The Best in You

My unofficial mentor is Jim Rohn.  He's 'unofficial' because he passed away last year, and we never met while he was alive.  I call him Mentor because of the wealth of wisdom and valuable advice he amassed, and passed along, during his professional career.  Wisdom and advice I have leaned upon as I construct a new life in pursuit of my passion for communicating.

Steven R. Covey, famed author of The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, and numerous other works of practical wisdom and insight, has likewise affected how I view the world and my place in it.  When I finally committed to read 'Seven Habits' I found I couldn't put it down.  Timing is everything, so they say, and my time for his landmark work had come.  It became foundational.

What do Alice Walker and James Fenimore Cooper have in common?  Me!  I count, The Color Purple and Last of the Mohicans among my all-time favorite reads.  The Color Purple may be the magnum opus of Ms. Walker's Pulitzer Prize winning career.  Told through the eyes and voice of Celie, The Color Purple is a wonderful read.

I love the breadth, the scope, and the cinematography of Michael Mann's screen adaptation of Last of the Mohicans.  In major ways it is completely unlike the book, but if you agree with me about the movie, you must read the book.  Immerse yourself in the grand scope of one of the all-time classics, Last of the Mohicans.

I am sure you agree that life comes at us from all angles with challenges, obstacles, and opportunities.  From these we craft victories, suffer defeats, endure, shut down, cry, shout, laugh, mourn, or just sit in wonderment that we are still alive.  I have chosen to be victorious though I have suffered defeats (bankruptcy and foreclosure to name two); to shout frustrations as well as great praises to God, to laugh often, and to mourn those who have passed into God's presence before me.

I still sit in wonderment that I am alive some days, and I thank God for His mercy and faithfulness to have preserved me thus far for the work yet to be done.  Today that work consists of encouraging you, the readers of this blog, to find a mentor you can trust to challenge you to raise your game to the stars.  Find a book that will reorganize your thinking in such a way as to re-shape how you do business (and how you do 'personal').  Finally, make the time to lose yourself in a really good novel at least once a month.

Seek the best around you and within you, not the average.  Then ask yourself the questions that Jim Rohn asked, "Why wouldn't you push to the best you can be?  To make all the money you can?  To read all the great books you can?  To learn all you can?  To be the best spouse, father, mother, son, daughter, or friend you can? Why wouldn't you?

Andrew Carnegie said, "The man unable to motivate himself will never rise above mediocrity no matter his talent or his giftings."  Make the best in you, the daily you.

Fearlessly,
JD

No Fear Here!

At a time in U.S. history when the Depression had reeked havoc upon this great nation, Franklin Roosevelt, the President of the United States said, in his inaugural address, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."  In the life of a professional speaker, a Soccer Mom taking the podium at a PTA meeting, a Little League Coach addressing parents before the first practice, a department head stepping to the Board Room lectern, or new member at a Toastmasters club, there is fear.

We can all glibly say that we are fearless, and that is in fact how I bill myself, The Fearless Speaker.  My first blog is entitled the same.  But when the time comes to deliver to an audience, no matter how seasoned or polished we may become, that fear will try to invade our peace.

For me the fear is small indeed, but the tiniest morsel of that dread emotion will yet try to unsettle the most established and credible orators.  For those of you who believe yourselves to be more prone to the attack than most, rest assured we all face this nasty little demon.  And you can likewise rest assured that you are able to defeat fear as easily as I do.  It's all in your preparation.

The Two Keys to Speaking Success, as previously blogged, is your sure foundation.  Confidence in yourself and your message, buoyed by solid practice sessions, will get you ready to present.  The balance of preparation is divided between knowledge of the venue, an understanding of your audience, great knowledge of the material you will present, and time spent practicing.  Did I mention how important practice is??

If the remarks I am to deliver are not rehearsed (practice, practice) so that I know them backwards and forwards, I leave room for the seeds of doubt and fear to creep in.  If I have not taken the time to familiarize myself with the venue, its location, the acoustics (if possible), or to otherwise find out all I can about where I will speak, there's room for doubt and fear.  It would seem ridiculous to speak to an audience with whom you are completely unfamiliar!  Surprisingly, speakers take the stage every day with a canned speech expecting it to play well no matter the crowd.  Oops!  Know your audience.

You can limit the amount of stage fright you feel.  You can control the level of fear.  You can be, as far as anyone would ever know...fearless.  Victory is found in your preparation.

Fearlessly,
JD