Why your public speaking fears are like dragons (& what to do about them)

Okay, I'm going to get a little Game of Thrones on you. (But don't worry...no Red 🔪Weddings here.)

Stepping up in the spotlight is tough work. Tackling stage fright is physically and emotionally draining. And (more often than not)...it means getting unstuck in our heads.

And that means dealing with our inner dragons. 🐉

What are our “dragons”?

When I talk about “dragons”, I mean those nasty, vicious voices we have in our head (also known as your “inner critic”).

These voices remind me of screechy, fire-breathing 🔥 dragons...flapping around full of entitlement and bad charcoal breath. And yes, I know comparing stage fright (which is grown-up and serious AHEM) to some fantasy creature from a children’s book or a TV show is ridiculous.

Because our jobs are serious business. 

Right?

But there’s a strategy here, I promise.

Why “dragons”?

When I use colourful metaphors (like grumpy dragons), I’m doing it deliberately.

With public speaking, everything tends to feel very serious. We tense up, raise the stakes, and get overwhelmed. And we become so concerned with what other people think about our work that we lose our ability to show up at all.

And this is exactly when we need a new perspective. 

Like an irreverent dragon or two.

My goal? I’m here to turn our brains inside out, question old patterns of thinking...and help us all lighten up a little.

So when I call my inner critics “grumpy dragons”, I can feel the pressure lifting.

My shoulders unlock. 

I relax. 

And I smile, because suddenly instead of feeling crappy, I’m picturing these grumpy, fussy dragons hanging out in some corner of a medieval castle in my brain. 

And when I relax, I feel less scared and victimized. 

Yes, folks, this is STRATEGIC.

Dosing our brains with unexpected ideas (like a grumpy dragon or two) can be the trigger we need to get our mojo and motivation cranking again.

Get your dragons on a leash

If we push our thinking a little more, we can acknowledge that my grumpy inner dragons are simply trying to protect us.

Outside of our comfort zone? Taking a risk?

Suddenly the dragons get outraged, and kick up a major fuss, growling and yapping like guard dogs. So, if our inner dragons are guarding us...can we get them on a leash?

If we could leash our inner dragons, maybe they’d quiet down a little, and stop getting in the way. Turns out, leashing our inner dragons is all about getting leverage. And leverage means understanding the dragons' role with a sprinkling of detachment.

Put your dragons on duty

If we know our “inner dragons” are on duty, we’ll expect a little noise and bluster whenever we stretch outside our comfort zone. They’ll kick up a fuss. And we’ll know that a sudden wave of nerves and worry in our minds can be a signal we’re ON THE RIGHT PATH.

We are stretching and challenging ourselves! And that's a good thing.

This is detachment and clarity, folks. We’re aware of how our brain is operating behind the scenes. 

And presto! Time to leash those inner dragons and keep them under control. 

Sure, they'll still kick up a fuss, but we know how to deal with them. 

See how liberating this is? For the first time, WE'RE THE ALPHA in this relationship. 

Don't know if we can pet them (they're pretty ornery), but at least we can get them settled chewing on a bone in the corner.  And that's a huge win for us. 

We've tamed our inner dragons.

Just call me Khaleesi.