The art of starting over: Public Speaking Lessons Relearned
Public speaking is not just a skill; it is a journey. And sometimes, even seasoned speakers need to revisit the starting line.
In Ignition: 3 Steps to Drive from Newbie Presenter to Expert Speaker, Dineshrie Pillay offers a fresh, structured approach to mastering your message, your mindset and your presence. More than a how-to, Ignition is a guided reset designed to reignite your confidence, reconnect you with your audience, and remind you why you stepped up to speak in the first place.
Public speaking has been a cornerstone of both my personal and professional growth. Long before I picked up Ignition by Dineshrie Pillay, I had spent years in front of audiences refining my delivery, mastering the rhythm of a compelling story, and learning how to truly connect.
As a Distinguished Toastmaster, I understood the mechanics of a strong speech. But this book reminded me of something even more essential. Even experienced speakers need a reset. A moment to strip things back, recenter, and remember what really works.
Coming Home to the Basics
Reading Ignition felt like coming home to the fundamentals but through a sharper lens. It did not teach me something brand new. Instead, it reframed what I already knew. It gave structure to instinct and language to habits I had developed but had not fully understood.
Confidence Is Not a Feeling It Is a Process
One of the most pervasive myths in public speaking is that confidence is innate, that you either have it or you do not.
Let us be real. Confidence is not a magical personality trait. It is built.
I still remember my first Toastmasters speech. My hands trembled. My voice barely filled the room. Every sentence felt like it was on fast forward. I kept waiting for confidence to show up like some kind of superhero.
It did not!
What Ignition reinforced, something I have learned the hard way, is that confidence is a muscle. You train it. You build it. You earn it through reps.
The most powerful speakers are not always the most talented; they are the ones who practice deliberately and consistently.
That line stopped me in my tracks. Because it is not about waiting to feel confident. It is about doing the work that builds your confidence.
The Power of Enjoying Your Own Speech
One of my favourite takeaways was a deceptively simple idea. You have to enjoy your speech before anyone else can.
When I am excited about my message, when I genuinely enjoy the words I am saying, everything changes. My pacing smooths out. My tone finds its rhythm. My presence lands. And the audience, they lean in.
'You must enjoy your speech first—otherwise, how will your audience enjoy it?'
That hit hard. Because I have given speeches where I was too focused on perfection and others where I was just in the moment, fully alive in the message. The difference was night and day.
Ignition reminded me that public speaking is not just a performance. It is a shared experience. And if the speaker is not feeling it, the audience will not either.
Final Thoughts
This was not a reinvention. It was a recalibration. A chance to re-engage with my craft from a place of curiosity and clarity.
For me, it was a well timed reminder.
Confidence is built, not born.
Enjoyment matters.
And no matter how long you have been speaking, it is always worth stepping back to view your voice with fresh eyes.
Ignition is more than a book—it's a transformative guide to mastering the art of public speaking with confidence, clarity and impact.
* Ignition is available at Exclusive Books.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
10 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Ashling Murphy's boyfriend settles defamation action against BBC
The 23-year-old schoolteacher was killed along a canal path in Tullamore, Co Offaly in 2022 by murderer Jozef Puska. Her partner, 27-year-old Ryan Casey, sued the BBC over a broadcast of an episode of the View following Puska's sentencing. It contained commentary on Mr Casey's victim impact statement that he delivered ahead of sentencing. He initiated High Court proceedings against the broadcaster alleging that he had been defamed during the television programme. The action was settled on Thursday, with the BBC saying it acknowledged Mr Casey's personal tragedy. It stood by the journalism of the broadcast and added: 'The BBC is however happy to clarify that it does not consider Ryan Casey to be a criminal or a racist, or someone guilty of or attempting to incite hatred, or someone seeking to pose as a hero of the far right through his victim impact statement.' It is understood Mr Casey received a substantial figure in the settlement.
Reuters
11 minutes ago
- Reuters
Tesla's China EV sales rise 3.7% y/y to 61,000 vehicles in June
BEIJING, July 3 (Reuters) - Tesla's (TSLA.O), opens new tab electric vehicle sales in June rose 3.7% from a year earlier, according to Tesla China on Thursday. The U.S. automaker's EV sales rose 59% from May to 61,000 vehicles in China last month.
Indian Express
11 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Gukesh defeats Magnus Carlsen once again as Garry Kasparov says: ‘Now we can question Magnus' domination'
There was no angry smash on the table this time. Or an exasperated sigh of 'Oh my God' that was heard around the world. There probably won't be a thousand reels on social media too. On Thursday, for the second time in two games while facing Gukesh, Magnus Carlsen was forced to throw in the towel and resign against the current world champion. After his loss in the classical format against the Indian teenager at Norway Chess a few weeks back, this time the defeat for the Norwegian came in a rapid game at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2025 in Zagreb. After the victory, Gukesh heads into the final day of the three-day rapid section as the sole leader with 10 points, while Carlsen is miles behind on six points. There is a case to be made that this result is even more significant than the one at Norway Chess: after all, Carlsen was playing with white pieces and in a format that Gukesh supposedly struggles in as compared to classical chess. 'Now we can question Magnus' domination,' former world champion Garry Kasparov, who was on commentary for the official stream, said. 'This is not just his second loss to Gukesh, it's a convincing loss. It's not a miracle… or that Gukesh just kept benefitting from Magnus' terrible mistakes. It was a game that was a big fight. And Magnus lost.' Before the start of the tournament, Carlsen had gone as far as saying that he would treat the games against the 19-year-old world champion as ones against one of the 'presumably weaker players in the tournament'. As Carlsen had explained, 'Gukesh hasn't done anything to indicate that he's going to do well (in rapid and blitz). It remains to be proven that he's one of the best players in such a format (rapid and blitz). This is a very, very strong field that we have here. Players like Gukesh have a lot to prove. In the course of 27 rounds, things usually show. I hope for Gukesh's sake that he can play better.' Over the course of six games in two days at Zagreb, Gukesh has done much more than 'playing better'. After losing the first round clash against his world championship second, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Gukesh had crushed four of the strongest players in the field in a row: Alireza Firouzja, Praggnanandhaa, Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Fabiano Caruana before his takedown of Carlsen. The resignation from Carlsen, in 49 moves, came on Thursday with more muted emotions from him, just a simple handshake, no eye contact, just a grimace before walking off the stage. On Thursday, just like at Norway Chess, Carlsen had a significant advantage from the start of the game. Both players had blitzed out their moves at the start with Carlsen trying to catch his opponent off guard with the English Opening. But on the 23rd move, Carlsen did something inexplicable: he opted to push his b pawn ahead to b4, a move that made former world champion Garry Kasparov gasp. Before that move, Carlsen had a sizeable advantage on the board and a single minute edge on the clock. But that move had changed the course of the match, felt Kasparov. 'B4? You don't play b4, you just don't play b4,' gasped Kasparov as soon as he saw what Carlsen, his one-time trainee, had done on move 23. Kasparov closed his eyes in horror and looked away from the screen. 'This is something wrong.' He repeated 'you don't play b4' many more times. Over and over. Kasparov had much more generous things to say about Gukesh, even when Carlsen had an advantage on the board. 'Playing Gukesh is like playing a computer. He's the most resilient player. He has many lives in each game. You have to beat him about five times in each game. You will be winning, but at one point (like at Norway Chess) you lose concentration and you're lost.' That's precisely what's happened to Carlsen twice now.
