Personal Bucket List: Addressing a large crowd at a stadium

There are people who have issues public speaking. It’s completely understandable. You are the center of attention in a room full of people who are listening (hopefully) to your every word, and when you are addressing your friends, colleagues, or superiors, it can be worse because in your mind, you feel that your every action is being judged, and critiqued.

I get as nervous as the next guy to give a speech in public, but I enjoy it nevertheless. There is something about the act which is really more of a performance. For several minutes, you have an audience, who initially is listening to your every word. You have their attention, and your goal is to captivate them because you have information that you want to convey. At the outset, there’s a small window of opportunity to hook that audience so they’ll tune in to the rest of the message, so it’s important to know the audience, find that hook, and provide a payoff of sorts so that they’ll be captivated throughout every part of your speech.

Like I said, it’s akin to a performance. I’ve had limited experience on stage, but what I’ve learned is that it’s important to leave an impression. Whether it’s a funny line, or a memorable story, people do remember these things, and in order to be successful at this, you must work at it.

It may seem narcissistic, but I don’t think so. For someone who enjoys these things, it’s a great thing to be taken out of your comfort zone. You can find that you’ll be able to achieve things you never expected before, and when you’re giving a speech like this, it can be the ultimate thrill.

I’ve addressed my high school class at graduation, a rally on the steps of the Capital Building in Washington DC, colleagues and friends at college, and public informational meetings. It takes time, but public speaking can produce wonderful results, and allow people the freedom to go places they never would have otherwise.