Apply to Public Speaking:
Albert Ellis’ irrational beliefs are:
Love and approval from peers are necessities for adults
Absolute competence, success, and perfection are imperative
Certain people are wicked and deserve punishment
It is a tragedy when things are not the way you would like them to be
External events are the cause of most misery
Unknown, uncertain, or potentially dangerous things [...]
LifeSkills
Apply to Public Speaking:
Breathe from your belly
So much to appreciate
Tense to relax
Visualize success
Slow down
Appreciate yourself
Smile because you care
Stop doing what doesn’t work
Just say no
Accept what you cannot change
Luskin, Dr. Fred and Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier. Stress Free for Good. New York: Harper
Collins Publishers, 2005.
The area contest was definitely a success. I was thrilled to see that my Table Topics work has paid off and resulted in a 2nd place finish. I was a little less than thrilled to discover that my humorous speech resulted in a plethora of… silence. It was the type of silence that would welcome [...]
Listening. How often do we consciously and mindfully listen? Are we truly taking in the words, or are we impatiently waiting for our next turn to speak? Unconscious listening is simply another way of saying “not paying attention.” When I am not absorbing words and resonating with their content and meaning, I may as well [...]
Over the weekend, while ensconced in a cottage in Quebec sans Internet, I spent some time marinating over concepts in The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook, considering how they may apply to the fear (and elimination thereof) of public speaking.
The concept of Body Inventory can easily be applied to the preparation for a speech or [...]
Today, while performing the role of General Evaluator, I learned am important lesson: Although I certainly possess the gift of gab, occasionally a small amount of blab gets in the way when I am feeling excited/enthusiastic. Although I am eloquent in speech, I need to become more succinct.
I have always imagined myself to be likeable, but likeable doesn’t equal eloquence. Eloquence, combined with confidence, is an engaging and powerful combination that lets a person fit in anywhere (should they desire) and engage in meaningful (or trivial) banter with anyone, anywhere. Whenever I fly, I usually end up returning with one or more [...]
The term mindfulness is usually tied to meditation as in the mindfulness of Buddhism, and yet it can be tied to every activity that human beings engage in. Being mindful is to be in the moment, being fully aware of the goings-on without rendering judgment – simply acknowledging and releasing without emotional involvement. I believe [...]
I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the art of delivering instantaneous speeches. In retrospect, it was occurred to me that perhaps I have a certain amount of discomfort with being constrained by guidelines and having to stick to a “plan”. Granted, one of the first skills I acquired to accompany my instantaneous speeches [...]