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I was speaking last night with some acquaintances. We didn’t know each other well and someone asked me what I did for a living. Bad choice of question.

I started on about my passion, developing people and really got into it. The topic of public speaking came up and I indicated that one of my favourite activities was teaching public speaking.

Two of the guys said, almost in unison, “That’s something I can’t handle. I really fear it.”

My response was immediate. “You’re not alone. Studies indicate that fear of public speaking is the number one fear.” I then indicated that I knew the origin of the single fear that dogs every would be public speaker and that it could be addressed rapidly.

They looked at me as if I was a liar. I smiled and invited them to my web site. If they were really serious about overcoming their fear, the answer lay there. I don’t know whether they have visited or not. I hope so.

I was discussing the incident with a friend the next day and he asked me how I started public speaking and I began to laugh. He frowned and asked me what was funny. I replied that at no time in my life was I afraid of speaking in front of a group. I then told him my story.

I was in first class at Primary school. I was about six years old. One day my teacher called me up in front of the class. She said that the teacher for the babies had to go home ill and she wanted me to go next door and tell the babies stories. (I must have been a talkative little fellow)

Well, next door I went and stood in front of this group. I still see a picture in my mind of all the little round eyes gazing up at me. For the next two hours I told stories. I have absolutely no recollection of the stories I told.

From that point on for the rest of the year, each Thursday at two in the afternoon I would go to the babies class and tell stories. They called it “Ollie Time.”

Today I sometimes call my workshops Ollie Time. All my life I have loved telling stories. At this point in my life I am writing the fifth draft of a novel (finger crossed)

I don’t know why I was never afraid, but maybe I was just lucky. I did, over the course of my life and after much study establish just what that fear was and how to overcome it.

I still smile as I recall that lucky time that brought about Ollie Time.

Ollie Lind