TJ Walker says stop telling yourself you're bad at public speaking because that self-talk becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. He reframes presenting as friendly conversation you already do well, and recommends projecting enjoyment through your face, hands, and eyes so the audience sees your enthusiasm and you actually start liking it.
Stop telling yourself I don't like public speaking. I'm not good at presentations. I don't like presenting. Don't do that. It's human nature to have a psychological effect on yourself. From what you're saying to yourself, don't psych yourself out before you start. First of all, it might not even be true. Answer this question for me. Do you enjoy sitting around having a conversation with good friends about interesting things? Chances are you do. Well, guess what? That's speaking. So it turns out you actually do like speaking. So stop telling yourself you don't like speaking. Ever. Remember that one teacher, maybe in high school or college, where you could tell they didn't want to be there? They're counting down the days till they get their pension or their retirement? I don't want to be here. Here's the assignment. On the board, their attitude really turned you off. Well, that's what you're doing. If you exude the sense that you don't like public speaking. If you want to be a good public speaker, you have to send out a message to the world with your face, your hands, your eyes, your excitement, your passion that you like speaking, you like presenting. Why? It's an opportunity for you to share interesting ideas you have with other people to help them. If you go into it with that attitude, you won't have to fake it till you make it. You'll actually like public speaking.
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