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Confidence and Stage Fright
by
Wayne Lee
Many performers, or should
I say all performers, have experienced some sort of jitters before the
show. But there is only one way to get over the jitters… perform a lot of
shows. In order to get good, you need to practice, practice, and practice.
If your goal is to perform publicly you must also start performing. Many
performers tell themselves that they are not ready. The number one thing
that stops people from starting is FEAR (Fierce Emotion And Reason to stop
or go).
If you do not start now,
you may never grow. If you love performing, it is good to adopt a
philosophy that there are no failures, just results and feedback. You can
always learn by your results to get better and improve everyday. Just
remember that an expert performer was once a beginner. All of these experts
have made many mistakes, but they learned by them and never gave up.
Four things you can do to
feel confident before your shows:
·
Take a deep breath - acting as if what you are
breathing is pure confidence. Imagine a concentrated burst of energy
·
Say an affirmation or statement that triggers a
feeling of certainty. (For example: I am calm, confident, and have a
cheerful state of mind. I am powerful, passionate and persuasive.)
·
Imagine a time when you felt confident as well as
exited and motivated. When you use all of your senses, it makes the feeling
more intense by amplifying the picture in your mind. When you feel it, say
a word like “Energy” or “Magic.” Once this association is made, repeat it
often and it will become a habit of feeling great and confident before a
show.
·
Know that you love what you do and you are going to
sense your audience as best as you can, and every day you will get better.
Journal each show and videotape each show (if you can) so you can reflect on
what you can do better. Focus on how well you want to perform and on the
results of performing well, as opposed to focusing on your fears. Remember,
you will get what you focus in on.
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