It's My First Time – And I'm Scared

This is my first talk on Insight Timer, and I'm nervous. I've always struggled with public speaking, and even recording this made me uncomfortable. But today's Insight Timer quote from Susan Jeffers inspired me: "You don't have to be fearless. Doing it afraid is brave."

So I'm doing it afraid – and talking about fear itself.

I share a simple idea that's helped me: fear and excitement feel exactly the same in the body. Racing heart, butterflies, dry mouth, adrenaline rush. What changes isn't the physical sensation, but the meaning we give it. The label we apply. When something isn't actually dangerous, we can choose to reframe nervous energy as excitement. And that shift helps us move forward with more confidence and courage.

If you're facing something new, something scary, or something that makes your heart race, maybe this short reflection will help you reframe it too.

Thanks for listening. If you'd like more, please follow me and give my meditations a try.

Transcript

Hello, I'm Kevin Pond and this is the first time I've done one of these talky things on Insight Timer and I'm feeling excited. You could also call what I'm feeling right now anxiety or even fear because these kind of things make me really nervous. Throughout my whole life I've battled with any form of public speaking and this feels a little bit like that even though it's just me talking into my microphone and please don't tell anyone but I don't even like calling people on the phone and that's why I don't usually record things like this. Makes me uncomfortable but today I felt inspired because the quote on Insight Timer today from Susan Jeffers said you don't have to be fearless, Doing it afraid is brave. And I'm like okay okay message for me I shall give one of these things a go and I'm like well what shall I talk about it's my first time doing this that's not very interesting so the logical thing to talk about is fear and how that can feel very similar to excitement. When I'm scared or whether I'm excited my heart races I get a rush of energy you get the dry mouth butterflies in the stomach feeling and that's why something like going on a roller coaster or public speaking can have the same intense symptoms in the body. They can feel very very similar. So what's changing in us is not the body's reaction but it's the meaning that we give to it, The labels we apply and the thoughts we keep replaying in our minds because of it. And at its most basic level am I telling myself something is scary or am I telling myself something is exciting. Obviously if something is actually dangerous then I need to respect my feelings of fear take it seriously and get away from that danger as best I can but if the moment is really about anticipation, A big challenge, Doing something new then I do much better off when I tell myself that what's going on the feelings I'm feeling the energy that's building inside me is excitement and then I can begin to almost use that nervous anticipation to drive me forward to give me more oomph and confidence in what I'm doing. And so I start telling myself that I'm feeling excited this is an exciting thing that I'm doing and I try really hard not to beat myself up for having an overzealous adrenaline response and of course there's other techniques that will help too like some deep breathing maybe some box breathing or any form of mindfulness can really help too. Anyway I just wanted to share that with you my take on fear and excitement same thing I don't always have to label something that makes me nervous as bad as scary I can begin to label it as exciting and an opportunity and that really helps as I do things like this. Thanks for listening and if you want to hear more from me in the future please give me a follow tap the five stars and then I'll make some more things rambling on about stuff that I feel and I think and things I've learned and I've been around a little while so I've learned a few things and I'd be really happy to share them with you and I hope you're having a wonderful day. Why not give one of my meditations a try if you've got a few minutes.

Reviews

That was a top-tier, near-brilliant reframe, Kevin.
Speaking for more than just myself, I’m sure: we absolutely •do• want to hear more of your “ramblings.” Turns out that they’re deeply thoughtful, highly virtuous, extremely well articulated, and they have the additional benefit of coming across as genuine and authentic (as opposed to forced, airy-fairy, overly scripted mishmash, buzzwords, and industry slop).

My advice to you? Thinkers who have had the ostensibly good fortune to say that they have “been around a while,” as they hesitantly hope to offer this or that bit of advice, are being far too modest and self-effacing.

We must own and champion our hard-won wisdom, Kevin. You’ve started down that road, and I’m over here on the other side of the USA clapping like a harbor seal. ☺️

As my dear, departed mum used to quip, “Don’t hide your light under a bushel basket!”

🙏🏼☮️

Not only were you brave, but uou succeeded!! Well done 👏 ✔️ I'm proud of you 😊
I am already following you, and enjoy your calm clarity.