The $2 Trick That Saved My Career Mid-Presentation

A Grounding Trick So Subtle, Nobody Notices — But It Works Every Time

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I was 30 seconds into my first big presentation in medical school when it happened.

Brain Fog and a Spinning Room

Jangled nerves induced brain fog. My mind went blank. Suddenly, the room felt like it was spinning — or was it my thoughts!

A roomful of students and physician attendings stared at me, waiting for the carefully practiced words to roll off my tongue.

But they wouldn’t flow.

My palms sweated and my throat felt like sandpaper.

Needless, to say, I’ve never relished public speaking but, here I was, stuck on the podium.

But fortunately, I had an out, a way to save face before the sea of faces staring at me.

Before I even left home and headed for the hospital, I remembered words of wisdom from a college professor:

“The most powerful on-stage tool you have isn’t your slides or your data. It’s a lukewarm bottle of water.”