How to Conquer Pre-Performance Nerves As a pianist in my younger days, I experienced debilitating stage fright. Even the idea of playing in front of friends and family terrified me. I usually managed to get through the performance, but would often end up crying...
To Recover from Embarrassing Moments, Practice These Three Things One time, during a presentation, I asked an audience member a question. Instead of getting the type of answer I expected, I got one that left me feeling flustered and embarrassed. I wished I could crawl...
3 Ways to Overcome Performance Anxiety You present yourself to others all the time. Every day, you say hello, answer questions, and tell stories. Most of the time, you do this without batting an eye. “Good morning. How is your day going? Can you believe this...
I TOTALLY SCREWED UP! A few years ago, a colleague and I gave a “Lunch & Learn” presentation on nonverbal communication skills for W.I.F.S. here in Portland. We wanted to make it entertaining and engaging, so we (and by “we,” I mean “I”) thought it would be...
The California Stop When you see a Stop sign, what do you do? Stop? Really? One day, I came to a four-way stop in my local shopping center parking lot as I cruised toward Target, the first of about forty-seven stops on a busy errand-running day. The van ahead...