I still suffer terribly from stage fright. I get sick with fear. Not every night, but at the beginning and on occasion - not necessarily when I'm expecting it. You just have to cope with it - take it on the chin and work through it, trying to use the adrenalin to perform.
All fliers have some concern about flying. Some handle it by 'flying' the plane. They're 'raising' the wheels, 'making' the turns and so on. Others handle it by tuning out... reading a book or watching a movie.
The more fears that we're exposed to, the more fears that we are handling every single day, asks us to exert more and more control over our lives.
I do not think you can get rid of the fear... but you can dance with it.
I find it easier to approach things from a critical angle that otherwise may seem daunting because I'm used to being scared.
Fear is something you have to throw into a corner. Constantly. Because it never goes away.
I think any time I'm nervous I just pretend that I'm not, and that's how I deal with it.
It's hard because you want to be able to just, okay, focus your energy on trying to win the match, but you need to then have tactics as to how you're going to deal with how you're feeling.
Life is made of fear. Some people eat fear soup three times a day. Some people eat fear soup all the meals there are. I eat it sometimes. When they bring me fear soup to eat, I try not to eat it, I try to send it back. But sometimes I'm too afraid to and have to eat it anyway.
Sweat the small stuff. Without letting anyone see you sweat.
I'm still at the end of my rope because I find myself not handling things well when I travel.
