Martin contacted the training manager of a large corporation where we deliver Transformative Presentation Skills on-site. He had been put on the waiting list for an upcoming class and was desperate to get in. The way he expressed it in his email so thoroughly tugged at everyone’s heart strings, that we waived the usual maximum and allowed him to be the 11th student.

His upcoming presentation was a big one and had him tied up in knots. It was going to give him great visibility with senior leadership and Martin was petrified of being judged.

Fear of being judged is about the worst thing that can happen to you when you’re about to give a presentation. It means that, in your mind, you’re making the audience MORE causative than you.  Never good. 

Being causative means deciding the effect you want to create and then going ahead and creating it. For example, deciding you want the audience fully engaged, or inspired, or enthusiastic, or committed or ready to give you a lot of money or go into action.

What enables you to become causative, and kills any fear you have, is belief in your own ability.

When Martin first showed up he had no belief in his ability to “Wow!” an audience, especially one composed of senior executives.

As he increased his abilities, his belief in himself vanquished fears. He came out of the workshop certain he could create a tremendous effect on any audience.  Martin was fearless.

We just got an email saying he received two rounds of spontaneous applause DURING his presentation, something only the best presenters experience.  And Martin was flooded with tremendous kudos after. 

Martin’s self-confidence for his next presentation is now through the roof. Bring it on.

This is why I’m such a big fan of personal development. High quality training and learning are the fastest way to generate competence, clarity, certainty, confidence and self-belief. They’re the fastest way to become causative and breath life into the future nested in your dreams.

If I told you how many hours each year I spend studying, learning, drilling, practicing, gaining new knowledge, developing my skills and abilities, you wouldn’t believe it.

My goal has always been to be Jedi. I’ve never wanted to be a bit player in my life. I’ve always wanted to write the script and direct the scene if the outcome affects me. I’m only happy with happy outcomes.

But I’ve never relied on others to create them. It takes great skill to be as happy as I want to be. To be able to handle anything life throws at me, to shape reality, to be the architect of my future, to be valuable, to make a difference.

I love learning and gaining competence with a burning passion.

Every year around early January, I look to see what new skills I need for the new goals I have, and I energetically plan how I’m going to attain them.

I love Martin for busting down the door to get into the class. I love him for facing his fears and doing the work to gain crazy impressive presentation skills in just a couple of days. I love him for pulling it off and getting big bursts of spontaneous applause, not once, but two times, from a really tough audience. I love him for becoming truly causative. I know how tough that was to make happen and I love him for just doing it. Martin now has these skills for the whole rest of his life and that makes me grin.

I’m writing this to encourage you to aggressively pursue whatever it is that will make you ridiculously happy. If it’s not immediately within your reach, it’s just a matter of developing the knowledge and skills you need, and then you can make it happen. There’s nothing you can’t do if you have self-belief and you know how. 

If I can be of any help, just let me know.  If you want to develop the Transformative Presentation Skills that Martin has, then come on over and get them.

With those skills, your journey will be even more spectacular.

Be the cause!