Fear

I wake with a start.

Where am I?

Through the parting fog of sleep I remember that I am in Istanbul. A hot sun is shining through the window. I am dripping sweat into the sheets.

I want to go back to sleep, but the misery sets in. I want the walk to be over. I wish the plan had been nothing but a dream. I wish that this morning I could shake it off, shower, drive to work at a familiar office, sit at a familiar desk, and click away on a familiar computer emailing familiar people.

I don’t ever want to feel like this again. Never again.

That was one of the last mornings before I started my walk across Turkey.

What does this have to do with your presentations? Fear is not something to be avoided. In fact, it is something to be sought out. It is a sign that you are about to do something that will take you to the next level.

By far, the most common emotion I hear people expressing before a big presentation is fear. My advice to them is this: “Feel the fear, and do it anyway.” When you are done, you will have transformed yourself, and you will be unable to imagine not having done it.

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