Even Famous People Are Fearful of Speaking in Public

After getting into a speech class, I became very excited. My major is Marketing and Communications, so speaking in public plays a huge role into my future career. I have always been somewhat nervous to get in front of a group and speak, whether it be large or small, but this is something I want to overcome. After getting in front of my speech class just a couple of times already, it seems to feel more comfortable each time.

As I was reading my text book, I came across something very interesting. I read that there were even some well known people in the world who were afraid of public speaking. These people include: Abraham Lincoln, Margaret Sanger, and Winston Churchill. Not to mention Oprah Winfrey, Conan O’Brien, and Jay Leno, who claimed they were anxious to speak in public. The one that struck me the most was when I learned that early in Leonardo Dicaprio’s career, he was actually hoping he would not win an award just so he would not have to give an acceptance speech. After reading this, it made me realize that anyone can overcome this fear, no matter who you are. So I am very excited to take more steps in becoming less nervous on giving a speech. Can not wait to see what this class has to offer!!!

Brandi