The biggest fear across mankind is public speaking. I never understood why until recently; people fear that others will judge them and get nervous about it. I've never been a nervous man and I've always been able to speak publicly, and a lot of it comes down to mindset.

If someone doesn't want to fear public speaking they should practice it until they're confident in their abilities. Regardless of how good they are, the confidence makes the biggest difference. Confident speakers and nervous speakers are like night and day. Donald Trump isn't the greatest orator, but he's a very confident speaker, which allows him to have hours long rallies.

When it comes to success, the simplest answer is the correct one. And success isn't easy. Like you said, there are no shortcuts to success. Laziness will lead one astray and act as a roadblock for achieving high.