Introduction

I gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which I must stop and look fear in the face . . . I say to myself, I’ve lived through this and can take the next thing that comes along . . . We must do the things we think we cannot do. ¹

— Eleanor Roosevelt

For many people, public speaking can create anxiety, high stress, and fear. Reading Dr. Susan Jeffers’ Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway helped me overcome my own fears in life and in public speaking. I want to share with you a few of her thoughts regarding fear. As you go through this lesson, you can apply these philosophies to your life in general and to public speaking.

Lesson Objectives

In this lesson, you learn about positive ways to overcome your fears as you:

1. experience fear
2. give up having to be perfect
3. change your expectations
4. learn strategies for coping with your fears
5. learn the power of public speaking