For some odd reason, whenever I stand atop a mountain, I get the exact same feeling as I do when about to speak publicly. I understand: Is standing atop mountains a usual occurrence? Believe it or not – yes. It is. Snowboarding is my all-time favorite activity. I’ve been to Colorado, Utah, Vermont, and all over Upstate New York because there is nothing more enjoyable to me than riding a new mountain. Contrarily, my all-time least favorite activity is speaking publicly.
What these two things have in common is the following: They both make me nervous. However, only snowboarding rewards me. The beginning of a snowboard run is the beginning a series of amazing rewards for the effort I’m about to put in. However much effort I put in to the run, I get back as a reward in the form of adrenaline. Speaking, on the other hand, penalizes me for the slightest slip-up. I forgot a word? Well now I have to stutter the next few and maybe lose my place a few lines down. Why? Because this tiny error is now stuck in the back of my mind. The idea that this mistake prevented me from giving my best version of that speech tears away at me while trying to continue my speech. What happens if I slip-up riding down a mountain? I put it behind me – literately and figuratively. The sheer joy I know I’ll get from continuing onward overwhelms me and prevents me from even thinking of fear or failure. Mountainside, I understand that I simply did my best and must continue on to the rest of the run.
It is the combination of these two that teaches me to always aim for perfection, as I do in my speeches, yet continue on after error – as I do in snowboarding.
Wow! I really loved our comparison of snowboarding and public speaking. It’s really incredible how you can get the same feeling from your favorite and worst thing to do! I really enjoyed reading your monologue, thanks for sharing!