The Roar of a Lion...

Here is my secret technique to overcome stage fright - yeah, the roar of a lion :) 

As a toddler I was afraid of the stage and public speaking and I remember my father used to say, "You are a lion's cub, be bold little boy, never fear anything". My father was a strict man, I always felt that he would suit perfect in the military - discipline, strict, ethics, values, punctuality, etc. So, in one way me and my sister got a military disciplined upbringing. His presence could be felt the moment he walks inside a room and his charming personality, the way he speaks, commands respect.

Well, getting back to our topic, at school I used to have this fear of stage - be it public speaking, singing, dancing, etc. Me and my sister always went to the summer training camps to learn various arts, dance, etc. After finishing my 5th class, I was sent to learn break dance at YMCA(Young Men's Christian Association), Hyderabad. I was quick at learning dance moves but when it came to performance on stage, I had a shiver down my spine and butterflies in stomach. Dad kept saying, "You are a lion, lions are not shy", but stage fright never left me until I left school.

Once out of school, life gave more challenges, it was mandatory to give seminars and presentations at our Engineering college, there was no escape. That was when I came up with this technique, it might sound funny to you but its true and it worked for me:

One fine day when I had to give a seminar and I was called onto the stage - the whole class of around 70 people, all staring at me and the lecturer is standing at one corner, I have a piece of chalk in one hand and the black board duster in another.

I remembered what granny used to tell me, that when a lion roars, the roaring sound could be heard miles far, such powerful would be its roar that the jungle would turn silent. I thought, "Dad must be right, I am a lion, yes, I am really the lion here and all other beings - birds, animals, etc have all assembled here right in front of me, now am gonna address them like a king, they are here to listen to me and I need not fear them as my roar would be so fierce, they would fear and not me".

I started my seminar with that approach in mind. My voice was loud, commanding, authoritative - my legs were firm and still when I stood, no sign of shiver or shake, I was bold and very confident - I looked straight into the eyes of the audience. I roared like a lion and put the point of my seminar very clear.

Would you believe - the seminar was a success, my classmates and friends said they were surprised to see me so confident on the stage and my lecturer said I maintained the eye contact well :) 

So, there you go, that was my technique which helped me overcome the deadliest problem I faced in childhood - stage fright.

And I roar like a lion even today - very bold, authoritative and commanding - owning the stage as if it were my own :) Give me a chance on the stage and I will rule it ;)

Were you shy on stage as a child? How did you overcome it? Please do share your experiences, am interested to know.

Have a great weekend, take care :)