Views of the art of public speaking. Why do I have a fear of public speaking?

2. Establish your locus of control

The second part, locus of control, is about your belief that you are able to influence situations in your life, internally and externally. If you have an internal locus of control, you will have more self-confidence, because you believe your own decision-making and personal attributes determine how successful you are. People with an external locus of control believe external factors are more influential, such as luck or circumstance.

Therefore, in order to cultivate an internal locus of control, you should focus on the things in life that you have total control over, and create goals that relate to those things. You should seek support from different places, whether that’s a therapist, online community or club. Ultimately, you need to be aware that your choices matter, and that you have responsibility over your life.

This isn’t to say, however, that external factors don’t matter. Discrimination in all forms can impact the way a person views themselves, and it’s not your fault if you’re treated unfairly. This approach merely encourages you to think about what you do have control over, and focus on that.