Speaking with Eternity on the Line

Most of the speaking opportunities with which I’ve been blessed have been before secular audiences.  There is always an uplifting theme, this is the crux of my messages after all, but a declaration of my faith in God is typically not mentioned.

When I tell audiences, “You can be better than you’ve been, and do more than you’ve done,” it is sometimes received as an affront to their character, accomplishments, education, or life’s journey, but that is never my intent.  As I continue to deliver my remarks all audience members come to an understanding that their lives are meant to count for something larger than a job, career, keeping a roof overhead, or staying in shape through diet and exercise.

In a purely secular (ecumenical? humanistic?) setting everyone can appreciate the question I asked back in 2008, “Why am I here?”  Certainly most have pondered, if only for a moment, that age-old question of our existence on this earth.  What I convey to all audiences is the truth that this question has an answer, and we can know it…with certainty.

In my book, ‘Be Known for Your D.E.E.D.S.’ I relate my own progression through the truth of unique existence, inherent design, and specific passion.  There is a certain ignorance in society (and some societies) when it comes to God’s every day work in our lives.  Ignorance, by the way, is not a bad word; neither is it an insult.  It is a statement suggesting lack of knowledge in a given subject area.

I am bold enough to declare that I possess a rudimentary understanding of God’s love for us, and this knowledge has opened my eyes to, among other things, how blessed we are in the U.S., how amazing the earth’s distance from the sun really is, mankind’s dominion, and why the cycle of life on this planet ensures our continued existence.

When called upon to speak in churches, or to audiences comprised mostly of Christians, I am able to swing for the fences, to coin a phrase.  I can get to the heart of the matter, and express the Father’s will concerning the ‘why’ of our being, and further His agenda for the building of His kingdom (Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven…).

‘Be better than you’ve been, and do more than you’ve done’, finds its home in the hearts of men and women who embrace the big picture of life, and the very uniqueness of their own lives.  Minds begin opening to the truth of unique, inherent design when I state the very simple fact, “There’s a reason there aren’t six billion doctors on the planet. We don’t all want to be doctors.”

Speaking with eternity on the line means I will convey God’s truth about our lives, and the importance of living for a purpose beyond our immediate needs.  The folks who adhere to the humanitarian aspects of other faiths, volunteer for philanthropic causes, or earnestly try to ‘pay it forward’ each day, are modeling that piece of God He has provided, though often are unaware of its source.

What I present to audiences is the truth God has blessed me to know, to live, and to share.  He opens doors for me to enter in with the message of higher calling, higher achievement, and higher living.  Destiny is on my lips for all to hear.  I do not hide my faith in Christ.  I do not shrink from being fully persuaded faith in Christ alone is the key to receive all this life, and the one to come, has to offer.

I speak knowing eternity is on the line.

Fearlessly,

JD

Live Life Fearlessly

Living life without fear is like breathing without air. It is not possible. Fears will come. Fear shows up when the bill money is low but the bills are high. It's there when the doctor says she's sending your x-rays to a colleague to take a closer look. It rears its ugly head when the layoffs you have heard were coming...arrive.

Fear accomplishes many things in the lives of men, women, and children: anger, resentment, disobedience, violence, greed, theft, adultery, jealousy, hate, and a multitude of other destructive emotions. Our lives and relationships are damaged - sometimes beyond repair - when we allow fear to have free rein; to go unchecked. But it does not have to be this way. There is a way which leads to peace in the midst of even the most pressing and immediate fears.

That way is anchored in your faith in God, but there's more to it. I know plenty of God-'fearing' folks who are as tormented by the fears of this world as anyone. What separates my life and view from theirs?

The answer is found in the sure knowledge of WHY am I here on this planet. Fortified by my faith in God, I have taken the time to dig deeply into what makes me, me. Long sessions of self-examination successfully enabled by a foundation of prayer have revealed my design. Design? Yes...design. You see we are more skillfully crafted than anything we ourselves are able to design and manufacture.

Amazing software powering programs we call artificial intelligence are yet primitive when compared the brilliant complexity of the human being. The part of you which is not defined by your skin, eye, or hair color; your height or weight; your education or beliefs (or lack thereof), is unique to you. In teaching my D.E.E.D.S. curriculum I point my audiences to an undeniable fact - there is a reason there aren't six billion doctors on the planet. Not everyone wants to be a doctor!

We are all unique, masterpieces of design. Some of us are designed to be doctors, others to be pilots, still others to be movie critics. What is your design? What activity has always fascinated you? What were you known for as a child? What did you want to do no matter what other children wanted to do?

In my book, Be Known For Your DEEDS, I provide seven case studies of individuals who enjoy varying levels of financial success today (and nine traits they share), but who are all living a satisfying life based on following their intrinsic design. Back to the interplay with faith in God....

When you come to the realization there is a concrete reason why you are on this planet, and that you are uniquely designed to achieve the destiny for which you were created, there is little that will scare you away from so important a mission. Those who try to dissuade you based upon their own ignorance, and attempt to de-value your existence are to be ignored. YOU are created in the image of God, and are not the result of freakish, random chance!

YOU are here by plan and design. But why? Only you can discern that, and it is vital that you do. Destiny and a life to be lived fearlessly are waiting, but what about those nasty fears lurking in the mailbox, on the job, in the economy, not to mention the phobias which can paralyze us (fear of heights, confined spaces, the dark, death, snakes, spiders, etc.)?

Fear, no matter the name we assign to the symptom, stands in the way of your destiny and provokes you to turn back. Fear stands in the way of a life with great meaning, value and quality. It will be faith in the God who created you, and the will you demonstrate to define your passion in life (intrinsic design), that will eradicate fear as a threat. It may still rise up, but it will be ignored, dealt with, and/or handled because it no longer controls you. You now control your emotional responses and have become free to live the life to which you are called and were born!

Fearlessly,
JD

Be Known for Your DEEDS is available on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com

Design, Purpose, Passion, Destiny

We have a very specific design, although our individual designs are all different.  My physical design includes my appearance, the way I prefer to dress (www.pinterest.com/jdthespeaker), how my brain processes and absorbs information, and how my lungs, diaphragm, vocal chords, and tongue turn sound into speech.  My design is also intangible.  I have life and educational experiences unique to me, related to both nurture and nature, which inform my knowledge base, worldview, and opinions.

My purpose is linked to my design.  Because of my design, my purpose is more achievable.  With a different appearance, voice quality, or ability to translate thought into speech my specific purpose would either be impossible or different.  But that is not so.  My purpose is to encourage others.  I have coined the phrase, "Be better than you've been, and do more than you've done," to identify the goal of my message.

The message finds an audience based upon more than just design and purpose however.  There has to be passion for a thing to drive its pursuit.  Without the passion to see men and women become all they are meant to be in this life, my design and purpose would fail.  If you have no demonstrable passion for a particular pursuit - any moral and legal one will do - then your design is wasted, and your purpose will go unfulfilled.  However those of us who do have a passion are led directly and correctly into a life of destiny.

You see none of us are here by accident.  No cosmic coincidence has resulted in this planet's ridiculously amazing and diverse flora and fauna.  There is design inherent in all the natural world.  I laugh sometimes at the thought of wild animals having a 'fear' of man (we can't out-run them, out-swim them, out-climb them, without weapons defend ourselves, and should by no means, apart from being well-armed, attack them).

But because life on this planet follows that design (our dominion), we are free to discern our purpose, pursue our passion, and live a life of destiny.  The destiny of the person who embraces their design, identifies their purpose, and pursues their passion is a journey comprised of learning and living.  Consciously or not, with passion in our lives we will work each day to be better than we have been, and to do more than we have done.

I know people whose design and purpose has resulted in passions for hunting, music, making friends, sports, real estate, selling, starting businesses, acting, medicine, law, and on and on.  (hint: there's a reason not everyone wants to be a doctor...)  We have different designs, purposes to achieve, and passions to propel us.  Our destiny awaits!

For more on defining YOUR passion, and living YOUR destiny, read my book, Be Known for Your DEEDS. It's available on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com.

Fearlessly,
JD

Passion Without Action, Say It Ain't So!

Shortly after I had the revelation of my design and purpose - to encourage men and women to be better than they've been and do more than they've done by defining their passion (design/purpose), then living it out, I had another revelation.  I discovered that passion defined did not equate to passion activated.

Case in point, Jack.  Jack's story is told in my new book, Be Known for Your DEEDS (available on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com).  Unlike me, Jack did not have to ask of the Lord why he is here.  He knew as soon as I asked.  Without hesitation or equivocation, Jack said his passion is movies.  I asked if he wanted to act, direct, produce or what.  His answer was D, none of the above.

Jack just loved watching movies.  In theaters, on cable, VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray, it mattered not; he just loved watching movies.  In response to my assertion that once passion is defined a person will either make a living from that passion, or have a job they enjoy which funds their passion, Jack said, "So how am I supposed to make a living from watching movies?"

I accepted the challenge, and said, "Become a professional movie critic."  He scoffed at that suggestion, and then scoffed at my assertion that he could still be 'passion-employed' by contacting a local free newspaper, and offering to be their unpaid movie critic.  I suspected that if a free paper had such a column it was most likely syndicated.  How beneficial to end the syndication fee, and have local talent on the ground for free!

Jack wasn't interested.  It took me a minute to process that.  I had been excited beyond measure when my passion was defined!  Here I am four years later blogging about it.  Jack didn't believe a newspaper would do what I suggested (no call to check??), and besides why do something and not get paid?  Call me old-fashioned, but isn't there room for enjoyment in life apart from monetary gain?

Sure there is!  It's why we volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, coach our children's soccer team, learn to ski, go rock-climbing, buy a bicycle, jump out of a plane, or...watch movies!  Hello!

So if your passion is defined - do something about it.  It makes absolutely no sense to me that anyone could know their passion (design/purpose), and do nothing.  Just cannot wrap my brain around that kind of indifference.  It's not a hobby being contemplated it's the actual key to one's destiny and reason for being!  Ah, well. You can lead a horse to water....

Fearlessly,
JD

Childhood Evidence

One of the central messages I deliver to audiences is the idea that as early as childhood the passion for a thing will have manifested.  As an example, one can easily peg me in two categories professionally, speaker and writer.  I am without doubt living out my passion and walking in my destiny!  It is hard to describe how blessed I feel each day to know that I know why I'm here on this planet, and am living that purpose.

The evidence in my childhood points to both speaking and writing.  Joke-teller, 'star' of Rumplestiltskin in the 3rd grade, a role in the Christmas play in the 5th grade, a student organizer of Hippy Day at my elementary school in the 6th grade (made it on camera for local news coverage!), and on and on.  I was also very proud of my handwriting.  In the 2nd grade I won a kiss and a pack of M&Ms from my teacher for the best penmanship in my class.

So I wonder if Jacques Cousteau had a fascination for the ocean when he was a boy?  Did this man who was instrumental in the development of SCUBA display his passion for the sea in the earliest years of his life?  If you are in your 40's or older did you ever miss, 'The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau' when it came on television?  Not if you could help it....

The evidence may be a love of baseball that becomes a life in the sport, or a love of music that becomes a life in the arts.  Perhaps you were a doodler, or like me and always talking (always!).  Maybe you liked putting together puzzles, or seemed destructive because you took everything apart to see how it was made.  I am convinced the evidence is there for each of us.

In that evidence are the clues to our individual and personal design; the very foundation of why we are here on this planet.  Recall how very different you felt from the other kids, and even from your brothers, sisters, or Mom and Dad?  The reason is not bad, but instead a clue which may unlock your destiny.

That clue has virtually nothing to do with your gender, your race, or your ethnicity.  It will not promote immorality, illegality, or division.  The clues and the evidence they support are instead of the greatest benefit to you and those you love.  This evidence, at least that which I discovered, leads to your passion, and passion leads to a life of fulfillment and purpose.  Start digging.  What does the evidence tell you?

Go to www.LifeThreadCommunications.com and check out my book on this subject, Be Known for Your DEEDS!

Fearlessly,
JD

The Coach in Me

I love people!  I can be in a mall or at the beach, on a dinner cruise or in a casino, and I will strike up a conversation with a total stranger. Of course, in my view, there are no strangers only friends I have yet to meet.

While I make no claims on being the life of any party, it is a safe bet that my personality type will seek to add laughter and good feelings to any social occasion. The nature of the good feelings I will freely sow into a crowd are complimentary in nature. I can find something worth noting in everyone. It might be their physical appearance, perhaps their profession, home town, college, or favorite sports team.

Because of my affinity for my fellow humans and willingness to engage in gab, I have added significantly to my knowledge base. This has resulted in an ability to find a commonality in even the most ethnically and culturally diverse gatherings. Which brings me to the topic of coaching.

When I take on a new client who desires to improve their public speaking performance, their professional presentation skills, or to improve their spoken English language skills, they can have great confidence I have their best interests at heart. I want my clients to achieve at the highest levels in every endeavor to which they commit themselves.

The basis for my well wishes interestingly has little to do with my bottom line. Of course my success as their coach does bless me financially, and it directly affects their success in the area for which my services were retained. But more importantly, I celebrate their successes because of what it means to them, their careers, and families.

It is an amazing privilege to operate in my passion for communicating and serving people. The Coach in me relishes each opportunity to help someone maximize their potential, and live the passion in their own lives.

Fearlessly,
JD

The Dreaming Voice

Thursday, 19 April 2012. Towers High School in Decatur, Georgia. I was but one of the Speakers participating in Career Day under the direction of, and in concert with, The Stewart Foundation and the Administration of Towers High.

To three different groups of teenagers I was able to impart the truth that each of them has a dream in place. It tells them what they would like to be when they grow up. I call that dream their passion, or the voice inside. Most were able to let this voice speak, knowing their passion and dream precisely.

At Towers High there are pro-football players, pro track and field sprinters, cosmetologists, forensic pathologists, artists, actors, musicians, a young man who wants to be the first pro athlete to compete in the NFL and the NBA, and video game artists among other professions and occupations.

We talked about the nuts and bolts of living out their passions; the promise and the obstacles as well. The other speakers with whom I shared the ‘stage’ proved to be on the same page as I, and we delivered a cohesive message of hope.

A couple of months ago I addressed the lunch crowd of an Optimist Club with a message entitled, Caretakers of the Voice. The gist of my remarks established my sincere belief that we as adults are the caretakers of the voices inside our youth – our future.

Young people today have mighty dreams and aspirations! In high school, for the most part, no one has yet attempted to quash their dreams, written their dreams off as unachievable, assaulted the practicality of lofty aspirations, or insisted they stop dreaming and get a job. That’s good. On 19 April 2012, more than 140 speakers validated the dreams of our future, and encouraged them to continue to strive toward those dreams they now hold dear; to stubbornly hearken to the voice inside.

Interestingly, I was blessed to also encourage a teaching professional who desires to be a published author. Having self-published my first book, I was able to provide keen insights into the process, and deliver great hope to his efforts.  You see that voice inside does not go away with age, we just get too busy to listen any longer.  Four years ago I listened again and it has profoundly changed my life.  Let us therefore not only be caretakers of the ‘voice’ inside our youth, but in ourselves as well.

Fearlessly,
JD

Now That's Living!

Ever dream about being on stage? Not everyone does. As a matter of fact if you search the internet for ‘Number One Fear’ you will find that public speaking is listed by many as THE number one fear. Even greater than the fear of death or dying!

Jerry Seinfeld famously made reference to this by quipping, “So if I’m at a funeral, I’d rather be the guy in the coffin than the guy speaking about the guy in the coffin?!”  Too funny, and isn’t that crazy?!  Of course it’s because facing death is not only a huge unknown but is something very difficult to imagine for most of us.

On the other hand we can all easily remember anxieties related to having to stand up in class at some point to answer a question from the teacher, or to deliver a book report, or some similar ‘public’ speaking opportunity (test? trial? humiliation?). At a private club where I was once a member, I was speaking to a lady on this topic while she and I waited for our respective parties to show up. The conversation turned to our avocations. Being paid to speak was little more than a hope for me at the time, so…

I revealed to her my vision for an amazing speaking gig. In this vision I am just off stage, waiting to be announced. The house lights are off. All is pitch black except for a single spotlight illuminating a mic stand in the center of the stage. The sound coming from the audience is like standing near a diesel locomotives at idle. The volume and constant noise tell me beyond doubt the crowd is in the tens of thousands.

Realizing the size of the crowd, a smile begins to spread across my face. Oddly, my heart rate levels out even as the adrenaline begins to ratchet up. I flex my hands and fingers, roll my head and shoulders, and then….  I hear my name and step confidently into the darkness, crossing the stage to the place where I belong – in the spotlight, mic in hand, and I’m on!

When I finished regaling my momentary acquaintance with this story, she was white as a ghost! No doubt about her number one fear!

Is being on stage, mic in hand, your dream, your passion? Discover how to make it happen, determine to elevate it to a life priority, and turn your dream into reality. Now that’s living!

Fearlessly,
JD

Who Knows?

Who knows you want to speak? Who knows the desire of your heart is to be on stage in front of men and women who need the information or encouragement you have to share? If your wife, husband, close friends, parents or children are not booking agents or event planners how will anyone know your desire?

Spread the word! Blog about it (http://JDtheSpeaker.blogspot.com), tweet about it (@JDtheSpeaker), get Linked In (www.LinkedIn/in/WalkerJerry). Join organizations which can educate you about the profession, instruct you in the art of speaking (Toastmasters, Dale Carnegie), or otherwise further your ambition. Are you a member of a church, temple, mosque, or synagogue? Get involved and volunteer to lead. Sooner or later you will be given a ‘voice’ in that setting. Volunteering to serve as an officer or other leadership role in an organization is a terrific way to ultimately get the microphone.

Are you writing? Oftentimes it is important to establish your particular expertise by writing about it. I have been recognized as a thought leader in the area of turning negative situations into positive outcomes, and part of that recognition has come through my willingness to study and write about the results. What is your message? Have you written about it?

My D.E.E.D.S.© presentation is all about helping men, women, and teens live a life of purpose and destiny. I now get paid to present D.E.E.D.S.©, and have recorded a live DVD and CD presenting the topic in short-form to a gathering of business professionals.

Much of my current success is directly attributable to joining Toastmasters. I took advantage of my membership to not only hone the craft of speaking, but to serve as an officer, to participate in the various speaking contests, to volunteer to serve in Area and Division speaking contests, and to visit other clubs. I have been given speaking opportunities as a Target Speaker in an Area Evaluation Contest, and as the Sample Speaker in front of a Demo Club Meeting.

By virtue of immersing myself in Toastmasters I got my first paid speaking gig, which prompted me to begin defining my central message for public presentation.

This passion to speak that you possess will go nowhere until you elevate speaking to a life priority, as I did. As a practical matter it means you will spend time each day furthering your passion, believing you are going to become what you seek. It also means you are going to educate yourself about the art of speaking, which for me meant becoming even more well read than I was, joining Toastmasters, studying the craft of speaking, and studying my central message (do you have a central message?).

As soon as you have a forum to speak, no matter the size of your audience, by all means Speak! This will happen most quickly at Toastmasters, but as soon as possible demonstrate this passion of yours. What you will find is that your love of life increases as you become the person you wish to be. This will not go unnoticed by your family, friends, and co-workers who will likewise appreciate the joy they see in you. You are now sharing your passion, and it’s a blessing. I know because I began this journey in 2008.

Fearlessly,
JD

The Voice Inside

Last December I was blessed to encourage a combination of children, tweens, teens, and adults during one of my Fearless Speaker clinics. The primary message delivered that day was that our voice is important. As my audience learned that day the physical voice manifested through the interplay of diaphragm, vocal chords, lungs, and tongue is only the most obvious voice we possess.

Our inner voice, the one we define as the voice of our spirit, soul, or mind, is of singular importance. We may call it a still, small voice or a whisper of the mind, but let us never call it inconsequential, irrelevant, or unimportant. This is the voice of dreams, aspirations, and inspiration.

Most recently I followed this theme as a keynote in a business luncheon and encouraged the men and women in attendance to listen once again to that voice. It was just four years ago that I listened and set upon the life change I now celebrate every single day! My goal each day is to be better than I have been, and to do more than I have done.

Find that voice of your dreams. They can still come true. This is my testimony….

Fearlessly,

JD

The Fearless Speaker

In 2008 I was sitting in my Study at home when I asked the age old question, “Why am I here?” Have you ever wondered that very same thing? It seems to be a rhetorical question. After all haven’t we all contemplated our existence on this planet? Well I really wanted to know so I let the query run. By letting ‘the query run’ I mean that what I did not do was dismiss the question with a comment like, “Aw that’s crazy. Who can know such a thing?”

Ever been in a conversation when you and the person with whom you are speaking are trying to think of the name of a movie, an actor, a song, or whatever, and each of you are drawing a blank? I have been in that situation countless times. Invariably one of us says something to the affect, “I’ll probably think of it at two o’clock in the morning!” You both laugh and go on to another topic.

The computer between your ears, the human brain, continues to process that query, and sure enough a couple of days later you are enjoying lunch in a restaurant when the piece of information that had escaped you just pops into your mind! Then you call your friend, share the good news with them, and you both laugh again.

Well, I let the query ‘Why am I here’ continue to run. I did not dismiss it as an unanswerable question. Within days I began to get an unusual answer in the form of memories. Almost in chronological order memories of my having spoken to this group or that came back. It may have been as a child telling jokes to my parents’ friends, acting in a school play, performing on stage, or being a DJ at my college radio station, but there they all were.

It was a bit like the forest had been hidden by the trees. Of course I knew all about the dozens upon dozens of times I had spoken to an audience both informally and formally. I had simply regarded all those speaking opportunities as just the use of a gifting, but not as a life’s calling.

Having all of those ‘speaking’ memories arrive within days of the question, “Why am I here?” left me with no doubts I had received THE answer. I am here to speak. Okay, but what about? Here is where the answered question led to memories even more specific. My message would contain words of encouragement was the clear mandate and answer to the follow up.

Through the years I have been an encourager. I am naturally optimistic, and very often will approach people to whom I have never been introduced (you see, I have never met a stranger) to share a compliment, or otherwise say something positive.

With an answer to my simple but profound question in hand, I made the following decision: If I am on this planet to speak encouraging words to people then I will make doing so a life priority. Making it a life priority led me to determine that I would let nothing stand in the way of the simple objective to speak encouragement into the lives of as many people as possible. Therefore all doubts about my future path have been erased, and so too any fears about how to proceed.

I became The Fearless Speaker based upon this epiphany. Today, I assert to Event Planners, church leaders, speaker boards, and anyone else who hires or engages Speakers, that I will speak in any venue to any audience of any size at any time! I am The Fearless Speaker! My fearlessness is based upon the premise that my life’s message is one which men, women, and children need to hear.

We all need to be encouraged in who we are! This old world takes its toll on all of us. We get beat up daily by the cares of life, the drama of bills, bad jobs, poor relationships, and all the other nonsense that distracts from a peaceful life. Folks need to hear good news about themselves, and about their prospects for grabbing the brass ring of life.

How about you? Do you know why you are here on this rock we call Earth? If not then I strongly encourage you to find out the answer to this all-important question. Once you have made your discovery then be fearless in your determination to pursue your life’s purpose. It will enrich your life, and the lives of all those around you.

Fearlessly,

JD