🦋 Everybody is nervous before they go on stage. 🦋
“There are two types of speakers: Those who get nervous and those who are liars.” – Mark Twain
If a speaker is not ever so slightly anxious before they start to speak, then they probably aren’t going to be that great to listen to.
Good speakers love the adrenaline. I think any performer does.
Adrenaline puts the body into peak awareness and alertness. The mind is at its sharpest. Their practice and preparation have made them ready to present and with the adrenaline flowing they are ready to ramp up the energy.
I’ve spent time backstage with some of the greatest conference speakers in the nation, and I can assure you that they all showed a fidgety sense of being on edge.
I’ve been in back rooms with professional competitors at speech events and they each had a routine to get themselves amped and at the same time controlled. Such a balance to strike.
I read a great quote about this recently(from Gary Wise) about being asked how he got rid of the butterflies before he went on stage. Gary replied:
“They never go away…you just get them to fly in formation. Without butterflies you’d be boring.”