During the Golden Age lived a man named Demosthenes of Athens. Demosthenes was the son of a wealthy swordmaker. After his father died, his mother, Kleoboule, a Scythian, was deported back to her region. Poor Demosthenes became an orphan. He lost his parents at seven, leaving him at the mercy of his half-brothers and court-appointed legal guardians. The brothers were self-serving and squandered most of his inheritance in loose living and debauchery, neglecting proper education and training for him.

Education was not accessible in Greece and consisted of two curriculums: music, art, literature, science, math, and politics. The second part of the educational curriculum was going to the gymnasium. The gym was more than a place to pump iron naked; it was also a training facility for public competitions, wrestling, and running that offered social interactions for intellectual pursuits. The parents were financially responsible for the boy's education to ensure they grew up strong, Herculean, vigorous, challenging politicians or Orators, mighty and pleasing in the sight of the gods.

That was not the case for Demosthenes. His brothers did not care about his education and treated him like Cinderfella. Only perfectly formed men were actual citizens; others were below men. His instruction from secondary teachers and the inability to work out his physical and political muscles left him piteous.

Despite his lack of proper education and speech impediment, Demosthenes had a high attitude toward knowledge. He was book smart but physically frail as a dragonfly's wing and socially awkward. Demosthenes did not carry himself as Apollo but walked with stooped shoulders, like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. He did not speak in the eloquence of an angel; he stuttered and spoke with a lisp and could not roll his "Rs." People made fun of him. Poor Demosthenes, living in a culture of gladiators, was complicated to him. Most boys joined the Sparta army at his age, but he could not afford military school. Then, when he turned eighteen, he discovered his wicked brothers had embezzled his inheritance. It was a turning point for him. He had to do something quickly to get his estates back.

The court system was still in its preliminary stages. There were no courts as we know today, no officials, no attorneys, or judges, and if a person wanted to litigate a case, they would have to present their appeals to the laypeople court system. In some cases, if a person had deep pockets, they could solicit help from friends or relatives to help develop the main arguments.

Poor Demosthenes did not have money to pay; people laughed at him when he spoke; he walked hunched down; how would he face the courts? There were no Toastmaster Clubs, Speech Coaches, or Speech therapists to help him. How would he present his evidence in court and defend himself as credible enough to influence the courts in his favor?

A fervent desire and determination drove Demosthenes to deal with Glossophobia. His ardent desire to sue his wicked brothers in the court, coupled with a delicate physique that prevented him from receiving the traditional Greek gymnastic education, led him to train himself as an orator.

Plutarch, the Greek historian, and biographer, gives us insight into how Demosthenes built an underground study where he trained. First, he would shave half his head to ensure nothing disturbed his training. That is pretty severe. In addition, for his speech defects, stammering, stuttering, and sputtering, Demosthenes used pebbles. He did not use them to kill his gladiator brothers; he would put them in his mouth and recite verses while running. However, Demosthenes did another thing, which was vital, to overcome Glossophobia. He first wrote his speeches, and then he would practice his lessons in front of a large mirror. NOW THAT IS HARDCORE TRAINING.

Are we ready to venture out to a new level of training to overcome Glossophobia, the villain? Say, "yes, I am ready to defeat that villain."

What can we learn from Demosthenes, the Greek political leader who lived by the pen and died by the pen? First, stand up, and do not allow Glossophobia to steal one's thunder.

Demosthenes did not allow Glossophobia to steal his thunder or keep his inheritance. Instead, he learned, developed, and applied tools and methods to eradicate this villain from his life. So be of good cheer, friends; when there is a will, there is a way. We are going to learn how Demosthenes did it.

His fierce love for justice drove this man to be determined and fearless. Although one may argue that he received little from his estate in the end, one must also acknowledge that he gained more from his self-taught legal rhetoric. The training was the force that catapulted him to become an Athenian political leader who famously stood against Macedonia King Philip II. He became one of the greatest patriots and powerful orators from the pages of history.

Demosthenes started his fight against Glossophobia with determination. He wanted to settle the matter with his brothers regardless of his deficiencies. He believed he could, but not being "a pie-in-the-sky" type of guy, he knew it would take much time, but he had his mind set on overcoming Glossophobia.

Self-determination is respect for the principle of what is right and what is fair. Demosthenes did not make the decisions that affected his life and the quality of his life. He could have succumbed to the same controls in his adult life, but he said, "No. I want control of my life, financial resources, and future." We all can relate to Demosthenes; we want to make our own decisions and control our own lives without conditions or circumstances propagated by fear, the force behind Glossophobia.

When one makes up their mind that one wants to solve a problem and advocate on one's behalf, one recognizes the deficiencies and finds creative ways around the mountain, perhaps speaking to it, but how can one talk to the mountain if one is afraid to speak?

The first thing Demosthenes did was set goals and write them down. We have all heard the cliche "to achieve goals, write them down." How does this work?

Here is a treat. Writing things down operates on two levels: external storage and encoding. External storage records the information on a piece of paper, a vision board, a picture, or anything that is easily accessible for review at any time. Although a visual is a good start, the more profound phenomenon is encoding. Encoding is the biological process by which things perceive travel to the hippocampus, where the brain analyzes them. From there, the brain decides what goes into long-term memory and what gets deleted. Writing down the goals encodes the process for a much greater chance of remembering them.

Neuropsychologists have identified this as the "generation effect." It is activated when a person generates information, creating a picture in the mind and resulting in cognitive processing. Writing down goals narrows the focus and provides short-term motivation and excitement. That brings us to the next point, Passion.

Passion is the value one holds to a significant meaning. Demosthenes was enthusiastic about making a wrong right. Fortunately, he was in hot pursuit, and Glossophobia would not stop him. When it comes to a desirable vindication for an unjust wrong, Glossophobia loses strength and starts to dwindle and shrivel like a sponge fish out of water. However, be careful; a drop of apathy is all that is needed for it to swell up again.

If one thinks or imagines they are ugly or unattractive, this feeds Glossophobia. Extreme psychological body image distortions cause depression. Demosthenes was conscious of his body and knew physical strength was essential to be impactful in a world of gladiators. The effects of physical activities on the body go beyond the aesthetic benefits. It helps the body deliver oxygen and nutrients to the brain tissues. There is no suggestion that anyone should become a marathon runner, but physical training has many benefits. For one, it helps loosen the upper body muscles to make one present, comfortable and relaxed. It also improves memory and allows one to make decisions faster for adapting to an audience, especially a hostile audience. It also helps the heart and lungs and provides more energy.

Physical exercises come in various forms; run with pebbles in the mouth while reciting verses. Not. I wanted to see if anyone was paying attention.

Walking while listening to music or self-recorded affirmations is a good start. Jogging can help burn off the nerves before a speech. Cardio practice help improves overall well-being.

What do Yoga and public speaking have in common? Yoga trains to focus on deep, smooth, and controlled breathing before each movement. Paying attention to the breath helps manage anxiety. People breathe faster and shallower when they are nervous. When speaking, this could lead to hyperventilation and disconnection between mind and body, resulting in one fainting, do not do that. Conscious deep breathing, especially before speaking, can help lower the heart rate and release the voice for a louder, richer quality of voice.

What about OM meditation? Yes, meditation can help connect the mind, body, and true essence of self. Believe it or not, chanting OM stimulates the vagus nerve through its auricular branches, which helps sharpen the brain's power. In addition, studies reveal that chanting can deactivate the limbic system causing the mind to be more alert, aware, and focused. Being focused is being in the moment, which means no thoughts of what happened last week or what will happen tomorrow. It means connecting with the audience.

Demosthenes had poor posture; he stooped down like a tree kissing the ground. Aligning the hips and creating space between each vertebrate opens the heart for a more grounded stance. It projects stability, openness, and confidence. Glossophobia does not like when one forecasts trust and transparency; it weakens its strength.

In summary, physical training helps with memory and learning. In addition, it boosts confidence and reduces stress, and finally, it helps with breathing; it is a powerful weapon to fight anxiety and is a boon companion to overcome Glossophobia.