‘Stage fright’, I am sure we all must be familiar with this word. It’s something that we must have experienced at some or the other juncture in our life. No matter if we consider ourselves as an extrovert, who is beaming with confidence, or an introvert who shies away from the thought of interacting with a large group of people, stage fright is a feeling that both go through. It’s an emotion that can’t be easily explained in words. One begins to experience nervousness, begins to fidget from one end to the other, has a feeling of having butterflies in the stomach, these will be just a few signs that we all would be able to relate to. The degree in which the above-mentioned signs occur vary for each individual. Just let me simply put it as to each its own.
They will be a few who will try to put up a brave front and will muster courage to face the audience and they will be a few who will find ways of escaping from the situation. But no matter what approach we choose, we all know that once we have been assigned a responsibility, all the doors and windows to run from that situation that too at the last minute are ideally closed. We have no option but to face our fears. Now I am not using the word stage fright in its literal sense, that means that you necessarily need not be standing on a ‘raised platform,’ that is a ‘stage’ to sense this emotion. It’s basically coming before an audience who are right there in front of you, eagerly waiting to know that what are you going to bring to the table.
This might be at an event that you are supposed to host or perform at, or an office setup where you are gearing up for your presentation or simply at home, where you are about to present your thoughts before your family and friends. This feeling of apprehension can arrive at any given point of time. But have we ever thought that what is it that causes us to go through this roller coaster of emotions? If you ponder about it, before the big day, you end up having numerous rehearsal sessions all by yourself, wherein you confidently present yourself and convey your thoughts articulately.
You are well prepared with your facts and have all the important points on your fingertips. Then what is that changes on the day when all your practice must turn into reality? It’s not because of a lack of preparation, then what could the reason be? It’s a fear of other’s judgement that makes us lose confidence in our capabilities. We all know that no one is perfect and if we begin to find means of criticizing someone, we will be able to find several flaws. Only if we begin to understand that it’s okay to make mistakes, till the time one is willing to accept them and learn from it. We cannot write off someone as incompetent basis a single mistake.
Why don’t we look at the larger picture and appreciate them for the effort they put in to present their piece of work. If we as an audience begin to listen to others with the intent of encouraging them and not pulling them down, it would instill a sense of trust in the person who is standing before us that he/she is being given a platform to showcase and hone their skills and is not being called upon with the intent of being judged. At the same time, the one who is experiencing the stage fright should also remember that it’s not possible to please everyone.
Different people will have varied opinions on what is considered as an excellent piece of work. You need to have faith in yourself and in the one who entrusted you with this responsibility. You don’t need to live up to anybody’s expectations, except the standards that you set for yourself while undergoing those tiring practice sessions.
You just need to ensure that those efforts and the faith reposed in you by someone do not go in vain. If we all endeavour to bring about a slight change in our attitudes, irrespective of the role that we are playing, I am sure that even if it’s at a snail’s pace, but the word ‘stage fright’ will eventually move out of our dictionary.
Author Information:
In today’s day and age where emotions are fast losing its essence, Shreya Talwar tries to rekindle and emphasize on its significance in our lives. She has two books to her credit ‘The Hidden Gems’ and ‘Weaving Emotions’ which reinforce her thoughts. Her books have received the adulation of its readers, testimony of which is her book ‘The Hidden Gems’ being acclaimed as the number one bestseller on Amazon. All the articles penned down by her are aimed at infusing positivity and inculcating inspiration. Her writing pieces have got the privilege to be featured on prestigious platforms including ‘The Week’ and ‘Mid-Day.’
Every flight of imagination has an inspiration and Shreya’s inspiration is her mother who is not only her mentor, but also her strength. Her Army background acted as an added feather to display an array of her writing skills and deep insight into humanity.
