“Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.” – Rumi

This article reaches you the Sunday before Thanksgiving. So I thought it only appropriate to build on this spirit of Thanksgiving.

Many of us fret over things we do not have instead of taking great joy in the things we do have. I ask you to consciously dispense with the first thought and exercise the second.

This article will explore why we speakers should give thanks for our drive, speaking opportunities, and the courage to speak to others. .

Thanks for Your Drive

Give thanks for your drive to prepare your presentations!

It takes drive to prepare your presentations. You have to establish your three main points and “put flesh on them,” design an opening that captures your audience’s attention, and design a closing that ties it all together while at the same time providing your audience ways to apply what you have said to their personal and professional lives.

When you prepare your presentation, you are creating something that has never been done before. You are taking your and others’ thoughts and synthesizing them into what becomes your presentation. This is not an easy task. Sometimes you may want to quit. However, your drive for what the outcome will be is what keeps you going.

Be thankful for your drive to prepare your presentations!

However, your drive to prepare your presentations do not amount to much if you don’t have the opportunity to speak.

Thanks for Your Speaking Opportunities

Give thanks for your opportunity to speak!

Your speaking to your audiences would never happen if you did not have the opportunity to help others through your presentations.

You certainly have to search for these opportunities through your network and other ways, but the fact is, if the opportunity were not there, you would not be speaking.

When you act on these opportunities, you invoke something called the Corridor Principle. When you act in a positive direction seeking opportunities despite your fear, it is like you are walking down a corridor with doors of opportunity on both sides. These doors open to opportunities that you would never have encountered if you had not initially acted.

Be thankful for your speaking opportunities!

our drive to prepare your presentations and speaking opportunities will not get you far unless you possess the courage to speak.

Thanks for Your Courage

Give thanks for the courage within you to speak!

Jerry Seinfeld once said, “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

It takes courage to speak to your audience. You are putting yourself out there subject to criticism, apathy, and accolade.

Your courage is not your lack of fear. It is you acting despite your fear.

I can honestly say when I acted with courage, a high percentage of the results were positive.

It took courage to invent the wheel in ancient times when everyone was satisfied with dragging everything around. It took courage to invent the automobile when everyone was satisfied with the horse and buggy. And it takes your courage to give your opinions in front of your audience.

Famous innovators like Alexander Graham Bell (telephone), Thomas Edison (incandescent light bulb), and Elon Musk (commercial space travel) were ridiculed, laughed at, and scorned. There is a reason why eagles travel alone.

Be thankful for your courage to speak!

So, give thanks for your drive to prepare your presentations, the opportunities to speak, and the courage that aids you immensely when you speak to your audience.

Be thankful for the speaker you are!

Call to Action

• Don’t give up when you hit a snag in your presentation preparation. Instead, leave your preparation tasks and do another activity. Then, come back to your presentation preparation hours or a day later to a refreshed outlook.

• Tell everyone you meet on what topics you speak. They are your eyes and ears to people that will want you to speak.

• Show courage when you speak. Courage is the one trait upon which all other traits depend.

Frank DiBartolomeo is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and award-winning speaker, presentation and interview skills coach, and Professional Member of the National Speakers Association. He was awarded Toastmasters International’s highest individual award, Distinguished Toastmaster, in 2002 because of his outstanding work in public speaking and leadership.

Frank formed DiBartolomeo Consulting International (DCI), LLC (www.speakleadandsucceed.com) in 2007. The mission of DCI is to help technical professionals to inspire, motivate, and influence their colleagues and other technical professionals through improving their presentation skills, communication, and personal presence. Frank can be reached at frank@speakleadandsucceed.com and (703) 509-4424.

Don’t miss Frank DiBartolomeo’s latest book!

“Speak Well and Prosper: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Better Presentations”

Available now at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com