I'd Rather Die

In his book, I’d Rather Die than Give a Speech, Michael M. Klepper tells the story of how he went from “heart failure” to “speeches with heart.” He learned to hurdle what could have been a career handicap and turned it into an asset.

Glossophobia is the fancy name for fear of public speaking and it affects most of us to some degree. Rare is the person who’s immune to any form of nervousness or apprehension at the thought of public speaking and performance. Even famous celebrities deal with it. Many learn to push through their pounding heart, profuse sweating, shaking, and even vomiting. For others, it’s a paralyzing fear they never overcome. Often it begins in childhood.

That’s why we’re so proud of Brad.

At a recent meeting of our Portage Chamber Toastmasters Club, Brad delivered a speech about his greatest fear. As a boy, Brad lived with a stammer which grew worse with nerves. The other kids teased him, and you can imagine how little that helped.

Brad’s an introvert who loves working with numbers. He’s gifted in figuring out investments and how to make money grow. He was a natural candidate to become a financial consultant for other people.

Except for the people part.

Brad admitted he’d always suffered a fear of talking to people, both one-on-one and in groups. Standing in front of a crowd to speak became his most dreaded nightmare. But Brad knew if he was going to prove successful in his career—and in life—he needed to conquer this fear. And the best way to overcome any fear is by doing the thing you fear. Preferably, with people who will cheer you on and help you grow.

Brad enrolled in a twelve-week Dale Carnegie course. The course gave him a new level of confidence and the courage to take the next step. That’s when he joined our club.

Toastmasters is all about giving its members opportunities to speak in a safe, supportive environment. It works! In the brief year we’ve been meeting, I’ve watched people who, at their first meeting, took a pass when called on to say their own name. The next week they were able to stand and introduce themselves. The following week they introduced themselves and answered the question of the day. And so on.

Brad was one of these. The day he commanded the lectern and spoke for six minutes about his journey was not only a triumph for Brad. It was a victory for all of us.

And he didn’t stammer once.

Was it perfect? No speech ever is. And that’s the beauty of it. Even the best speakers have room to improve, and we meet to help one another do exactly that. Brad earned himself the flaming pink flamingo that day, a fun and super-classy award given out at the end of each meeting to honour our “most improved” member.

Your Creator did not intend for you to live in fear (See II Timothy 1:7). He smiles when you conquer your fears and move toward becoming the person he designed you to be. If public speaking is a fear you’d love to conquer—or even if you’d simply like to become more polished in your presentations—I hope you’ll consider joining us at Toastmasters. Regardless where you’re at on your road to better public speaking, you’ll receive helpful evaluations, growth points, and encouragement. You’ll go home having laughed a lot, applauded a lot, and been applauded for. A lot.

Our group is business-focused, which means if your employer or a group to which you belong is a Portage Chamber member, you are welcome to join. We meet every Monday (except holidays) for one fast-paced hour starting at 11:45 a.m. in the board room of Community Futures Heartland – 11 2^nd Street NE in Portage. You’re welcome to bring your lunch.