I used to shake horribly whenever I had to get in front a group of people. This was a significant problem given that I was on the road to being a teacher.

I love to sing. My voice is not very pretty but I don't care. I've been singing in my car since I was a teenager. One day I was out with my sister and we went to a karaoke bar. We selected one of my favorite car songs that I know by heart and I just forced myself up there. It has done wonders for me! Singing karaoke and then giving a talk was like going through a whole semester of calculus and then only having to pass an algebra exam.

I am no longer afraid of looking silly in front of a group of people. In fact, I have a lot of fun being silly. I learned that the more energetic I am, the more folks appreciate my presentations. As a professor of mine once said, "channel that nervious energy into making your talks more energetic."