Public Performance Anxieties?

[Stranger]

Fear of public speaking is the most common fear in the US, and the same is probably true of the rest of the world. I can share one experience that was quite interesting related to that. I had to tell a large group of people about myself in a professional setting. I was anxious and wanted to prepare notes, but as things worked out, had no time to do so. So I focused on the fact that they were all other-selves, just me underneath their individual forms. I also focused on the fact they were only God in their essence, and I know that God loves me. Therefore it didn't matter what they expressed - in truth it was only God looking at me, and I have no need to either impress or fear God because God already knows me better than I know myself. I ended up feeling as if I was speaking to a roomful of close friends. Speaking became very easy, spontaneous and natural, and I got incredibly and unusually positive feedback.

Also: every fear can be conquered by simply doing the thing you're afraid of. It's called "exposure". I know someone who was very shy, but ended up working soliciting donations from strangers on the street. Her confidence increased dramatically in just one summer.