Give a TEDx talk.

“Well… looks like I fucked that up again!” The whole crowd laughed and I continued on and finished strong. As the talk ended and the crowd applauded, I looked to my left at Andrew who was coming on stage and shrugged my shoulders. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I gave it my best shot. I was frustrated. I remember walking backstage and then into the crowd trying to hide my face from embarrassment… but when people saw me they had the opposite reaction and instead thanked me for being raw and authentic. They said it added a powerful element to the talk because they related to me as someone like them on stage instead of some “expert.”

“To deal with the anxiety of speaking in front of 2,000+ people for the first time ever, I went through my visualization exercise regularly. I especially focused on the celebration with friends and family afterward and the feeling of how proud I would be of myself for stepping up and into my comfort zone. The truth is, yes, having the opportunity to give a TEDx talk was an incredible honor and I was passionate to share an important message about problematic gaming. But, for me personally, it was a moment in my life where I was going after something I wanted. I was putting myself out there with a real possibility of failure and, in the worst case, total humiliation in front of thousands of people.”

“Yesterday I gave a TEDx talk in front of about 500 people about the importance of challenging balance in everyday activities. I wrote an important and a well organized talk, with the help of a coach. I practiced and practiced for a very long time. [...] I decided to take my own advice and ask if I could have another chance to deliver my talk. The organizers agreed to re-tape my talk at the end of the event. So that is what I did. I got back on stage for take 2 and spoke all the way through, glancing at my notes twice. But I knew my performance was not the important part, it was my message I needed to get out. While I did not come off as a polished speaker, I did not give up.”