MY FEAR FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING

We’ve been keeping it gangsters
In the name of Jehovah
We no dey tire
All night we lift him higher

 

My first public presentation was to a group of hostelites. Benjamin, Akinola and I were in a rap group and that was our first song together. the trio of us melted perfectly like butter on hot bread and belted the song like our tuition fees depended on it. Our little presentation had everyone in the hostel talking and some seniors made us sing for them privately.

I am extremely shy, a lot of people find this hard to believe because of impressions I have made on first meetings, trust me, I wrote out a script in my head before the first hello. I am the type of guy that avoids people gazing at me until I am comfortable, the good part is that I get comfortable with people easily which is why most of my friends will never in a million years agree that I am coy.  As I evolved over the years, I understood that being shy was not something to be proud of.

Sometimes last month I was nominated by my boss to train a group of technicians on my job work flow and processes, the training was later postponed but it got me thinking about how a shy boy from Osun state does not have a problem talking publicly.

Why was this even something to write about?

During my internship in 2011, I worked with Gold FM in Ilesha, Osun state and I like to think I was a vital part of the news room, I actually sourced for news and did special reports, the journalist fire in me then was unquenchable. Someone from the programmes department announced an audition for a radio drama and I was urged to participate. They had us read stories out of newspapers and passed judgements, I was a bit nervous while reading and the judgement passed afterwards are words that I will forever remember.

The head of programmes said, in his exact words “young man, don’t ever speak into a mic again, you sound horrible” I didn’t get the role, surprise!!!

After University, I teamed up with some of my friends, Megamind, Akin(Papa), Omolola and we delivered lectures to different secondary schools on public speaking, I was one of the speakers. I also granted interviews to media outlets following an intervention carried out for retirees in Osogbo under the auspices of an NGO. This gave me the confidence shattered by Mr Adedamola.

I quickly learnt that in life you have to be your own fan, your number one cheerleader and that validation and judgement from people is only what they know about you at a given time and not what you are. People have bad days, nervy moments, people get confused all of a sudden, that should not define you.