Article June 19, 2000 Issue

Speaking with confidence

By Gay Bryant

One day I was asked to introduce a speaker at an upcoming talk. Because of past experiences, I was confident I could do this assignment well, and set about memorizing and rehearsing what I was going to say. My introduction was fairly brief, and I thought there was nothing to be concerned about. As the time drew closer, however, I became increasingly apprehensive about making the introduction.

On the day of the talk, when I met the speaker, he noticed that I was a little uneasy and asked me if I'd prefer to read the introduction. I felt that would be taking the easy way out. So somewhat proudly, I refused and said that everything would be all right.

Before we went onto the stage, there was time for me to be alone. I couldn't believe how nervous I felt. This seemed like a good time to do something I hadn't done up to that point—pray.

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