8 Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Part 8
HAVE LOTS OF FUN!
Have you ever consider public speaking to be fun? An activity to indulge in for destressing purposes? Something that you can play around with and reap boundless of joy and happiness?
For most people... hardly! If you recall, public speaking has been ranked as the number one fear, surpassing the fear of death! Who would even associate public speaking with fun??!! However for those who do, they cannot help but be a master at their craft, all thanks to their "play" attitude.
Think about it. If you like a particular activity so much, doing it excessively will not be considered hard work at all right? In fact, you will find every single opportunity to get back to the activity; without any coercion, persuasion or effort! You will be so involved in what you are doing that nothing else around you matters at all. It is as if time went on a standstill...
Unless you enjoy what you are doing, you will never be able to fully maximize your potential. At best, you will just be a good speaker because of all the hard work that you have put in. Imagine if you add the element of fun in it, there is no limit to how good you can be!
So what has fun got to do with being successful in public speaking (or in anything for that matter)?
1. Fun is the best cure against your arch nemesis: Fear
It is like a shiny armour that deflects any worries, doubts and apprehension that you may have. It blesses you with courage to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. It grants you freedom to be creative. It bestows you with immunity against failure. It gives you permission to laugh at yourself. When fun is in the picture, nothing will be too daunting for you.
2. Fun sustains you
When you are having fun, you have essentially open up boundless of pure energy that pushes you towards success. There is no work involved when it comes to honing your public speaking skills. It is part of the fun! Any challenges you faced become part of the game. Instead of mulling over how tough it is, you find yourself inventing new ways to defeat these challenges. In fact the harder the better. Some people call that optimism. To you, it is all part of the game!
3. Fun brings out the best in you
Having fun also allows you to walk the path of least resistance. As such your energies are spent exploring new ground and discovering new things about yourself. You do not care if you succeed or fail. It releases you from the pressure of having to win. What you are more concerned about is that you are enjoying every part of it. As long as you are moving forward with each step that you take, nothing else matters.
Ironically, such attitude creates the most results. Take a look at Dr Richard Feynman. He won a nobel prize out of calculating the relationship between the wobble and the rotation of the plate for fun. His "play" attitude led him to stumble onto quantum electrodynamics! And then there was Einstein, Newton and all other famous scientists.
The same happens when you are on stage too! When you are having fun on stage, it creates instant connection with your audience. Fun is infectious and your audience cannot help but have fun too.
Here's one way you can start having fun with public speaking - Treat it like a game!
Here's what I want you to do for your next speech. Set up some winning criteria i.e. what do you need to do to "win the game". It could come in the form of "My audience will give me a smiley face sticker at the end of my speech" or "I will try something new each time I speak". Pull in a few friends to play the game with you. They could either compete with you or even play judges. And what's a game without rewards? Make sure you plan some enticing rewards for yourself. Invite your friends to pool in some of the prizes too! Increase the stake. And then focus on winning the game! What's there to lose?
Notice the adrenalin rush?
Notice the excitment building up?
Notice that you aren't even concerned about youe fears?
That's what I am talking about. Treat public speaking as a game. Be spontaneous. Be adventurous. Most importantly, have fun with it!
I would recommend that you read Scott's entry on The Secret to Productivity where he shares with you even more practical tips to have fun with what you do!
So the next time you have to give a speech, let your hair out and have fun! Be wild and experiment new things. Even if it flops, you had fun trying it! I shall go against the usual advices that you hear from speech experts. Do NOT take your speech (or yourself) too seriously. Treat it as a game and play your heart out!
"Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play."
Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher (535 - 475 BCE)
Related Posts
8 Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Set yourself up for Success
8 Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Inside-Out
8 Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Lots and Lots of Stage Time
8 Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Speak from the Heart
8 Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Be Coachable
8 Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Attract Mentors to Assist You
8 Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Evaluate All Speakers, Simon Cowell's style!
Have you ever consider public speaking to be fun? An activity to indulge in for destressing purposes? Something that you can play around with and reap boundless of joy and happiness?
For most people... hardly! If you recall, public speaking has been ranked as the number one fear, surpassing the fear of death! Who would even associate public speaking with fun??!! However for those who do, they cannot help but be a master at their craft, all thanks to their "play" attitude.
Think about it. If you like a particular activity so much, doing it excessively will not be considered hard work at all right? In fact, you will find every single opportunity to get back to the activity; without any coercion, persuasion or effort! You will be so involved in what you are doing that nothing else around you matters at all. It is as if time went on a standstill...
Unless you enjoy what you are doing, you will never be able to fully maximize your potential. At best, you will just be a good speaker because of all the hard work that you have put in. Imagine if you add the element of fun in it, there is no limit to how good you can be!
So what has fun got to do with being successful in public speaking (or in anything for that matter)?
1. Fun is the best cure against your arch nemesis: Fear
It is like a shiny armour that deflects any worries, doubts and apprehension that you may have. It blesses you with courage to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. It grants you freedom to be creative. It bestows you with immunity against failure. It gives you permission to laugh at yourself. When fun is in the picture, nothing will be too daunting for you.
2. Fun sustains you
When you are having fun, you have essentially open up boundless of pure energy that pushes you towards success. There is no work involved when it comes to honing your public speaking skills. It is part of the fun! Any challenges you faced become part of the game. Instead of mulling over how tough it is, you find yourself inventing new ways to defeat these challenges. In fact the harder the better. Some people call that optimism. To you, it is all part of the game!
3. Fun brings out the best in you
Having fun also allows you to walk the path of least resistance. As such your energies are spent exploring new ground and discovering new things about yourself. You do not care if you succeed or fail. It releases you from the pressure of having to win. What you are more concerned about is that you are enjoying every part of it. As long as you are moving forward with each step that you take, nothing else matters.
Ironically, such attitude creates the most results. Take a look at Dr Richard Feynman. He won a nobel prize out of calculating the relationship between the wobble and the rotation of the plate for fun. His "play" attitude led him to stumble onto quantum electrodynamics! And then there was Einstein, Newton and all other famous scientists.
The same happens when you are on stage too! When you are having fun on stage, it creates instant connection with your audience. Fun is infectious and your audience cannot help but have fun too.
Here's one way you can start having fun with public speaking - Treat it like a game!
Here's what I want you to do for your next speech. Set up some winning criteria i.e. what do you need to do to "win the game". It could come in the form of "My audience will give me a smiley face sticker at the end of my speech" or "I will try something new each time I speak". Pull in a few friends to play the game with you. They could either compete with you or even play judges. And what's a game without rewards? Make sure you plan some enticing rewards for yourself. Invite your friends to pool in some of the prizes too! Increase the stake. And then focus on winning the game! What's there to lose?
Notice the adrenalin rush?
Notice the excitment building up?
Notice that you aren't even concerned about youe fears?
That's what I am talking about. Treat public speaking as a game. Be spontaneous. Be adventurous. Most importantly, have fun with it!
I would recommend that you read Scott's entry on The Secret to Productivity where he shares with you even more practical tips to have fun with what you do!
So the next time you have to give a speech, let your hair out and have fun! Be wild and experiment new things. Even if it flops, you had fun trying it! I shall go against the usual advices that you hear from speech experts. Do NOT take your speech (or yourself) too seriously. Treat it as a game and play your heart out!
"Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play."
Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher (535 - 475 BCE)
Related Posts
8 Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Set yourself up for Success
8 Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Inside-Out
8 Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Lots and Lots of Stage Time
8 Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Speak from the Heart
8 Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Be Coachable
8 Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Attract Mentors to Assist You
8 Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Evaluate All Speakers, Simon Cowell's style!
posted by Tripp at 12:58 PM
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