I came across a recent study that ranked the top 10 fears of Americans. Guess what was number one? Nope, not spiders; they were number three. Wrong again: Fear of heights was number two. The number one fear of Americans is public speaking. That’s right, public speaking. Death was number six on the list; six! That means Americans would rather die than have to speak in public.
I personally don’t have a problem with public speaking. I mean, in what other circumstance do people encourage you to imagine others in their underwear? Doctors say the best way to get over a fear is to experience it in a controlled environment. If you’re afraid of snakes, meet with a snake handler and touch a snake. If you have a fear of heights, conquer it by sky diving with an expert. If you have a fear of public speaking, try giving a small memorized statement in front of friends and family. They’ll love you regardless of your performance. While being afraid of snakes or of heights probably won’t affect your job performance, being unable to speak in public might. You can conquer it with some work…and maybe you’ll even one day add public speaking to your list of strengths on your resume.
