By Kefilwe Morobane, Founder and Managing Director of Giving Wings
I strive to live a courageous life. This pursuit for courageous living has seen me embark on some bold, adventurous and passion-filled pursuits such as traveling alone for my first trip overseas, leaving my 9 to 5 job to build my business, going back to school to pursue my Masters degree, and most recently sharing a weekly inspirational email with you that I hope you are finding valuable :)
But I will be honest with you, even though I have taken some courageous steps in my life, Fear has never left my side. It has been my constant companion on this journey of life and I don’t think it will ever leave me. Fear’s role is very simple. Its goal is to limit me and tell me what I cannot do.
Public speaking has been identified as one of the greatest fears in the world. Over the years, I have witnessed so many people who are engulfed by the fear of standing in front of an audience. I have seen them limit and diminish the light that is within them all in the name of Fear. Fear that manifests itself into anxiety, stress and more noticeable cues like stuttering, no eye contact, sweaty palms, using filler words such as "um", "ah" and so much more. As a speaker, I can testify that Fear will always be there (it is your companion) when you have to present a speech, pitch your business concept to a potential investor, or go for an interview. The question is how will you manage your Fear?
In this week’s video I will be sharing with you key tips on how to manage your nerves, especially when the fear of public speaking knocks at your door. Click this link to watch.
I leave you with a letter from Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic – Creative Living Beyond Fear, that she has written to Fear and I hope that after reading this letter you will be inspired to write your own letter to Fear.
Dearest Fear
Creativity and I are about to go on a road trip together. I understand you’ll be joining us, because you always do. I acknowledge that you believe you have an important job to do in my life, and that you take your job seriously. Apparently your job is to induce complete panic whenever I’m about to do anything interesting—and, may I say, you are superb at your job. So by all means, keep doing your job, if you feel you must. But I will also be doing my job on this road trip, which is to work hard and stay focused. And Creativity will be doing its job, which is to remain stimulating and inspiring. There’s plenty of room in this vehicle for all of us, so make yourself at home, but understand this: Creativity and I are the only ones who will be making any decisions along the way. You're not allowed to suggest detours. You're not allowed to fiddle with the temperature. Dude, you're not even allowed to touch the radio. But above all else, you are absolutely forbidden to drive.
Have a beautiful day!
Kefilwe Morobane is an award-winning Public Speaker, Communications Specialist and Social Entrepreneur. She is the founder and Managing Director of Giving Wings, a Communication Skills Training Company. Kefilwe holds a B Com Honours degree in Communication Management and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Communication Management from the University of Pretoria. She is passionate about developing effective communicators and has facilitated workshops for a wide range of reputable organisations, equipping professionals with the necessary tools to help them excel in the workplace. Kefilwe has been featured on numerous media platforms namely: 702, SABC News, Power FM, Kaya FM, ETV, DRUM Magazine, SA FM, Tshwane TV and many more.
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