## Intro [00:00] Language builds our world. Our ideas make us who we are. And speakers who have figured out how to spread their ideas into others’ minds have the power to make an incredible impact. Now ask yourself: do you have ideas that deserve a wider audience? ## You are the only you [00:26] That can be a difficult question to answer. Many people don't realize just how many valuable ideas they have. You are the only you that's existed in all of human history. Your experiences are yours and yours alone. Some of those experiences have taught you things that are absolutely worth sharing with an audience. You just have to figure out which experiences those are. You may feel that you haven't done anything exciting enough to give a talk about. Maybe you tell yourself, “I’m not very creative” or, “I’m not very smart.” Maybe you can't think of anything you feel passionate about right now. Well, that's a tricky place to start. But you don’t need to worry. Because, the truth is, everyone has a great talk idea inside of them. Sometimes it just takes a little digging to find it. ## People who know you best [01:21] One reason you may not recognize your great ideas is that you have always been you. You only see yourself from the inside. You may not notice the things that other people find remarkable about you. That’s why one good way to uncover your talk-worthy ideas is to have conversations with the people who know you best. They might be able to see things about you that you aren’t able to see about yourself— things that would be worth sharing with an audience. There is one thing you have that no one else in the world has, and that is your experience. So another way to uncover your great ideas is to ask yourself questions about your life. What was the last thing you were really excited by? Or angered by? What are some of the things that bring you joy? What annoys you? What's something you're proud of? ## Ask yourself questions [02:16] Is there something you know a lot about? A subject you could talk about for hours? Is there anything your community could teach other communities? What's a change you would like to see in the world? If you could wave a magic wand, what's the one idea you'd most love to spread to other people's minds? Spend some time walking around open to the possibility that some part of your unique journey could be interesting and helpful for an audience to learn about. Many wonderful talks are based on a personal story and a simple lesson the speaker took away from it. ## Use your public speaking opportunity [02:53] Your idea could even be a question you're curious about. The search for an answer to your question could be the basis for your talk. What are the issues that matter most to you? What are the riddles that people don't yet have good answers for? If you have a subject you’d like to talk about, but aren't sure you really know enough yet, why not use your public speaking opportunity as a way to find out more? In other words, you don’t need to have the perfect knowledge in your head today. You could use your talk as the reason to discover more about something that interests you. The only thing that truly matters in public speaking is not confidence, stage presence, or smooth talking. It's having something worth saying.