Mistakes are like the boogy-man. They are a myth. They exist only because we’re afraid of them.

When people talk to me about their nervousness when speaking or performing, one of their biggest fears is that they will make a mistake. They are afraid of doing something wrong, messing up, forgetting what to say and making a fool of themselves. Can you relate to this? Is this a fear of yours? If so, let me put you at ease.

There are no mistakes. What we call a “mistake” is just something we didn’t plan, didn’t prepare, and perhaps didn’t prefer to have happen. It’s not what we had in mind for some reason or other. So what!
Okay, if you’re auditioning for something, or if you have an oral exam of some kind, I can understand why you would be ultra-concerned with not messing up. But in the real world, no one cares if you forget your words or lose your train of thought. No one cares if you make a “mistake.” Really, they don’t.

The only time an audience cares about such nonsense is when they feel that YOU are uncomfortable with what’s happening. If you start feeling flustered and distracted by something unexpected, whether it’s something you said or some other surprise, then your audience will feel that, too.

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