The Power of Pausing
As an experienced event MC, I’ve always believed that speaking off the cuff feels more natural than following a script. But recently at Cart Basel, I experienced a moment that taught me an unexpected lesson about presence and perception on stage.
Table of Contents
The Freeze
I froze.
Hundreds of eyes were on me as I completely lost my train of thought mid-transition between speakers.
My brain was screaming.
The Reset
I did something unprecedented in my career.
I stopped talking.
I closed my eyes.
I took a deep breath.
What felt like an eternity to me was probably just two seconds.
Then I finished my point, received applause, and the show continued flawlessly.
The Revelation
Later, something unexpected happened.
A guest approached me with an interesting observation.
“Ari, I love that you do breathwork!” they said.
I was confused. “Excuse me?”
“That deep breath on stage—I do breathwork too!”
The Lesson
What I perceived as inner panic wasn’t what the audience saw at all.
They saw intention.
They saw composure.
They saw presence.
The key is not to rush.
Speak with purpose.
When you do this, you’ll never lose control on stage.
Conclusion
Your internal experience often differs dramatically from what your audience perceives. What feels like panic to you can appear as intentional presence to others.
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