Choose to Speak - It Really Works!-ZT

I've struggled with a debilitating speech block for the past 2 years. At times, I have felt utterly helpless to perform at my job or even order a pizza on the weekend. At one point, my goal was simply to get through the work day without having to answer the phone, meet with a customer, or even talk to a co-worker. I'm telling you, it was BAD. WIthout a doubt, my speech block has been the most difficult thing I've ever dealt with in any aspect of my life (and that is saying a lot!).

Two months ago, after talking with John Harrison about how to get a handle on this issue of mine, I decided it was time for me to "choose to speak". I started forcing myself out of my comfort zone in every way I knew how. I would make random phone calls during my free time (even when a simple email would've done the job), I would order for my wife when we were at a restaurant, I joined my local Toastmasters group and I enrolled in a Dale Carnegie class (luckily, my employer offered to pay for this).

I am happy to report that my stuttering is approximately 95% less frequent now than before I started "choosing to speak". It has been a grueling process and has taken a lot of doing, especially at first. When I started the process, I stuttered a lot on the phone and in front of large groups, etc. Don't get me wrong, it was tough! But amazingly
enough, the more I did these tasks, I started to become strangely comfortable with each situation. I
am now in the habit of making so many phone calls and giving so many public presentations that, I almost never think twice before having to perform these tasks. Even when stuttering does cross my mind, I treat it like I've learned to in the past two months... I choose to conquer it, immediately. I've almost become a compulsive phone caller! As
soon as I start worrying about whether I'll be able to talk the next time I need to make a phone call, that's my cue to make a phone call and PROOVE that I have nothing to worry about.

Historically, the more time I spend agonizing about how I'm going to survive, the worse my chances are. The trick is to stay occupied and productive rather than worrying. Worrying gets you nowhere. You are truly better off daydreaming about pleasant things rather than worrying. After all, both activities accomplish the same thing...  nothing. If you're going to accomplish nothing, you might as well have fun with it right?
Two books I've found particularly helpful are: "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" and "Feel the Fear, and Do It Anyway". Neither of these books address stuttering specifically, but the principles in both books have played a MAJOR role in changing my thought process about stuttering.

I am not immune to the thought process of stuttering (yet), but I have learned how to get some level of control over it, which, as you can imagine, is an indescribable blessing. With this in mind, I plan to stay involved with Toastmasters for years to come. It has been an incredibly effective tool for confronting my fears of speaking. I would also HIGHLY
recommend the Dale Carnegie course. You can spend all day reading books and chatting in forums about how to cure your stuttering, but these are two sure ways of getting out there and making it happen! I've seen it change several lives, and there is no doubt in my mind that it can help anyone who stutters. WIth enough courage, motivation, and willingness to get to work. I guarantee you will make significant process too.