|
I have/had the same problem. I even think I know where it came from. Back when I was 12 years old I was hanging with a bunch of friends and my buddy’s buddy told me to shut up cause I sounded stupid. I just got in the habit of being quite after that, and that is what I believe it is, habit. After high school I joined the Navy, and that didn’t help my problem at all. Told to do this and that, and not ask questions or I felt that I could not stick up for myself when dealing with people that out ranked me. Cause I was so shy, I too was terrified of public speaking. I had no problems when talking in front of a small group of people that I knew, but throw someone in there I didn’t know and I would stumble over my words and sound like a big goof, and the more I messed up the more I didn’t want to do it.
The thing that broke me of this, well I wouldn’t say that I am broke but helped improve the situation 200% was college. At the school that I went to, it seem like we had to give two power point presentations for every class. I was awful, my first year. The butterflies were so bad I thought that I was either going to puke or pass out. Every year it got a little better. By the time I was in my last year, I had no problems at all. Well little problems.
My worked help too, after a while my boss had me attend project meetings. Where I was forced to interact with people on a professional and social level. There is no easy way out. You just have to convince yourself that this is what you are going to do, and keep on practicing, and when you fall flat on your face, you have to pick yourself up and keep on it.
|