If you were gifted with some amazing gift, wouldn’t you want to shout about it and share it with the world?
People who have changed history and become the figures we all know and remember are people who not only had talents, but those who knew how to utilise and share these talents.
Let’s say you’re gifted with a beautiful voice. Would you sing to people, or keep it to singing in the shower?
Don’t be Afraid to Speak About Your Gift!
The truth is, many people I’ve met through public speaking, have a gift that they are not shouting about. When I ask the reason, they often say things like, ‘I don’t want to show off.’ Or ‘many people can do this’ (whatever their gift is), or even ‘no-one would be interested’.
How did sharing your talent become ‘showing off’? Sharing your talent isn’t about vanity, it’s about sharing your gifts with the people around you. And actually, if you don’t share your talent you are being selfish.
Think of it this way. There will be times in your life when you have learned things from others. A friend shared an experience / you saw a Whatsapp message or a YouTube video that impacted you / someone at work shared a talent and it inspired you. Those people weren’t ‘showing off’, they were sharing. Even if they were ‘showing off’ it had a positive impact on you, and you benefitted from it.
If they had hidden their talents, how would that have been a benefit to anyone.
How does YOU hiding YOUR gift benefit anyone?
Being taught no to show off, is probably one of the most damaging lessons people learn as children, and actually more women than men are ‘taught’ this message. It becomes a stigma, to the point where people are afraid to even bring up what they believe they’re good at. And because of that, sometimes you may not even be consciously aware that you’re good at something.
Perhaps as a child you thought that you were great at drawing or dancing. You try to show someone, only for them to say, ‘Don’t be such a show-off!’ rather than, ‘That looks really good, you’re so clever’.
How to crush a child’s spirit in one easy lesson:
1. Let the child do something which they enjoy and may or may not be any good at – let’s say painting.
2. Wait till they proudly come to show you.
3. Make fun of their efforts. Or criticise – point out what they did wrong. Or worse, shout at them for messing their clothes/their face/the lounge.
If you’ve ever experienced anything like that, then there is every reason you might feel reticent to ‘show off’. You need to get over yourself, and get over that past trauma. Because there are people out there right now who NEED to hear what you have to share.
So how can you show off effectively, and remove that ‘Why me?’ mentality?
Make Your Presence Known
The key to it all is to think about others rather than yourself. Unless you put yourself out there, how is anyone going to know you can help them? There has never been a better time in history where you can get your talents out there.
An online presence – YouTube videos, Facebook lives, LinkedIn, your own website, are all easy to set up. How else can people meet you? How about real life? Attending events, speaking in other people’s groups, as a guest on a podcast, or just having the confidence to start conversations at a networking event.
And finally, get yourself on stage. Public speaking is the perfect way to deliver your message to tens if not to hundreds of people at once. Be authentic, but also be proud of yourself, have faith in what you want and need to say because if you don’t, no one else will.
If you can promote yourself successfully, you could just be the next person to make a positive impact on the world. Rather than ‘Why me’ – ask a better question – ‘Why Not Me?’
Come Speak With Us!
So how can you start to get yourself out there? Our Strictly Come Speaking event may just be the perfect opportunity for you.
We offer a supportive, collaborative, female-only environment where you’ll not only meet speaking professionals (just like myself – see now I’m showing off!) but also newcomers like you.
You can learn exclusive speaking tips, gain confidence, and meet like-minded people who will support you on your public speaking journey!
Hurry though – tickets are free but spaces are limited! Click here to reserve your spot.
Cheryl xx
PS – If you liked this blog and want to read more blogs surrounding female empowerment, you can find last week’s here: ‘Entertainment or Emotions?‘
“I’m on a global mission to help 10 million disheartened souls, who are at a crossroads, to STOP asking why me? And START saying why not me!”