How lawyers can improve -- and stress less about -- their oral arguments, trials and speeches

Getting ready to give a talk? Working on a presentation? Here is what your reptile brain tells you: Focus on your fears, because that is how you will survive. But you need not be hostage to your fears, according to an interesting new book, "As We Speak: How to Make Your Point and Have It Stick" from Peter Meyers and Shann Nix. They write that our fears drive us to ask the wrong questions: "What is missing from my talk?" and "Will I forget what to say?" and "Will the audience find out I'm not as smart as they think I am?" Instead, they suggest you ask yourself different questions that are embedded with positive presuppositions, such as: "What is the best part of this presentation?  or "What am I most passionate about in this material? or "How can I make a difference?" They caution this is not positive thinking, which they write "is trying to hypnotize yourself into a different mind-set." By contrast, a presupposition question "forces you to think of new possibilities.” Not "Will I succeed?" but "How will I succeed?" Their final advice is to wire your brain with the right questions weeks before the event. They have an interesting take, and I plan to use their tips. Here is one from me. I speak around the country and try cases. There is one thing I say to myself before I go on:"Michael, there is no Plan B." Be prepared, be in the moment.