpoint, so they can hover in darkness and simply read from the screen, rather than interact with their audience.
Read More
30, Aug, 2012
Badassitude Pep Talk No. 47: Draw Upon Your Inner Strength
You’re strong. You’re tough. You’re brave. Yes, it’s true, or you wouldn’t have made it this far. With every challenge, disappointment, obstacle or difficulty that you face, an opportunity to grow stronger, wiser, better and smarter presents itself. And when you take advantage of that opportunity, and rise to the occasion, reacting to adversity with grace and personal power, you build your inner strength. Your inner strength becomes a reservoir of hope, courage, determination, tenacity, humor, and love that uplifts, motivates and energizes you.