Do you start sweating at the very idea of delivering a speech? Many people suffer from some form of anxiety, including panic attacks, when asked to stand in front of even a few people.

Studies have shown that many of us are more afraid of public speaking than death!

Unfortunately, there are many occasions where we simply [...]]]>

Do you start sweating at the very idea of delivering a speech? Many people suffer from some form of anxiety, including panic attacks, when asked to stand in front of even a few people.

Studies have shown that many of us are more afraid of public speaking than death!

Unfortunately, there are many occasions where we simply can’t avoid delivering a speech. Whether it’s a business presentation, community event, or just a family gathering, there will always be times when you have to stand up and speak, so you might as well sharpen your speaking skills!

Learning to speak in front of a group is very beneficial. Conquering that fear of public speaking could mean a raise at work, a more prominent role as a community leader, or more fulfilling relationships.

Here are the top five reasons why people fear public speaking:

• Fear of failure

• Self-doubt

• Feeling vulnerable

• Fear of judgment

• Being unprepared

Conquering your fear of speaking in front of a large crowd will certainly take some time and practice, but it’s not impossible!

Follow these tips for becoming a confident public speaker:

1.  Prepare yourself. Prepare a game plan for your presentation. Choose your desired outcome and visualize your successful speech.

2.  Get familiar. Learn everything about the area where you’ll be delivering your presentation. Familiarize yourself with the stage, microphone, staff, the room’s features, seating layout, and more.

3.  Release your nervousness. You should be energized and focused on your presentation when you enter the room – not on how nervous you are. Begin by taking a few deep breaths to rid yourself of your tension.

4.  Get personal. Imagine having a conversation with just one person in your audience. This will allow your presentation to become more personal to your colleagues.

5.  Make eye contact. Always make sure to look the audience in the eye so you can forge a stronger connection with them. Make eye contact with one person at a time – as if you’re speaking directly with them.

6.  Keep moving. Avoid standing behind the podium while giving your presentation. This could lead to the feeling of being disconnected from your audience. Walk around the stage or stand beside the podium when presenting your speech.

7.  Know your audience. Research your audience while preparing for your presentation. This way, you’ll know who’s going to attend so you can better prepare yourself.

8.  Stay positive. Keep a positive attitude when asked questions. If you don’t know an answer to something, don’t try to fake your knowledge. Just say: “I don’t know,” offer to find the answer after the presentation, them move on.

9.  Accept invitations. When you’re invited to speak at an event or meeting, always accept the offer no matter how nervous you feel. Remember: practice makes perfect!

10. Find a coach. Find a coach to help you strengthen your public speaking skills before the big day. This personal guidance will help you gain confidence and blast past your fears.

Becoming an effective public speaker doesn’t have to be stressful. Following these tips, and the advanced strategies in the special report below, will empower you to overcome your fear, while building strong personal skills that can unlock many new opportunities.

Click here to download 5 FREE Advanced Public Speaking Strategies.

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photo credit: Qbikaris

If you responded yes to one or all of these important [...]]]> Want to know how to demand respect? First ask yourself these questions: Do you ever get the feeling that your first name should be Doormat? Do you feel as if people take advantage of you on a daily basis? Are you allowing this to happen?

If you responded yes to one or all of these important questions, it’s obvious that you don’t have the respect of others, but that’s why you’re here to learn!

Respect is something you earn. However, no one deserves to be taken advantage of. Fortunately, it’s possible to change how others treat you!

Implement these simple tips and tricks and you’ll receive the respect you deserve in no time:

1.  Put yourself first. An example of this would be telling your friend that you cannot babysit her 4-year old so she can get her nails done because you’re busy with your own personal appointments and schedule.

• You have to make yourself a priority. If people see that you respect yourself, then you’ll ultimately be respected, too.

2.  Use strong body language. When speaking face to face with others, portray the fact that you’re strong and important. Stand straight, look people in the eye, and speak forcefully but not overwhelmingly so.

• If your body language shouts, “I am important and I respect myself,” you’ll surely gain the respect of others.

• Those people who stare at the floor when speaking, avoid eye contact, and whisper their words are telling others that they don’t believe they deserve respect and attention. Always remember to stand tall and proud; you’re important and you deserve to be recognized!

3.  Speak positively. In addition to having strong body language, the words you use to express yourself are also extremely important when trying to earn the respect of others. Learn to speak in positively and authoritatively. Don’t be boastful, but don’t demean or belittle yourself either.

• Leave the impression that you’re intelligent, well spoken and confident. If you portray yourself in this manner others will treat you the same way.

4.  Surround yourself with the right people. Let’s face it: there are people in this world who are disrespectful to everyone and everything. No matter what you do to command respect, nothing may work!

• You may need to take some time and rethink those you’re spending time with. They may not be the kind of people who have your best interests at heart.

5.  Stand up for yourself. If people are disrespectful to you, how do you respond? Do you say something to the offending person or do you just go on with life? People treat us in the way we allow ourselves to be treated.

• If you confront the person and voice your opinion and unhappiness, chances are good that person won’t treat you that same way in the future. It’s not about being confrontational, but a simple “I don’t appreciate how you’re speaking to me” can go a long way.

We all have a desire and need to be respected. By making some small changes, you’ll be able to open yourself up to express respect, while knowing how to demand respect of others more naturally. Use these techniques in all interactions every day to gain the respect you deserve.

You may have gone through some rough times in your life making it difficult to be the happy person you want to be. Maybe you even [...]]]> If you’re looking to lead a happier life, believing in yourself is an absolute necessity. If you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect others to believe in you?

You may have gone through some rough times in your life making it difficult to be the happy person you want to be. Maybe you even suffer from a lack of self-confidence because of past conflicts and pains. No matter what you’ve been through, you can choose to overcome these obstacles.

It’s time to be your own Number 1 fan and there’s no better time to start than right now!

1.   Gain more confidence in yourself by facing your fears.

Fear of failure may have caused you to ignore your dreams, desires or goals. Don’t let fear stop you from getting what you want and achieving your goals. If Thomas Edison had been afraid of failure, we wouldn’t have the luxury of indoor lighting today. He never gave up trying to find the right way to make a light bulb and he experienced over 10,000 ways of how not to make a light bulb. Just because you don’t reach your goals or dreams the first time, don’t give up. Keep trying until you succeed.

Fear of being alone may stop you from going away to school or moving to a new city where you can pursue your dreams. Realize that you will make new friends and that you’re current friends will always be there. Now with the Internet, staying in touch with your friends and family is easier and more convenient than ever.

Once you begin facing your fears, you’ll discover that what you feared may not be such a big deal after all. But, you’ll never know until you start.

2.   Self-talk can also determine whether you believe in yourself or not.

Do you often say negative things like, “I’m an idiot,” or “That was a dumb thing to do,” or “I’m ugly?” How you perceive yourself comes out in what you say. However, what you say to yourself can also change how you see yourself.

Start speaking positively to yourself, about yourself. When you’re getting ready for the day, while looking in the mirror, point out positive characteristics about yourself and say them out loud. Phrases such as:

“I am an attractive person.”

“I am a good parent.”

“I am a hard worker.”

“I love myself.”

“I like how I look in these clothes.”

“I am brilliant.”

Even if you don’t believe it, say it! You’ll soon realize these things really are true. You can also post positive quotes or scriptures where you would see them several times a day to keep your spirits high.

3.   Insecurity can be a source of disbelief.

Learning to be more secure in certain areas of your life will help you believe in yourself more, plus others will begin to believe in you as well.

4.  There may be certain areas in your life that you feel you need to work on, so work on them!

• Are you bad at financial management? Take a class to help you learn how to budget so you can be in control of your money, instead of your money controlling you.

• Are you a slow reader? Take a speed-reading class or get a tutor to help you build speed.

• Do you find it challenging to speak in public? Take a public speaking course or become an intern for an organization where you must speak in public.

• Is your weight stopping you from believing yourself? First of all, remember that today’s society has a skewed view of beauty. Don’t allow the media to determine your worth! However, if your weight is at an unhealthy level, learn how to eat healthy and get regular exercise to take some weight off.

No matter what’s stopping you from believing in yourself, there’s a way to overcome it. You’ll first need to figure out what’s causing your self-doubt. Is it fear, insecurity, mental attitudes, or something else? Only then can you face the obstacle and overcome it.

Those of us who aren’t as confident as others tend to play the blame game with ourselves even more. So, what are some things you can do to not only make it through [...]]]> It’s hard enough to increase your self esteem in regular times, but overcoming low self esteem in tough times is even more stressful.

Those of us who aren’t as confident as others tend to play the blame game with ourselves even more. So, what are some things you can do to not only make it through difficult times, but thrive with confidence afterward?

Here are a 3 things you can do to boost your self-esteem during tough times and beyond.

1. Look at the Good in Your Life

It doesn’t matter who you are, everyone goes through tough times at some point. The thing to keep in mind here is that dwelling on negative stuff doesn’t do you any good. If anything, it makes you feel worse, and lowers your self esteem.

Instead, look at the things that you appreciate and enjoy having in your life. Whether it’s an experience, a place, a person, or whatever. Focusing on the things you enjoy makes you feel better. And that’s the first step to getting through a tough time.

2. Relax

Sometimes, we can get so busy trying to make things happen, that we forget about taking time to relax, or de-stress. Probably the best time to just calm down and relax, is when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Go read a book, watch a movie, soak in the tub, take a walk in the park, or even spend time with close friends. Just take time to do something you enjoy doing on a consistent basis.

3. Believe Things Will Get Better

As I mentioned earlier, continuing to focus on the negative, when things are going bad doesn’t serve you. It makes you feel worse. On the other hand, when you know things will get better you’re more relaxed, and your outlook about things becomes more positive.

Hopefully, you’ve picked up the theme I’ve embedded in this article.

When you look at the good in your life, take time to relax, and believe things will get better, you feel better. You feel better not only about the situations around you, but you feel better about YOU. The better you feel, the easier overcoming low self-esteem in difficult times becomes.