My palms were sweaty. My heart was racing so fast it felt like it might outrun me. My throat was dry, and I kept rehearsing and re-rehearsing my opening line, as if saying it one more time would make the fear disappear. That’s what happens to me every time I am asked to speak in front of an audience, large or small. It’s better than it used to be, but the nerves never fully leave. And I know many of you understand that feeling too.
Because, truthfully, it’s rarely the topic that terrifies us. It’s the act of sharing it, of putting a piece of ourselves out there to be seen. Yet each of us carries a story that could inspire someone, comfort someone, or help make this world a little kinder. And stories—real, honest human stories—are what people remember. Scientific jargon and stats without soul rarely moves hearts or minds.
Some might argue that they can stay tucked safely in their cocoon, working quietly in their labs, at their desks, doing meaningful work without ever stepping onto a stage or speaking into a microphone.
But I disagree!
We are living in a fragile moment in history, where faith in science is wavering, where misinformation travels faster than truth, and where public health professionals are too often met with distrust. If there was ever a time to speak up, to show up as humans first and experts second, it is now.
“How do we do that?” you might ask.
We start small. We share evidence-based facts. We gently challenge myths, maybe not at a conference, but at a family dinner, a community gathering, or over coffee with a friend. You don’t need a stage to make an impact; sometimes, a living room is enough.
Many of us already know how to speak. But do we know how to connect? During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health messages were everywhere. But were they effective? History will decide that for us. If history has taught us anything, it is this: people respond to emotion long before they absorb facts. So, speak with your heart, not just your head. Let your words and emotions align.
Because communication, true communication, requires humanity. It requires us to speak in a way that allows others to understand us, relate to us, and trust us.
This question of connection has been on my mind a lot lately. The world feels divided, truth feels negotiable, and distinguishing fact from fabrication is harder than ever. So, when the Emerging World Leaders (EWL) invited Margi Zohn to speak about public speaking, I welcomed the opportunity with open arms.
After an hour-long workshop, something unexpected happened. When I stood up to share my story—how my path was shaped by the people I met, the people I longed to serve but couldn’t reach, and the roads I traveled to find those who felt unreachable—I spoke differently. People later came up to me and said I sounded calm, passionate, authentic.
What had changed? I was the same person who panicked at the thought of speaking. The shift wasn’t in who I was, it was in how I now saw public speaking.
We talked about preparing not just mentally, but physically and emotionally: power poses, deep breathing, grounding your body. And then came perhaps the hardest part—taking charge of your emotions. I have heard that phrase many times through meditation: “Take control of your emotions.” Lovely advice, yet so much easier said than done.
But during the workshop, we did improv exercises. We acted out emotions on command. It sounds simple, but something surprising happened. When you choose an emotion and actively perform it, you begin to realize you can direct your emotions rather than let them direct you. You can tell your brain a new story. Call your anxiety “excitement,” and your body begins to believe you.
We also explored the power of letting your emotions match your words, of slowing down, of pausing long enough for your audience to breathe with you, reflect with you, feel with you. Because the best conversations aren’t one-sided—they happen when the other person has space to think. Public speaking is simply a conversation with many people at once.
Taking control of my emotions while speaking felt liberating.
Will it work like magic for everyone? Maybe not. But I, for one, believe it can work for each one of us in one way of another.
