It’s fascinating and eye-opening to read the names of leaders and luminaries that have been addled by self doubt and stage fright anxiety, people at the top of their fields with seemingly limitless talent. Here are just a few: Adele, Beyoncé, Mark Twain, Jennifer Lawrence, Laurence Olivier.
It’s easy to walk into a room or onto a stage in a diminished posture, determined you’re not going to do well before you even start. This is the very easy way to go. You set the bar low. People won’t expect greatness and then you won’t let them down.
How do we get out of this mindset? By pretending. How do you get confident? By pretending you’re confident until you’re actually confident.
