by Malcolm Gladwell

Now that he's gotten us talking about the viral life of ideas and the power of gut reactions, Malcolm Gladwell poses a more provocative question in Outliers: why do some people succeed, living remarkably productive and impactful lives, while so many more never reach their potential?

MC’ing events and conferences at the top professional level is a real blast. The fundamental key is to make everyone else look like stars…then you’ll shine along with them.

http://publicspeakingtipsguides.com/speaking/speaking-tools-and-resources/7-tips-for-the-master-of-ceremonies-116

"To profit from good advice requires more wisdom than to give it."

Wilson Mizner

It’s very important that your speech have an intrinsic rhythm or “flow”; otherwise, it may come across to listeners as staccato, dull and/or uninspiring. But how do you ensure that your next presentation has a natural cadence that adds to the clarity and energy of the information being conveyed?

Though some people do have a natural gift for writing and delivering speeches that keep audience members spellbound from beginning to end, it’s absolutely fine if you didn’t receive that talent at birth. The ability to create a “flowing” presentation can be learned, and it’s probably much easier than you think.

To begin, try these top seven suggestions for maximum results during your next public speaking engagement:

http://www.publicspeakingexpert.co.uk/how-make-sure-your-speech-flows.html

by Og Mandino

He is the leading inspirational author in the world. But once, he was a thirty-five year old derelict who nearly spend his last few dollars on a suicide gun. Now, for the first time ever, he describes the joyously redemptive process that turned a down-and- out alcoholic into a millionaire and a happy man within ten years.
Read more --- or --- buy now from Amazon --- or --- request it free if you are a Pivotal Gold Member

Alex Greven discussing his book on
The Ellen Degeneres Show earlier
this year.
Alec Greven makes it look like child’s play. In the span of a year, the nine-year-old author has gone from self-published book fair bestseller to national media darling, and has three books arriving between now and next May. This month HarperCollins’s Collins imprint will release the first, How to Talk to Girls, based on a book Greven wrote at the age of eight, for a school assignment. 

In the picture book, which features interior art by Kei Acedera (her first children’s book as well), Greven, a fourth-grader from Castle Rock, Colo., offers suggestions about dealing with girls and crushes (“It is good to give a girl compliments. Don’t go crazy with them though. Then you look like you are trying too hard”), as well as observational “statistics” based on his experiences at school (“About 73 percent of regular girls ditch boys; 98 percent of pretty girls ditch boys”).  
read more

Diary of a wimpy kidGreg is a conflicted soul: he wants to do the right thing, but the constant quest for status and girls seems to undermine his every effort. His attempts to prove his worthiness in the popularity race (he estimates he's currently ranked 52nd or 53rd) are constantly foiled by well-meaning parents, a younger and older brother, and nerdy friends.

(more...)

Out of all the things I do these days it is SPEAKING that gets me "off" more then anything else.
Gary Vaynerchuk has captured national attention as a businessman and Internet celebrity. Gary’s fame can be attributed to his pioneering, multi-faceted approach to personal branding and business building.
By Fiona Robyn

My experience of being a writer is of walking a constant tight-rope between processing negative feedback and rejection, and feeling good enough about my work to not give up completely. There have been extreme highs and extreme lows over the years, and I’m not expecting things to get any easier as time goes on — just different.
Although none of us would ever improve if we weren’t able to take on feedback from others, we also need to manage this process so it doesn’t overwhelm us. If we’re not passionate about our work at least some of the time then how can we expect anyone else to value what we’re doing? So how do we survive?

Read on ...

self-esteem

Smiling changes your attitude, raises your confidence, and makes you more attractive.
By Devlyn Steele

As we rush through our busy days accomplishing our tasks—work, kids, shopping, cleaning, and eating on the go, we often complain that we don’t feel good. There is a simple, quick, and effective way that you can feel better throughout the day and also be more attractive.

All you have to do is smile more.

Smiling changes your attitude, whether you realize it or not. If you have any doubts, next time you feel down, start smiling and thinking positive thoughts and see what happens.
You can’t help but have a better attitude when you smile.

Smiling also raises your confidence.

... more