I want to

I want to tell you a story about my school in old Bombay. We had six houses. Ours was Indira Gandhi house and it was the best house. My brother's house was Akbar house and it was middling. On the very bottom, the very worst house, was Mahatma Gandhi house. Since my house was the best, our house teachers were very strict and had very high standards. They would spend hours deciding how I should pronounce a single word like liberty. I did not get better under the watchful eye and training of the house teachers. I got worse. In 4th standard when I recited Into The Valley of Death I came second last. It is a very stupid poem with values that I could not possibly relate to at that age or even now. I did not pick it, my house teachers picked it for me.

Over the years I took part in most speaking competitions but sounded pretty bad, artificial, and lacking in any real, honest feeling. There was no sign of being Indian either: Abraham Lincoln, Kaiser Wilhelm, etc. were the speeches that were picked for me. I hated it and hated myself for being so bad at speaking in public. 

One day during house period the house teacher of Mahatma Gandhi house sent a peon over to fetch me. She asked me to recite my speech, whatever I was working on then, I think she even let me read it if I wanted to. So I delivered a speech to the worst house in school. The entire classroom looked at me in amazement, like they would never be able to do what I was doing. When I began I surprised myself by speaking exactly like I was really talking to them rather than reciting lines. I enjoyed the experience thoroughly and when I was done I received a wonderful spontaneous round of clapping. The house teacher looked at me kindly and said that I had shown her house that I could be myself and deliver a speech with precision and feeling. I was very happy with the experience and starting thinking about it:

When I spoke under great pressure and high exacting standards I was terrible.

When I spoke under no pressure and no standards or expectations I was a wonderful speaker.

From that moment onwards I was never again afraid of speaking in public. I understood what I needed to do it well. I compiled a list of how I was to approach public speaking.

1. Prepare and present under kindness like for the Mahatma Gandhi house teacher.

2. Talk to the audience, really talk to them for real.

3. Do not talk in a sing song way, do not recite or orate, just talk like you normally do, only a little louder and slower. 

4. Say what you have to say directly and kindly.

5. Prepare your talk by brainstorming yourself, then with others, and only then look for sources.

6. There are no rules for speaking in public.

7. Tell stories from your own life to illustrate a point. 

8. Enjoy your self.

9. Notice things, try them out.

10. Improv the talk, always! 

I still use this list today.