February 2010 – Page 9

audiovisual, powerpoint, Public speaking, visual aids

Using Computer Presentation Programs effectively

People are tired of worn-out power point presentations!

Does this mean we should jettison the technology and go back to the "stone age", as one person put it, in giving our presentations?

No more than we should ban television because of the likes of Jerry Springer and Temptation Island.

The medium itself is not to blame, it is how that medium is used that falls short. Too often, presenters rely solely on their software to provide every bit of their presentation's creativity. The problem with this approach is that the entertainment value of PowerPoint and other programs, leaves a lot to be desired.

When a speaker decides to use it as a crutch, instead of as an enhancement tool, it can give a presenter a false sense of security about a bad presentation. I've sat through many a bad presentation where the insecure presenter just hides behind a barrage of screen activity as a gratuitous gimmick rather than having good illustrations and attention-getting visual element to add in making their points. So how should this medium be best used?

Obviously, there are millions of reasons for a presentation, and therefore, millions of effective and creative ways to deliver it. Creativity can take several forms, from the spontaneous quip to the extravagant special effects of a Hollywood blockbuster. Keep in mind, though, that a crummy movie with very impressive special effects is still a crummy movie, and the same rule applies to presentations. Things that may work well in some presentations will not do so in others, but here are some general guidelines for successful use of electronic slides.

confidence, positive thinking

Finish Strong

The Super Bowl is right around the corner, and the New Orleans Saints used Dan Green's book Finish Strong for their season's theme!

You can watch the movie of the book here

attitude, inspiring videos, motivation, videos

Internal Power: Seven Doorways to Self Discovery

In this overview from the book by Harold W. Becker, Internal Power, Seven Doorways to Self Discovery, we find ourselves in a Grand Hallway with seven doorways representing our potential. Each doorway leads us into greater insight, understanding and personal awareness. The hallway represents our inner selves while the doorways help us recognize our journey to inner peace and freedom.

The first doorway, Choice, is the foundation of our journey of self discovery. Here we also realize the power of intent and responsibility in relationship to our choices. In doorway two, we encounter the various ways we Communicate, both within and externally. Auditory, visual or kinesthetic along with our internal and external dialogue all point to the types of thoughts we entertain. Positive Thinking is doorway three and here we find the road to happiness and joy in acknowledging the positive aspects of our lives.

Doorway four opens us up to the world of our Creativity. By accepting our creative nature through our thoughts, we restore the fullness of our ability to consciously create in everything we do. Doorway five brings us to the important understanding of our innate Masculine and Feminine energies. Perhaps one of the most potent of our attributes is to embrace and balance the imagination, the feminine energy, with that of our masculine energy of willpower. This goes beyond our gender identification and when in balance, we become more whole and complete.

Doorway six leads us to the most incredible and fulfilling relationship of our Child Within. We can learn to bring this vibrant and dynamic energy back into our present moment as a spontaneous and joyful expression. This brings us to the final doorway of Unconditional Love. The culmination of our life journey, here we release our attachments to fear and doubt and accept the natural flow of love that is always present. Our Internal Power is greatest when we realize unconditional love for ourselves and all life.

inspiration, Quotations, thought for the day, time management

"Be mindful of how you approach time. Watching the clock is not the same as watching the sun rise."

-- Sophia Bedford-Pierce

Success

How to always have a tidy office (or house, or garage!)

I learnt something as I unpacked my bags recently. I'd just returned from a 3-day trip to regional towns around New Zealand. I pulled out some items I needed immediately and then caught myself thinking, ‘I'll finish unpacking later.'

‘No you won't. You'll do it now!' said the little voice on my shoulder.

With a brief flutter of resistance, my procrastinating self crept back into her hole. Within five minutes the job was done, the room was tidy, and I knew I could come back into the room later without that awful sinking feeling of ‘Darn it, I've still got to put all this stuff away!'

I noticed something else. It's easier to shift a moving object than a stationary one, it generates higher energy, and it's less time-consuming. It's when we have to go back to something that we end up in a muddle, it slows us down, procrastination becomes a familiar companion, and tidiness becomes a hard and challenging chore.

The hardest part is the decision to act. Next time, as you stand there being tempted to head down the grey tunnel of ‘slob-itis', try one of the following strategies:

See yourself coming back into this pristine space with nothing shouting ‘You've still got to put me away.'
Hear the congratulations of your dearly beloveds (or surprised work colleagues if it's a work situation).
Feel your delight and joy as you connect with the freedom of no clutter.
Think back to the last time you did put things away quickly. Remember your thoughts and feelings, the mental pictures and the sounds attached to that positive memory. Build them big in your memory and let the positive energy attached to that memory impel you forward into action NOW.
Reward yourself. It might be as small as five minutes to sit and look at the view, take a walk outside, sit down with a relaxing book or magazine, talk on the phone to your best friend, have that chocolate you've hidden from yourself - whatever turns you on.

Next time, when you:

Complete a task at work - put away tools and paperwork.
Return from a trip - unpack everything immediately.
Get out of bed - make it.
Dress or undress - hang things up and put the dirty washing in the basket (or ready to go out the door next time you leave your bedroom).
Eat something - clean up after yourself.
Arrive home with used sports gear - clean and store it ready for next time.
Finish a task in the garage, workshop or garden - clean down and put away the tools.
Come in from work or town with a bundle of items - groceries, post, accounts to pay, magazines to put away - whatever miscellany you typically bring home - put them straight away.

Last thoughts:

What's clutter? Just something in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Every piece of paper or equipment lying around is a symptom of a decision not made or an action not completed.
Space and clutter strugglers just stop too soon - the job's not done until it's all put away. Just shift the finish line.
Why make it hard when it could be easy - all for the sake of another two or three minutes?
Capitalise on your existing momentum. Do it now!

Remember, it's faster (and a lot easier) to shift a moving object than a stationary one!

Publisher: Robyn Pearce robyn@gettingagrip.com http://www.gettingagrip.com © GettingAGrip.com 2006

inspiration, Quotations, Success

"Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary to a worth while achievement."

Henry Ford

actions, Goals, inspiration, Quotations

"Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly, and do
every day what should be done, and every sunset will see
you that much nearer the goal."

-- Elbert Hubbard

beliefs, change, inspiring videos, values

The Psychology of Change

In this companion lecture to Dr. Bruce Lipton's "Biology of Perception " ( Part 1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOpZG3... ), Rob Williams, M.A. and Originator of PSYCH-K, discusses how beliefs determine your biological and behavorial realities and shows how to establish communication with the subconscious to "rewrite the software of the mind" and facilitate change.

PSYCH-K is a simple and direct way to change self-limiting beliefs at the subconscious level of the mind, where nearly all human behavior originates, both constructive and destructive. Its overall goal is to accelerate individual and global spiritual evolution by aligning subconscious beliefs with conscious wisdom from the worlds great spiritual and intellectual traditions.