You can relax - Will Smith is not in the audience.
When I first started speaking to audiences, the hardest thing for me was opening up.
It was hard for me to tell personal stories - even though I knew that was the way to connect with the audience.
But it was even harder for me to open up physically - to open up my arms as if I wanted to embrace everyone in the audience. Instead, my arms were always close to my body, protecting me.
It's a response that is deeply wired into our brains: The moment we feel danger, real or imagined, we reflexively protect the front of our bodies with our arms and hands. That's okay, there's nothing wrong with that if you're expecting a saber-toothed tiger to attack at any moment 🐅.
But when you speak in public, you should think about this: You are blocking your message and your connection with the audience if you cross your arms or use defensive body language 🙅♂️ 🙅♀️ .
Just remember - no one is going to attack you! (as long as you refrain from insulting your audience, of course 😀).
It's also highly unlikely that Will Smith will be in the audience, so don't expect any unpleasant surprises.
Physically opening up in front of an audience was a conscious choice for me. When you are on stage, you are already exposing yourself - why not embrace that moment with wide and open gestures?

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