Fear is a poor excuse.

Fear is not even an excuse. It is a feeling. It is normal. Your attitude to this fear can become a problem. If you allow the experience of fear to stop you from doing what you really want to do, then you are giving it too much power. It is simply a warning. Sometimes you can go ahead despite the fear and sometimes you should heed the warning and not take the risk. Some activities are inherently dangerous and should be avoided. Speaking in public is not one of these. You may get a strong feeling when asked to speak to a group but you know that the activity is not dangerous. You can go ahead despite the feeling or the unhelpful thoughts. Acknowledge the feeling and go ahead anyway. The more you speak in public, the less the impact of the fear on your performance. You aren’t conquering it. You are learning to live with it and softening its impact when you need to. You can practise in your mind. Imagine getting up in front of a large audience. Breathe calmly and slowly. Keep doing this until you don’t get a reaction.