【推荐3】Do you have a fear (恐惧) of public speaking? Do you ever get nervous when speaking in front of a group of people?

I remember I used to be deathly afraid of public speaking. My legs would get weak as I made my way in front of the audience. My mouth would tremble (发抖) as I would begin to say the first few words. I would avoid eye contact (避免眼神接触) unless I find someone with a smiling face, there is a way to overcome a fear of public speaking.

Understand the cause of the fear

Find out why it’s a fear in the first place. The main reason is the fear of being embarrassed (窘迫的). Most of you are afraid of being laughed at, doing anything foolish or having the audience judge (判断) you. When there are other people who might judge you or think badly of you, this causes you to get nervous.

Change your mindset (心态)

Try not to think about yourself and what the audience might think of you. Instead, think about the audience and how you can best deliver (传递) your message across. Then, you will be able to get over this fear.

Practice

It’s best to practice in front of a supporting (支持的) group of people. This will not only make public speaking easier but also help you gain confidence. The more you practice it, the easier it will get.

The way I was able to get over my fear of speaking came in two periods (时期). The first period was in high school. I entered the speech class, and all I wanted was to get passed. I didn’t care about winning. Even when I forgot what to say, I didn’t get nervous. The next period was during my job as a trainer. My job was to motivate (激励) people. So gradually, my focus went from thinking about myself to not caring about that, and finally to thinking about my audience. In the two periods, my mindset changed from the mindset of fear to the mindset of power.

So overcoming a fear of public speaking comes down to having the right mindset and practice.

For comic book lovers or anyone who enjoys free things, the first Saturday of May every year is an important holiday.     1     It has been celebrated since 2002.

It is very popular with people. On this day, people who visit participating (参与活动) comic bookshops can get comics without paying any money.

    2     After seeing the success of the ice-cream company Ben&Jerry’s Free Cone Day, he came up with the ideas. He thought if was a good way to attract new readers. Since then, the event has continued to grow and change, but the main parts have remained the same. The comic book shops choose copies of comic and then give them away to the people who visit their shops.

    3     Some have changed the event into a small gathering (集合), offering tables to artists to sell their works. Many shops even have used the holiday as a chance to raise money for those in need.     4    

Today, more than 2000 shops across over 30 countries celebrate the holiday and bring so many smiles to faces.     5