Pushing Forward

On this day of the week when it's common to drag ourselves slowly out of bed, into the day and into focus, I am reminded of a move I made to begin pushing my own barrier out of the way. Some of you may have read that I have been a student of the National Speaker Association's Protrack VI class in Ohio, a class that one of my classmates calls "the MBA for professional speakers".

Through the 8-month course we students have examined not only our speaker style, our message and our business strategy. We have also seen the number of ways we could step out into new territory with our business and our own professional speaking practice. This examination - common to many professionals who strive to remain purposeful - though fearful, is also motivating. So much so that I called upon one of the instructors to mentor me. And the double-edged sword answer is, he said yes.

Kids Know What Matters

"Why?"

One of the hardest questions to answer is the most important one to consider when we are selling, influencing and speaking.

When making the short talk to get action, as Dale Carnegie puts it, the final step in the process is to
share the reason.

Kids know this helps them weigh the value of the action. And so do we adults. If we know the value of an action, and we have good reason to influence the action, then we need to share the why.

Merri's Tips - Part 1

Thanks to Frank Ramos' blog on what he has learned in life, I will also be putting out a few remarks about my own experiences, as it translates into tips for the reader.

1. If you haven't decided what you want to be yet when you grow up, start paying attention to what revves you up. If something really makes you frustrated or angry, like social causes or issues, volunteer for the appropriate non-profit group to learn more about what it involves. If you've had an emotional experience about life circumstances, move into action around it. Public speakers and entrepreneurs get their start this way. Otherwise, life will be based on what happens to you vs. what you do about what happens.