Lesson 7
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    On Stage

    Preparation.
    Relax your whole body as completely as you can, beginning with the top
    of your head, your forehead, face, throat, chest, abdomen, legs, and
    feet. Count slowly from ten to zero, while mentally tracing the
    progress of your relaxation.

    The Exercise.
    Now you are completely relaxed, from the top of your head to the very
    tips of your toes. Imagine yourself standing on stage in a theatre
    auditorium behind closed curtains, just before the start of your talk.
    The house lights are dimmed, and the noise in the audience quiets to an
    expectant hush. In your mind, count silently from one to three. When
    you have reached three, the curtain will open, and you will see
    yourself on stage, standing behind a lectern, dressed as you plan to be
    on the actual occasion. Behind you there is a screen, for the visual
    material you are planning to use to illustrate your talk.

    Now focus on yourself on the stage. See your self-confident poise --
    just the right combination of formality and relaxation. A glass of
    water stands within reach of your left hand. The microphone is directly
    in front of you, and you welcome it as an extension of yourself, an
    added means of reaching out to your audience.

    The manuscript with your speech rests on the lectern before you, but it
    is really no more than a prop. You see the pages with photographic
    recall, knowing exactly at which point each page ends and the next one
    begins. As you speak, you turn the pages at the appropriate moments,
    but it is not really necessary, because you see the manuscript clearly
    enough in your mind's eye to "read" it off.

    You do this while you look straight out at your audience, at the many
    upturned faces reflecting friendliness, interest and close attention.

    Once in a while you pause to take a sip of water, using the brief
    silence as a change of pace. Your voice needs neither rest nor
    lubrication. You can hear how effective it is. It is perfectly clear,
    perfectly modulated, expressing your thoughts without any strain. You
    speak as if you were addressing some close friends in the familiarity
    of your own living room. There is no need for greater volume. The
    microphone does the extra work for you, carrying your words to the
    farthest corners of the auditorium, to all these people who think well
    enough of you to devote an evening of their time to you, who have come
    to hear what you have to say and to be stimulated by you.

    And you know you are fulfilling your part of your contract with the
    audience. You know that you are doing your job well. You feel
    completely at ease, completely in tune with your environment.

    NOTE:
    Repeat this sequence at least once a day for a week or so and, as
    always, strive for the most vivid visualization you are capable of.
    When the real occasion is at hand, it will lost whatever menace it may
    have had and will turn into a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

    End of file.