Photo courtesy of Tina Rataj-Berard/Unsplash

Professional football players don’t show up at the stadium fifteen minutes before the game, suit up, and then run onto the field, waiting for the referee to blow the starting whistle. Singers don’t arrive backstage at the concert arena and immediately walk up to the mic on stage and belt out their first song. Every talent endeavor I can think of has a warm-up routine.

And so as part of my public speaking instruction, my students learn the importance of a warm-up routine. Among the items in this toolbox are:  deep diaphragmatic breathing, mouth and voice exercises, and anxiety reducing techniques. I also suggest they develop their own mantra to repeat to themselves just before their presentation.

The mantra I personally use has been credited to Dorothy Sarnoff. Ms. Sarnoff, who died in 2008 at the age of 94, was originally a Broadway star and opera singer. But she reinvented herself as a public speaking image consultant. According to various sources, the mantra that she instructed her clients to use was, “I’m glad I’m here. I’m glad you’re here. I care about you. And I know that I know what I’m talking about.”

Isn’t that just the best self-talk before you give a speech?

I’m glad I’m here. What a wonderful opportunity it is to be able to talk with you today.

I’m glad you’re here. I am so appreciative that you are part of this audience.

I care about you. I’ve worked to create a presentation that will teach and inspire you.

I know that I know what I’m talking about. This is my area of expertise. I’m confident in my material.

Mandy Burstein says that, “Mantras are like medicine for the soul.”

A short mantra is often used in meditation. For this purpose, sometimes it’s just one word or sound such as OM. It can be a group of words or a short sentence. A mantra has been described as a sacred utterance. In meditation, its purpose is to keep our mind empty and focused on the mantra so that our brains don’t wander away and start going down the “things we have to do tomorrow” list.

When not used in meditation, a mantra may seem more like a positive affirmation. And that’s OK, as long as you bear in mind the three rules of an effective affirmation.

1) The affirmation must contain only positive words. So an attempt to pump up yourself for an exercise program by saying, “My fat thighs are hideous,” is ineffective.

2) It must be spoken in the present tense. Don’t use future phrases such as “I’m going to” or past phrases like “I used to.”

3) Say it with conviction, as though it’s already true. There’s no room for, “Maybe” or “Hopefully.”

You’ll notice that Dorothy Sarnoff’s mantra meets all the requirements of a positive affirmation. And that was long before she could research online how the brain works best by how we talk to it. Truly, she was a woman ahead of her time.

To my readers: Do you have a mantra or affirmation that you would be willing to share?