Dr. David Burns

often I'm in a bad mood because the audio-video typically doesn't work right, or the audio, and they don't have a technician there to fix it, and I get pissed off. And then I say, and I'm supposed to be Dr. Feelgood, and I'm like, Dr. Feelpissed right now. But then I used to tell myself, well, David, remember that the way you feel just before the talk has nothing to do with how the talk goes.

often I'm in a bad mood because the audio-video typically doesn't work right, or the audio, and they don't have a technician there to fix it, and I get pissed off. And then I say, and I'm supposed to be Dr. Feelgood, and I'm like, Dr. Feelpissed right now. But then I used to tell myself, well, David, remember that the way you feel just before the talk has nothing to do with how the talk goes.

Because I've seen that in the data, and that's very helpful for me. And also I have people evaluate me on a feedback scale every time I do a presentation or a Tuesday group teaching. So I find out what is my rating, and I know what is a C, what's a B, what's an A-, what's an A. And I have them write down what they like the least and what they like the most.

Because I've seen that in the data, and that's very helpful for me. And also I have people evaluate me on a feedback scale every time I do a presentation or a Tuesday group teaching. So I find out what is my rating, and I know what is a C, what's a B, what's an A-, what's an A. And I have them write down what they like the least and what they like the most.

And knowing that I'm going to get that data is very helpful, too, because if there's something that people don't like, it's generally something specific. Not that you suck as a human being, but when you didn't find truth in my question, I felt hurt or something like that. And then you can learn from those specific things. I treated a woman for public speaking anxiety who had...

And knowing that I'm going to get that data is very helpful, too, because if there's something that people don't like, it's generally something specific. Not that you suck as a human being, but when you didn't find truth in my question, I felt hurt or something like that. And then you can learn from those specific things. I treated a woman for public speaking anxiety who had...

She was in a Fortune 500 company, and she had to give some kind of talk, and she was pregnant. And when she got up to give her talk, she passed out.

She was in a Fortune 500 company, and she had to give some kind of talk, and she was pregnant. And when she got up to give her talk, she passed out.

And was very humiliated by that and asked me for some help through the Internet since I'd never met her. But again, she was saying I shouldn't have passed out and this is a terrible and bad thing. that I deserved to feel ashamed of. And she had the fear that, you know, it might happen again.

And was very humiliated by that and asked me for some help through the Internet since I'd never met her. But again, she was saying I shouldn't have passed out and this is a terrible and bad thing. that I deserved to feel ashamed of. And she had the fear that, you know, it might happen again.

And then I guess people had high regard for her regardless and asked her to coach someone in public speaking anxiety in the company. And she asked me, what if this person finds out that I fainted? And I said, well, why don't you tell him and find out what he thinks? And she said, oh, that would be terrible. He'll lose trust in me and blah, blah, blah.

And then I guess people had high regard for her regardless and asked her to coach someone in public speaking anxiety in the company. And she asked me, what if this person finds out that I fainted? And I said, well, why don't you tell him and find out what he thinks? And she said, oh, that would be terrible. He'll lose trust in me and blah, blah, blah.

And I said, well, you don't have to do it, but I would strongly encourage you to do it because it's hiding that creates shame. And once you get it out and open, it might fall into a different perspective. And so she agreed to tell him. And the next week I met with her again just through email exchange. She she was very excited because she told the student of hers. and said, what do you think?

And I said, well, you don't have to do it, but I would strongly encourage you to do it because it's hiding that creates shame. And once you get it out and open, it might fall into a different perspective. And so she agreed to tell him. And the next week I met with her again just through email exchange. She she was very excited because she told the student of hers. and said, what do you think?

And he says, this is by far the best thing you ever said. It's so helpful to me to know that someone as polished as you could faint or feel anxious. And what then she started doing in each of her presentations, I said, now you could tell your audiences, too. You know, you don't have to hide it from anybody.

And he says, this is by far the best thing you ever said. It's so helpful to me to know that someone as polished as you could faint or feel anxious. And what then she started doing in each of her presentations, I said, now you could tell your audiences, too. You know, you don't have to hide it from anybody.

So she started all of her talks as, I just want you folks to know that I often have intense public speaking anxiety, and sometimes I even pass out. And that will probably happen at any moment. But if I do, just splash some cold water on me and slap me around a little bit, and I'll get up and I'll be just fine. And then the audience all laughs.

So she started all of her talks as, I just want you folks to know that I often have intense public speaking anxiety, and sometimes I even pass out. And that will probably happen at any moment. But if I do, just splash some cold water on me and slap me around a little bit, and I'll get up and I'll be just fine. And then the audience all laughs.

And she used that in all of her talks from that day on. And then she contacted me a year or two later, and she'd won an award as the top – public speaker and top public speaking teacher among Fortune 500 companies. It was a very prestigious thing, and it just came about by, like what you were saying, Jason, to accept the anxiety rather than fighting it and thinking you've got to make it go away.

And she used that in all of her talks from that day on. And then she contacted me a year or two later, and she'd won an award as the top – public speaker and top public speaking teacher among Fortune 500 companies. It was a very prestigious thing, and it just came about by, like what you were saying, Jason, to accept the anxiety rather than fighting it and thinking you've got to make it go away.