A small practice for gaining clarity.
Last week I was invited to speak at a local Rotary Club in Solana Beach.
It had been a busy few weeks leading up to the presentation and I had little time to prepare. Fortunately, I had slides from a previous talk I gave at my dad's Rotary Club back in October.
I didn't have much time to review them though, so I planned to speak extemporaneously around the deck.
Good thing was I knew I'd be speaking to the proverbial choir. This particular club is eco-focused, and they wasted no time living up to their reputation.
The club president opened with a short presentation on an upcycling operation that's removing plastic waste from the Tijuana River to be processed into building materials. Fascinating stuff.
When it came my turn to speak, I felt a bit of nerves, though these quickly subsided as I recalled some advice I'd received long ago.
Open your hands
An old friend of mine used to speak professionally for a living.
After quitting college to travel the world and write a book, he came back ready to share his story. He started modestly: high schools, local bookstores, coffee shops. As his work caught steam, so did the invitations. Soon he was booking larger gigs and speaking to crowds of hundreds.
I'd watched him a few times and was struck by how calm he seemed on stage. So I asked him how he did it.
His answer wasn't what I expected.
"Open your hands," he said.
I gave him a confused look.
"Open your hands," he repeated.
I reluctantly did as he asked.
"Now close your eyes and get really quiet. Let all your thoughts float away, like clouds in the sky."
I closed my eyes and my mind went still. As I dropped into a kind of meditative state, he asked, "Can you feel that vibration in your hands?"
To my surprise, I could. A subtle warmth, almost a glow. A sensation I'd never noticed before.
He told me that if I could tap into that feeling before speaking, I'd be able to speak to any number of people without fear. Without worrying about forgetting my lines, or what the audience thought, or whether my message was landing.
It all felt a bit surreal, honestly. Like a scene from a movie, like I was talking to Mr. Miyagi or Bruce Lee.
I wasn't sure I fully understood it in that moment. But something had been revealed to me that day that would later prove enormously useful.
Can you feel that vibration in your hands?
The quiet buzz
When I stepped to the mic last week, I could feel it. That quiet buzz in my hands.
And the clarity it brought helped me find my words.
It just flowed.
I was proud of what I shared that night, and if you're curious you can watch the talk here.
But more than anything, next time you find yourself nervous or buzzing with anticipation about something you care deeply about, try dropping into that subtle sensation in your hands. You may be as surprised as I was to feel how calming and helpful it can be.
✌️