Great speeches come not from what you have done, but from what you have overcome. Adversity has a habit of hanging out at the edge of our abilities, or at our self perceived limits. When you give a speech, you will find adversity in preparing, in presenting, and in refining. Here are a few ways to turn the inevitable into the incredible.

In retrospect, everyone gives three speeches. The first, is the one you planned on giving. The second, is the one you actually gave. The third, is the one you wish you gave, when you are finished. You are probably harder on yourself than you need to be in some ways, and ignorant of what you really need to improve. Have someone honestly evaluate each presentation, and listen. The desire to justify or explain what you meant to say, fuels adversity. If they did not get what you were trying to say, take responsibility for refining your message. When you are presenting, what is perceived, is what is believed.

You will stumble over your words, meander through your material, and maybe even go blank during your presentation. Though not ideal experiences, it is how you respond that aggravates or eliminates adversity. Everyone in your audience wants you to be great, not perfect. When you come off too perfect, your audience feels disconnected. Small miscues can actually keep your listeners engaged. Plan out your responses when you prepare, so when something happens you won’t feel so adverse.

What can go wrong? Honestly just about everything from arriving late, last minute changes to your allotted time, and an inappropriately expressive bowl of chili. Practice doesn’t make you perfect, it allows you to adapt to whatever is going on at the moment. Adversity rears its ugly head when you limit your responses. In retrospect, presenting and planning let you overcome any and all adversity.