When we know deep down that we're acting with integrity despite impulses to do otherwise, we feel gates of higher energy and inspiration open inside of us."
Dan Millman
Is there a better way?
Goals are important.
Action is necessary.
Planning is helpful.
Confidence is vital.
Hope is critical.
Self-improvement is compulsory.
Belief is essential.
But in the end there are only three ways to live - the short view, the long view or a combination of both. Let me explain.
The short view - Life happens now. Memories were created yesterday. The future happens tomorrow. When we take the short view and live life according to this approach we often fail to take into consideration the future consequences of decisions made and actions taken. Yes, we live in the present moment and this is a good thing, but failing to understand the relationship between now and tomorrow and yesterday can have its negatives like; regret, disappointment, frustration and even stress.
Today is all we know we have and failing to live today to the fullest means we essentially waste life. When we spend our now moments filled with worry, fear, uncertainty and anxiety we set ourselves up for more of the same. When we live today with hope, faith, courage and confidence we create potential better tomorrow's and yesterdays but either way we can avoid some of the negative impact on the future and the past.
If you had a simple choice to live in the now, wonder about the future or go back to yesterday and the good old days which would you choose? The past can't be changed and the future is totally unknown no matter how we spend our now moments but the chances of a better tomorrow increase when you bring control over your emotions and actions today.
The long view - The long view is all about planning, hoping, preparing and even wishing but in the end how we spent our past will have an impact on the longer view. Focusing only on tomorrow, next week or even next year steals from your present and again, we have literally no control over what will or may happen tomorrow. Yes, plans are good, goals are helpful and preparation is important but let me ask you - have you met all of your goals, have all your plans worked out as you anticipated - has your past preparation turned out to be unnecessary or even a waste of time given how things happened?
It is vital to live with hope and positive desires for the future. Faith in the good of the unknown is important but in the end, "We make our plans, but God determines our steps".
So keep on planning, keep working towards your goals, but never forget that we can only control what we can control and in the end that is very little when it comes to living.
A combination - Living with both the long and short view as your life approach. Life happens - every day - things we want and hope for and often things we don't want or didn't see coming. When you live with both the short and long term view you embrace the best of today, take what crosses your path with poise and acceptance knowing that that is all you can do and just keep keeping on towards your goals, plans and dreams.
I can't tell you how many times life has thrown me an unexpected curve in every area of life - finances, health, relationships and my career, but as the days and years pass I have learned that all I can do is do the best I can with today's circumstances and just keep plodding and yes sometimes even flying into tomorrow.
The answer - Let me repeat - you can't relive the past changing what is - is now history. You have minor control over what will happen in the future so what's left?
Plan, set goals, have dreams, prepare, work hard and hope but at the end of the day - well I'll share one of my motto's with you - If it happens and it's something I want - I will be excited and filled with gratitude and say thank you. If it doesn't I will not be disappointed and yes, say thank you again.
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Author: Tim Connor Global speaker and trainer (23 countries and 4000 presentations) on a variety of sales, leadership, motivation, management and business and personal relationships and best selling author of over 80 books. http://www.timconnor.com
I was prowling around Youtube this afternoon (as one does on a Sunday when the grey day does not permit any exploration outdoors!!) and found this beautifully lucid, simple and yet strangely powerful way of putting together an elevator pitch. I love it. Next networking meeting, I'm going to try it out ...
"There are two things that are more difficult than making an after-dinner speech: climbing a wall which is leaning toward you and kissing a girl who is leaning away from you."
— Winston Churchill
Ah Mr. Churchill! He created resonance with the audience, knowing that most find speeches difficult, intrigued them with the mention of two things, and used wonderful "rhetoric" with his phrases that repeated structure and image. What a speaker!
"Though no on can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."
Carl Bard
What is your brand new ending? And when will you start making it... or have you already started?
Right now, under the banner of a business called Pivotal Public Speaking, I am teaching small business owners about story - story for speakers? ... not altogether ...
If you are speaking to grow your business, then story is vital. It gives you credibility. It creates a deep engagement with your audience of potential clients. Most powerfully, though, it allows you to take a potential client into your business with you so that they feel, and hear, just what it is like to work with you, just what exactly it is that you do for them.
That is "if you are speaking ..."
The stories that you choose and tell, about your business, though, can then be used and re-used elsewhere with exactly the same power.
1. You can use them on the "About" page of your website/blog/web presence. They give that same level of engagement, credibility and awareness, that will have your web visitors clicking through to find out more.
2. You can use them on your sales pages. Let your prospective buyers know that you understand their pain and problems. Let them see your product in action. This is word of mouth marketing - online!
3. You can use them in conversations. You connect at a networking event. What more natural and yet powerful way of deepening that connection is there, than story? People arrive at your product display. Conversation, and story, will give them the human face of your business, your product, your service. And people do tend to buy people first. We know that, though often instictively.
4. You can use your story/stories in your social media marketing. On the surface this means sharing stories about your business - regularly. Facebook loves stories. Distill them down for twitter into tiny conversational pieces. Give them "corporate" style, if you need to, for LinkedIn. Under the surface, though, your brand story drives all that you do in social media. Confine all that you do, say and share to that defined specific story and you establish a strong brand presence.
5. Finally, you can use your stories when you are teaching. Many speaking engagements revolve around teaching about something in your business. Many businesses revolve around teaching something. Here the power of story is perfect for you because it creates engagement, it helps overcome objections to new ideas and it is a vital tool in the integration of brain function so necessary to successful learning.
So in "teaching" story, I am excited to be giving people far more than just a speaking tool, though it is certainly that.
If you are interested in learning more about story, either simply as a speaking tool, or as a tool to grow your business, why don't you join me?
You will learn
How to use stories for different outcomes.
How to draw an audience into your world or your business using story.
4 of the basic types of business story and where to find the ones in your business/life that will be more effective when you speak.
Story structure - the elements and processes of story and how to apply them and which ones work best in different situations.
How to integrate story into your speaking - how it fits into the structure of your presentation, how to use your voice, stage and stage presence to greatest effect and how to remember it.
Integrated into the program is a thread of how you use story to propel your personal growth, the growth of your business and your vision for the future
This is small group workshop format. In all of my workshops I find people learn much from each other, as they are learning from me, and I intend to maintain that.
The next workshop intake will be available later in the year. If you would like to be notified, please send me a message from my contact page and I will keep you in the loop.
Your speech flows along.
It makes sense.
Your audience is listening, watching, presumably absorbed.
Keep them that way. A speech that flows along like that will get boring before long unless you introduce something that brings your audience's comfort up short.
Today's quick tip is one little device that will interrupt the normal communication process and rather than following the flow of ideas, the listener focuses on the words instead. Using this effect, you can have your audience stop, and really listen – to all that you want them to understand, engage with and remember.
This effect is to do with the sounds within words.
One way to create this effect with sounds is to use alliteration. Alliteration is one of the most powerful ways. Here, each word begins with the same sound. So I might have a “particularly powerful proposition” or an idea may be “Revolutionary and radical.” Can you feel the device working, drawing your attention to the words and all that they mean?
Another technique using sound is rhyme. Like all devices, it can evoke emotion which is one of the best ways to resonate and engage with your audience. It can also be used very effectively to create humour… Ogden Nash wrote: “Candy is dandy. But liquor is quicker.” How much meaning there is in those few words … and he draws attention to them using rhyme.
These are also the words that will create what I call a "bright spot" in a speech - a place you can call back to. Use it to identify a point in your speech, or a moment in the presentation as a whole.
So start getting into the habit of incorporating alliteration and rhyme into your speeches – at times when you want to slow things down and make a major point. They will be a powerful ally for you.
"Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it."
William Feather
