Speak!

I'm not the world's most eager public speaker. I'll do it, but I don't necessarily seek it out. As part of a church event that's happening this weekend, I've been asked to give a presentation. In front of a group. With a microphone. When I was invited to do it over the summer I thought for a few minutes, then said "Yes". Life is boring without challenges!

I've been working up to the main event for a couple of months. Back in September I wrote the first draft of the talk, and presented it to a handful of people. I used their comments to make revisions, and then delivered it to a group of women I know. Again, I got feedback that I used to fine tune my thoughts. I've read over it multiple times since then and tweaked a word or two. This week I printed it out in a large font with double-spaced paragraphs. It will serve as a script, but I'm so familiar with the content by this point that I think I won't have to refer to it much.

In order to boost my confidence on the big day, I've picked out a pair of pants that make me feel good and two different shirts. One is short-sleeved, in case it's warm, and the other is a sweater. I'll bring both and be ready for any eventuality. I'm also putting my most comfortable shoes in the pile of things to take. I'll be standing in front of a podium, and it's hard to feel confident when your feet hurt!

There will be a chance to practice in the room before I give my talk. I'll be able to check out the seating arrangement, the microphone, and the sound system. There will be about 60 people in the audience. Half of them will be friendly faces, so I'll be able to pick them out if I need some reassurance.

After all my practice I'm confident I'll do a good job. I'm hoping to leave all my butterflies HERE, and not take them with me.