Face your fear, and you’ll conquer fear.

I teach classes and seminars covering topics from public speaking to marketing and customer service. Here I speak to my students and clients who are public speakers or at least want to improve their communication skills.

As always there are as many challenges and rewards as there are personalities of students in the class. Every student has grown in at least some ways. My regret is that some students only do the minimum and could certainly stretch themselves further.

For whatever reason, some do not stretch themselves. As long as this is not the way they conduct other things with their lives, this would be OK but sadly I know better. Just as when a person keeps a neat and organized trunk means that they have probably maintained the rest of the vehicle, in the same way, how one conducts school activities is how one conducts their life.

Face your fear, and you’ll conquer fear. It’s this way with public speaking and anything else in life. Once you conquer one fear, another takes it’s place. Have you met someone who you think is a leader, someone who “seems” fearless? It’s only because they have conquered many smaller fears. Conquer fears early in life and get through them faster so you can live in victory.

Public speaking, or at least communicating socially and at work, are soft skills that are sought by employers because when one does them well, employees are so much more productive. Having such soft skills means you’ll have a better chance of landing that position after a great interview and loving the job when you have it. Also, I’m an advocate for working for oneself versus working for a boss (or at least moonlighting so you can eventually get yourself free). Having soft skills when working for yourself may be at least “doubly” important. (Really, when working for another you are still in control as to whether you keep your job, get a raise, or get out so you really are “working for yourself”; it’s just that another signs your paycheck. I know you may disagree and “blame” it on the economy, etc. but deep in your heart and inner being, you know this to be true).

Every day I am reminded of the need for soft skills because so many people around me are looking for a job. (Actually I remind them that they are really looking for what a job gives them which is “money”, etc, which helps open their mind to greater possibilities)! But that’s another topic; for more go to: www.attainmentrules.com).

The soft skills that you’ve hopefully learned in our time together will add dividends in many unexpected ways from today forward. These “skills” have been used since the beginning of time and will continue  to be valuable to the one who takes the time to master them.

For example, not so long ago, only about 60 years ago, Jews used their communication skills to save themselves and their families from the death camps. Even today, here and abroad, people use soft skills to make their lives better in small and big ways. If you are not where you want to be in life, it is up to you, it’s your choice to be where you are today and where you will be tomorrow. Soft skills will get you where you want to go.

Keep learning and honing your skills because you may need them to literally “survive” in the future.

Ter Scott