Chapter 6 Take Every Chance - Practice

The courses that I taught at the Young Christians on 125th Street before World War I no longer exist, and I don't just teach what they were.Every year some new ideas replace those old ideas in the training sessions.But there is one feature that has remained unchanged for a long time, that is, every student in each class must stand up at least once (most of them twice) to speak in front of the classmates.Why do you want to do this kind of training?Because no one can learn to speak in public, no one can learn to speak in public, just as one cannot learn to swim without getting into the water.You can read all the books on public speaking, including this one, and chances are you won't be able to speak.Books are only exhaustive guidelines, and you have to put the advice in them into practice.

When George Bernard Shaw was asked how he learned to speak in public, he replied: "I did it the way I learned to ice-skate—I made a fool of myself until I got used to it. .” As a young man, Bernard Shaw was one of the most timid people in London, often walking outside for 20 minutes or more before finally emboldening himself to knock on someone's door.He admits: "Few people suffer as much from mere cowardice, or as deeply ashamed of it, as I do." Later, he inadvertently used the best, fastest, and surest method to overcome his shyness, timidity, and fear.He is determined to turn his weakness into his strongest asset.He joined a debating society.Whenever there was a meeting for public discussion in London, he attended it.George Bernard Shaw devoted himself to the social movement and traveled widely to speak for it.The result was one of the most confident and accomplished speakers of the first half of the 20th century.

Opportunities to speak are everywhere for each of us, join any organization and volunteer for positions that require you to speak.Stand up in public meetings and make yourself stand out, if only by seconding.During a meeting, never go to the last seat.Try to talk!Give yourself the opportunity to be active in various gatherings.You have only to look around yourself to see that there is no business, social, political, career, or even community activity without moving forward and speaking.You never know how much progress you're going to make unless you talk, and keep talking.