As a result of reading Dale Carnegie’s book “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” and then going on to be a Dale Carnegie Inc. advocation coach, thankfully I have had a positive outlook for most of the time in my life.
Or, as the song says and Monty Python sings, “always look on the bright side of life”.
Do what I personally do to help improve difficult situations:
Turn your lemons into lemonade.
Ask yourself what is the worst that can happen, accept the worst and then move on to look at how you can improve on the worst situation.
Example:
Golfers regularly say something like this, and what’s more, they say it out loud.
“Don’t go into the water!”
My suggestion, along with the best golfing coaches and sports psychologists, is to recommend that you visualise and verbalise your ball landing in the middle of the fairway. Which thought is most likely to succeed?
Here is some advice to help you present with increased confidence in 2025:
I hear people give this advice to people who are nervous before speaking to an audience.
“Imagine your audience is naked.”
I know this advice would be of little help in overcoming nervousness, and it will likely be distracting.
I advise speakers to mingle and chat with their audience, rather than nervously go over their talk’s opening lines, which will take your mind off your content and onto the most important participants, your audience.
How to start?
When coaching people to present, my first job is to stop them starting with some form of apology.
“The dog ate my homework!”
“I would have liked more time to prepare” etc.
“I’m not sure why they asked me to give this talk.”
My advice is to create a strong opening line, think HEADLINE.
Then, memorise it and deliver it with confidence and energy.
Example:
Barack Obama spoke to thousands of people in College Green Dublin in 2011. His opening comment was, “Hello, I am Barack O’Bama, and I have come to Ireland to find the missing apostrophe in my name”. This opening made a positive impression.
“I need a script”:
Do not think I must have a script; scripts are for actors.
I hear you cry “but I will forget something”.
So what? Nobody will know but you!
Worry:
Perhaps worry, it’s an Irish trait, as we are generally too hard on ourselves. In the past, our parents and teachers invariably played a part in our lack of a positive outlook. I believe this situation is now improving.
Affirmations to try out:
Act enthusiastic, and you will be enthusiastic.
Fake it till you make it!
My best advice:
STOP delivering speeches, lectures and sermons; those days are gone.
Think conversation; audiences will love you and engage with you when you speak to them in a conversational way.
Action for 2025
Upgrade all your communications.
- People we email, we should phone.
- People we phone, we should meet.
- People we meet for lunch, we should meet for dinner.
By Executive Coach Andrew Keogh of Aristo.ie
