I love to say to myself in times like this, "Tommorrow at this time, it will all be over."
I have the speech memorized, I've gone over it a few times in front to teachers and other people. My roommate was the best critic, and as a result, I have realized there are many basic words that I have been mispronouncing. He ruthlessly pointed out what sounds really American, or where the accent is up instead of down.
As embarrassing as this is, one of the most common Japanese words - よく, (often, many) has a homonym (there are many in Japanese) - 欲- (greed). Now the accent seems obvious, but I tend to accent the second syllable unconsciously.
Other then forgetting the words, I have to be careful because occasionally an occasional syllable zigs intead of zags out of my mouth. ki becomes gi, deh becomes duh. Just once in a while - sproing! like a bedspring. Oh well, しょうがないね.
I am almost last to give the speech, which sucks. 13 of 16 speakers. That bites. I wanted to be first.
Today my goal is to relax and prepare to make this a fun thing. When I was a musician and gigging, before a gig, I would adopt a similar mindset. It's a little embarrasing to say out loud, but it involves me telling myself what a badass I am, in rather more colorful terminology. Method acting, yeah that's it...
Wait, I'm #13?!?