Si Ekin takes on his fears and conducts impromptu public talks in and around Cape Town to complete strangers. 365 Talks In One Year To Random Strangers Si Ekin 16 �������������������������������������������
THE STORY: Since 1999 Si Ekin has done something few people could ever even imagine doing. Uninvited, he speaks to random groups of strangers with the sole purpose of overcoming his fears of failure, judgement and rejection and helping his audiences overcome the fears they have in their own lives. People have called Si everything from a ‘one man flash mob’, to ‘crazy’, ‘brave’, ‘inappropriate’, ’ballsy’ and ‘the right man-in the right place-at the right time’. Si’s grand vision is a world without fear. USA Today reported that death was a human being’s second biggest fear after public speaking. “Most people would probably prefer root canal treatment without anaesthetic, rather than do this once”, says Si, “but by overcoming my fears each and every time I have managed to talk to more than 3,500 people. I still can’t quite believe it. It’s also helped me deal with other fears in my life and the experience has enriched me hugely. When we tackle fear it is transformational. We cannot continue to let our fears hold us to ransom”. In 2011, knees shaking, Si did 90 random talks in 90 days reaching 800 people. In his two-minute talks Si talks about life, fear and how to handle them both. Then, in 2012 and shaking a little less, he set himself a target of 365 random talks. By August he had completed 192, reaching just over 2000 people. His fears have reduced markedly and his adventure has left him more trusting, peaceful and brave. “The biggest thing I have discovered”, says Si. “is that I don’t fear death anymore – it’s extraordinary”. HOW IT ALL STARTED: Si’s story is a remarkable one. It began 12 years ago on a bus in Brixton, South London. On the spur of the moment Si decided to express what his heart told him and overcame his fear of what people might think. Inspired by the possibility of returning to South Africa and the spirit of its heroes, he stood up and made a speech about just that to the silent, packed bus. “I was terrified to do it. My heart was pounding, my head throbbing and my throat was as dry as a bone. The only way I could get out of my seat was to imagine that I was jumping out of an aeroplane,” he says. In doing so, Si conquered his deepest fear of rejection and says that his life has never been the same since. What happened was miraculous and makes for an extraordinary story. On that cold and rainy night in Brixton, Si proved to himself just what is possible when you step up and take courageous action. From that day on, he knew that the only limitations to his own possibilities were totally self-imposed. He resolved to teach others to do the same. Si has taken his talks to gyms, saunas, changing rooms, restaurants, street corners, public gardens, pubs and many other places. Each time he talks about what it means to overcome fear and act courageously. He challenges his audience to follow their dreams and to not let fear stand in their way. “Once I explain to people that I’m not on day release from an institution, I’m not going to speak about religion or ask for petrol money, they often relax and really engage,” he says. “I truly believe that all people are fundamentally open in their hearts and if you are authentic people will get the message. No-one has slapped me, sworn at me or called the cops yet. Just one guy in the sauna told me he really didn’t appreciate the approach. He’d had a tough day”. Ultimately Si hopes to leave people inspired to take courageous action in their own lives, and to share the message with others. ”Every moment of courage dissolves fear”, he says. Is he getting better at being courageous? “I am no longer terrified, but I still get prety nervous just before each talk. The irony is you can only be courageous in the face of fear”. ABOUT SI EKIN: Si Ekin is a Teacher of Courage, life and business coach, inspirational speaker and facilitator. He is the founder of Ekin Coaching, which helps individuals and teams to set and achieve their goals through taking courageous action. Si has been a trans-African cyclist, photo journalist and British Army Officer. TO INTERVIEW SI OR FIND OUT MORE Cell: 082 565 0765 Web: www.siekin.com Email: si@siekin.com To think is easy. To act is di�cult. To act as one thinks is the most di�cult. – Johann Wolfgang Von Goeth I have known not a few men who, a�er reaching the summits of business success, found themselves miserable on a�aining retirement age. �ey were so exclusively engrossed in their day to day a�airs that they had no time for friend making. – B.C. Forbes �������������������������������������������� 17
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