Radio Fame.

Last week, I had the opportunity of a lifetime.  Ok, maybe not "of a lifetime" but it was still kind of exciting.  A local radio station broadcasted their live morning show out of the Inn my parents own and that I work at.  I had to get there quite early to let them in, but it was fascinating watching them set up and hearing the behind-the-scenes of what it takes to put on a radio show.

I hadn't realized it until the day before, but I ended up being one of their "locals celebrities" to be interviewed on their morning show.  I'm pretty sure it was just because they couldn't find anyone else crazy enough to agree to the 6:15am time slot, and since I was already going to be there, I was the obvious fit.

I agreed to participate and ended up having a great time!  When it comes to public speaking (apparently including the radio), I always pray that "Free-Spirited Leslie" shows up.  See, there are two versions of me.  'Insecure/Awkward Leslie' and 'Free-Spirited/Fun Leslie'.  Fortunately, with all of the public speaking we've been doing the last six months, I'm getting a pretty good grasp on how to channel Free-Spirted Leslie.  I think it comes from several factors:

1. Learning not to take myself to seriously and understanding that I'm not that big of a deal. Very few people will remember anything I have to say anyway (especially at 6:15 in the morning).

2. Remembering past success and experiences to draw from.

3. PROPER PREPARATION. This one is huge. If I know exactly what I'm talking about, why I'm sharing about it, and why someone else might want to know what I know, I am significantly more confident.

4. Getting more comfortable with who I am.  I deliberately fight to not allow anyone else to make me feel insecure.  When I sense it happening, I will literally say inwardly to myself and the person/situation that is trying to make me feel insecure, "No! You do not get to have my security!"

5. Learning to enjoy getting out of my comfort zone.  My heart starts beating faster and my adrenaline rushes a little bit and there is a rush in the challenge of trying to do a good job at a task I'm uncomfortable with.

Anyway, those are five of my tricks for confident public speaking.  The morning show was a really simple, fun experience and I was only on for a few minutes so it really wasn't even that big of a deal.  It was great being able to talk about the Inn and the story behind it.  It was a privilege to get to brag about my parents and all of the hard work they put into rescuing a condemned historical building and turning into a business that compliments the entire community.  

To cap off a successful morning, Santa dropped in as the last 'Celebrity'!  It was quite the exciting start to a long day of work!

  I have spent so much time out of my comfort zone this year that it's becoming a place I'm learning to really enjoy!  How often do you get out of your comfort zone?  Is it something you search for or run from?