Do you get anxious looking at your audience?
“Here’s lookin’ at you, kid” was spoken by Humphrey Bogart to Ingrid Bergman in the classic movie, Casablanca. This line has a rich meaning when you apply it to public speaking and “seeing” your listeners.
Are you wondering how? Let me explain…
People tell me they are afraid to look into the eyes of their listeners when they are presenting to a group.
Perhaps this anxiety of truly seeing people relates to our animal nature and goes back to a time we were trying to survive in a jungle. We had to instantly assess if we were going to be attacked. The eyes of a predator might have been the primary way we could measure the threat…“am I going to be eaten?”
The good news is we have evolved…
The primitive part of our brains may still be firing alarms when we look into the eyes of others. But, now we can identify those fearful thoughts and change them.
“We are powerful beyond measure,” to quote spiritual activist, Marianne Williamson.
So with the power of your evolved brain, note if you’ve ever had these thoughts while speaking and looking at others…“they are judging me, they are bored, they are going to reject me.”
You may “see” others are critical, bored, judging or rejecting what you are saying… but…
…there is another way to look at your listeners, and this approach I’m about to share is a way you can end your fear!
End your fear by learning how to “see” your listener
We now go back to Casablanca and Bogart’s “Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.”
I believe Bogart was looking at Ingrid from a place of love and seeing something wonderful about her, acknowledging her and appreciating her.
Now ask yourself this question, “when I am speaking, who is the one who is looking at people?” Is it the anxious part of you? The scared part of you?
If you’re afraid to look at people,
…you’ll miss seeing their magnificence.
If you have a block about making eye contact,
…you won’t see the Essence of others.
If you’re avoiding looking eye to eye,
…it impedes the effectiveness of your message.
When you are speaking to people, one thing you do for your listener is to “see” them in a deep way. You help them feel valuable.
Here’s How to Connect to Your Listener
If you want to connect and get your message “hand delivered,” you have to engage with your listeners… and relate to them eye to eye.
It is through your eyes where you meet each other at a deeper more essential core level.
Can you reach into your Essence and softly gaze into your audience’s eyes so you can see the Essence of each one of them?
When you meet listeners eye to eye, the impact you have is so much deeper… so much longer lasting.
If you have love in your heart, and you are speaking to another human being… if you love your message and you’re passionate about it…
…just as I am passionate, right here right now, as I write…
…you must be willing to look into and beyond the eyes of your listeners. You must be willing to look into the place where inner beauty resides.
And, there is nothing to be afraid of.
So right now, I would like to acknowledge the brilliance in YOU…
“Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.”
If you want to dissolve anxiety and get comfortable with soft, eye-to-eye connection…
…I’d love to help you.
The first step is to sign up for a free, 30-minute “See Your Listener” Consultation.
I’ll walk you through a simple process to discover exactly what the fear is… so you can immediately be more at ease when you speak… and if it feels like a good fit, I’ll share more about my essential speaking programs with you.
To sign up for your free “See Your Listener” Consultation, click here.