Toastmasters International Tip #1009

Hi there, I'm Angela Oberer and today's good idea comes from Karla. She writes in and says:

I've been diagnosed with social anxiety. Every time I'm in public and have to talk to strangers

I get a panic attack. It started when my company asked me to explain a land proposal deal,

and even though I was prepared, I totally flubbed it up.

I am on Zanax and Paxil but it's so bad now that when the phone rings, I can't even answer it.

I have to listen to the message and then text back my response.

I can't do simple tasks anymore like picking

up my own dry cleaning without getting really stressed out and my heart racing. Please tell

me you have some simple and inexpensive good idea so I can get my life back on track.

Yes I do Karla, let's ask this question first: What is the worst thing that can happen from

your social anxiety? In my opinion it's that your social interaction comes to a grinding

halt. And sadly, that has already happened, so Good news, the worst part is already over.

Now the second thing I would recommend to get your life back on track and to move forward

is to join Toastmasters International. I first discovered Toastmasters in my early

twenties and I was a member for like twelve years. It's an international organization

that helps you overcome the fear of public speaking and it addresses everything from

hand gestures, to eye contact, to vocal variety, to vocalized pauses, things that we say like

um, ugh, things like that. Filler words. It helps you remove those from

your regular conversation. There are prepared speeches, that you prepare in front of a group

of very supportive people that when you are done speaking, instead of judging you, they

clap. They are like: \"Yay! Go Karla\" And you get really excited and encouraged

it's positive feedback. There's also a section called Table Topics. Where somebody will ask

a question, the Table Topics Master, and then they go \"Karla\" and you have to get up and

go answer that question on the fly. Again it's a group of supportive people that

are wanting you to be great. So you sit there, and you give your idea, and then when you

are done, they give you feedback and helpful ways you can improve that, but most of the

time they are clapping: \"Go Karla\". It's very supportive and most sales organizations

encourage their people to join Toastmasters. Most ministers join Toastmasters, Professional

Speakers join Toastmasters and it's great for everything from love, life, business,

dating, whatever. You will use those Toastmaster skills for everything you do for the rest

of your life. So Karla, get out of your shell, and go to

Toastmasters International, cause I promise you this, it will change your life, and it's a good idea.

It's a good idea.

It's a good idea..