LET YOURSELF SHINE!

I still suffer terribly from stage fright. I get sick with fear. Not every night, but at the beginning and on occasion - not necessarily when I'm expecting it. You just have to cope with it - take it on the chin and work through it, trying to use the adrenalin to perform. Helen Mirren 
Have you ever worried about something you were about to do and you were unsure if you could do it or not? You diligently prepared for doing it, and yet you truly wondered whether you could do it or not? In my high school years I've had a few of those. I was always interested in theatre and in speaking, but I loved theatre the most. I think it was because the words were written for me, and all I had to do was memorize them. Also, the stage lights shined in my eyes and I couldn't see the audience. Public speaking was harder for me. I always felt nervous on the inside of me. I felt I paused too often, and I had to have eye-contact with the audience. It wasn't until I was in a college speech class where the teacher video-taped all of our speeches, that I realized that nobody could see my nervousness, and that the pauses actually were in just the right places. I came to realize that the fear I felt before speaking gave me the energy to super-charge my speech.

It was a great lesson for me for my future endeavors. I was a teacher for twenty-seven years, and went on to be a minister in my retirement years. I wonder how many people keep from doing something out of the fear of doing it? Unless you step out with confidence, you will never know whether you can accomplish it or not. So, be brave and let yourself shine!

Eleanor Roosevelt: “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” Another: “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”

Isn't it interesting, being frightened about speaking in front of a crowd very often isn't actually noticed by an audience. That very energy may just be the very thing that allows you to shine!

Love and Light,

Rev Sandy Smith


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
THE RAINBOW DESPITE THE RAIN  "You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them."   --Maya Angelou Sometimes life can feel like it is weighing you down; problems arise and you can feel like you may never overcome them: bills to pay, the loss of a job or a home, an illness or a death in your family. What am I to do? Where am I to go? --may cross your mind. This is not he time to shelter in place, to sit in fear. Call friends or family for suggestions of who to contact for help. If you need help with anything, you can always google, "I need help with,____________", fill in the blank. Ask a local church or religious center for ideas about where help can be found. As May Angelou said, "You can decide not to be reduced by the events you cannot control." A friend of mine recently needed to find a place to stay. She went to the local Mission to find help. The process took some time, and it was not easy to go thro...
Read more
Image
WHICH WITCH IS WHICH We are counting down the days to the next Halloween. What a fun time to dress up and step into the wonderful world of Imagination! Can you remember what your very first Halloween costume was? My mother wrapped me in a sheet, put a crown on my head and handed me a flashlight. She told me I was the Statue of Liberty. Through the years I have donned many costumes but I think my favorite ones were a boy scout, and when my husband and I dressed up like two peas in a pod. Being a high school drama teacher for about thirty years also helped me create so many memorable moments. Imagination is such a wonderful tool. Keeping it as we go through the years is such an amazing gift, and I think it really does make our wits grow sharper. So share the magic this Halloween, and may your treats be many, and your tricks be few. "Let your words include the positive self-talk that reaps a glorious Spiritual harvest! Sandra Lindsey Smith,              ...
Read more
Image
 HERE'S TO EVOLVING WITH THE TIMES "Human beings are not our enemy. Our enemy is not the other person. Our enemy is the violence, ignorance and injustice in us and the other person. When we are armed with compassion and understanding, we fight not against other people, but against the tendency to invade, to dominate, and to exploit."               --Tich Nhat Hahn I am in my early seventies, and I am certainly the one who struggles with technology, but still I try. For me, I have agonized over each new phone that I change to, after I finally have mastered the old phone. But, life goes on and we have the ability to change with the changes that occur in our every day life. Have you ever struggled with this, or are you the brave and curious person who welcomes new technology? To me, I think new technology is something that moves life forward. It's a little bit like embracing the newness that comes with Spiritual evolution. Many faiths struggle to k...
Read more