The THUMB Program, which encourages students to adopt a culture of social responsibility has consumed my life for the past 18 months. I conceived it, I wrote it, I perform it, I market it. Still, I have trouble explaining it. It's a little complex and as there are a number of ways to come at it I'm never sure where to start. Over time this will sort itself out but I don't have time. You see this weekend I'm doing my first radio interview about it. Am I nervous? Yes. Worried? No. Why?

So you think you're the only one with an attack of the jitters:

Every week I stand up before hundreds of people and perform. With the safety of a rehearsed script I'm comfortable and the fear of public speaking evaporates. I'm in control when I'm on stage. But I'm not used to speaking off the cuff, so to speak. This is where I feel out of control. This is the core of my attack of the jitters. Part of my problem is that I'm not a naturally chatty person so I just get out of practise speaking. That may seem strange but it's true. I communicate by written word so much that I have to be careful I don't get too rusty on the art of conversation.

So don't think that having spent a lot of performing time automatically means you don't feel the nerves. I know that if I don't face up to this and knock these nerves on the head, next time it'll just be worse. That's the truth. The fear of public speaking CAN be managed.

Being human is ok:

How will I attend to this. Firstly I don't take myself too seriously. If I completely mess up in two days time the truth is my mistake is instantly forgotten. Why? Because I'm not important. There was a time I thought maybe I was but here's the scary reality. As soon as the listener switches off or the audience member walks out of the theatre they are consumed with the really important things in their life: getting the kids to school on time, responding to phone messages, making sure they pick up cream on the way home. Conversely when I get home my wife will smile warmly and my kids will hug me. My small blip will not have affected anyone. I learnt this from British TV magician Paul Daniels. He spoke so inspiringly about the fear of public speaking. If you can track down a copy, maybe on YouTube, it's well worth it.

So don't be afraid. I'm not. Imagine what you would try if you weren't afraid of failing.

My secret weapon against nerves:

This is one of my secret weapons. I know that there are some things I am good at. We all have strengths and weaknesses. By and large we play to these. But the reality is that I'm a beginner at well over 99% of things there are to do on planet earth and beyond. I have no shame in that.

It's ok to be a beginner:.

This saying is the matching bookend to my other mantra - There's no such thing as a dumb question. I'm not that confident at doing this interview. I'll happily tell that on air. In fact I'll play on it a little. Why? Not only will that engender a bit of empathy and rapport with the listeners - it's my experience that audiences like honesty and candor - but the host may gently guide me through the experience. I'm guessing that I'll come out the other end unharmed. If anything I'll be strengthened by the experience and if there is a next time, it'll be a little easier. This is really important if you want to overcome your fear of public speaking.

Another confidence building tip:

Audiences have an amazing amount of goodwill. They want you to succeed and be good. Why? Because they want to be entertained, even it it is mildly. It's an escape for a few minutes where they don't have to take responsibility for any actions. In effect the audience hands itself over to you. They want you to do well as it's in their interest so don't think you have to win an audience over. You don't even have to be funny. Just SMILE a lot and be honest.

Don't forget to smile:

This simple idea packs so much punch. Just keep throwing out those smiles. It disarms people and puts them in a much more receptive mood. What if you are looking into a sea of non smiling faces and this is bringing you down? Simple, only look at the ones who are returning your smile. Present to them. I do this all the time. I tell high school kids to do this when they are presenting orals in front of their class. I tell them to work in groups of three where the two in the audience, on opposite sides of the room, are the ones who will provide the smiles and nods of encouragement. Then they rotate roles.

Believe me, some people just don't want to be there. Don't try to please everyone and ignore those types. One day into the future, if you stick at overcoming the fear of public speaking, you'll get a fully attentive, engaged audience. Work towards that for sure. In meantime, be satisfied that you have hit the mark with some of the audience, even if it's just a few.

Don't try too hard to be a great public speaker:

As a long term goal, that's a great ideal but starting out you just need to be yourself - which is what all good speakers are anyway - and be honest, not afraid to say you are a beginner, and smile like you are happy to be there. Your audience will like you for it and you will appear to have no fear of public speaking.

Now what exactly am I going to say during the interview? How am I going to explain the THUMB program? One word: SMEAC. It's an acronym I learnt when I was a military sniper with the Army. It's really useful but I'll explain that fully in another article.