Many people get very nervous before a big meeting or a speech. What do really successful people do to get in a confident, powerful state?
The last three CEOs that I interviewed for my upcoming book all said the same thing about this question, which is when I knew I needed to share it with you all.
To stave off fear, to get grounded, and to calm themselves, they meditate before a big speech. It seems counter intuitive to get silent before making a presentation. They all reported that they always sit down somewhere quiet, usually backstage, close their eyes, get grounded, and take a few minutes to breathe and gather themselves.
So there I was in Las Vegas last Friday, about 30 minutes from going on stage for a keynote for 100 managers from a Fortune 10 company, remembering the CEO advice. I could feel my heart beating in my chest, and I sat down to meditate. But, I had so much nervous energy that I was about to jump out of my skin! So I did a “walking meditation” instead, which turned out to be just the thing. If you are a high energy person, this will work well for you too!
I learned walking meditation from Jack Kornfield at Spirit Rock Meditation Center– and since there was no backstage, right outside the ballroom where the meeting was, I began simply walking back and forth slowly, pacing about 20 steps there and twenty steps back. I set an intention for any extra energy in my body (that wasn’t serving me) to go down through my feet as I walked back and forth. That seemed to help. I breathed as deeply as I could, and that extra oxygen felt good. I also called on my higher purpose by setting an intention to deliver a speech that truly helps people– that gave me an “I can do this!” vibe that expanded me beyond my fear. The speech went super well!
Meditation is a universal “spoke” of my Well-Being Wheel©. My customized Well-Being Wheel© not only restored my well-being, but it is being used as a well-being tool by hundreds of executives and entrepreneurs around the world. See the complete wheel on my website.
Quote I love: “You know there’s baggage in your heart when you keep playing small.” – Brendon Burchard
Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!
