Selecting Your Topic

Posted by rebecca

Nov 9

Successful Club Series – Selecting Your Topic

This presentation, part of Toastmasters International’s Successful Club Series, will provide creative brainstorming advice on selecting a topic. It’s easier than you think – just open your eyes and ears and pay attention! Don’t pull an Einstein: When speaking once at Harvard, he walked to the lectern, paused and then declared “I really have nothing to say” and sat down! He then informed them that he would get up when he had something of use to say.

Personal Experiences

  • The time dad shaved pigtails in the sink with a pink razor
  • When mom and her brother papered my uncle’s ceiling with pinup girls
  • Losing my teeth after falling out of a tree
  • When the wash tub was filled with skinned rabbits
  • First experience stuffing a turkey

The Outside World

  • Radio
  • Television
  • Newspaper
  • Magazines
  • Encounters with Strangers
  1. Audience
  2. Occasion
  3. Own Abilities
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Filed under: Education, Tips | Tagged as:

Communicating on Video: Project #3: When You’re the Host

Posted by rebecca

Nov 2

Communicating on Video: Project #3: When You’re the Host

Tips for Improvement:

- Watch THE VOICE[tm][*]
- Pay attention to exaggerated or overly enthusiastic vocal expression
- Work on more of a serious and professional demeanor
- Use simple words rather than attempting to be “wordy” (doesn’t fit in)
- Less rambling; stick with the facts
- Wear more makeup

[*] – Having started vocal lessons, it is apparent to me that the lower tones are more challenging for me to hit and maintain while keeping a “full-bodied” sound. My inability to sustain a presentation without switching into a higher and rather irritating voice has been observed a number of times and my goal is to have my next evaluation focus on something else! I don’t want to hear anything about THE VOICE[tm].

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Filed under: Speaking, Tips

Lost in Translation

Posted by rebecca

Oct 24

A new blog theme sadly(?) means that my old calendar events had been lost in the upgrade, or, as I would rather put it, lost in translation. At first, I strove to locate them. Then I simply gave up on it – it was just attachment anyways… then I realized that as a computer programmer, doing SQL dumps and imports are second nature for me. A Buddhist mentality goes far, but a certain amount of programming know-how goes the rest of the way!


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Filed under: Organization

Communicating on Video: The Interview

Posted by rebecca

Oct 17

Communicating on Video: Project #2: The Interview

Tips for Improvement:

- Be mindful of time
- Do not cross legs
- Keep tone of voice conversational instead of “speech style”
- Use a consistent persona – switching between genuine self and “speech” persona
- More vocal variety when pertinent to conversational style
- Avoid leading into answers with “well…”
- Do not fit in the word of the day if it detracts from the presentation

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Autumn Theme

Posted by rebecca

Sep 5

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Filed under: Miscellaneous

Summer Off

Posted by rebecca

Jun 27

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Make Me Cry

Posted by rebecca

Jun 20

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Filed under: Inspirational

Speechless

Posted by rebecca

Jun 13

Sometimes (even) I am speechless…

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Integration

Posted by rebecca

Jun 6

power-thought-cards

There are 3 things that are not to be discussed in Toastmasters: Religion, Sex, and Politics. Sometimes I don’t feel authentic as I am a VERY spiritual person. What I have realized though, is that I can integrate my passion without crossing boundaries. Last week I used Louise Hay’s Power Thought Cards for Table Topics and it was fun, insightful, and touching! Inspiration doesn’t HAVE to include God (even though it does in my heart). :)

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Burnt Toast

Posted by rebecca

May 30

I feel like a piece of burnt toast. 3 years of intense Toastmasters activity has left me in a state of semi-burnout. Incredible ambition, traversing cities, jumping at opportunity, and immersing myself 100% has left me feeling rather deflated. I am going to take a moment to breathe, recharge and find ways to integrate my spirit into my Toastmasters activity from this time and on, S L O W I N G down. I am 1 step away from my DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster) designation, and I am content just to let things rest. I am learning how to BE. I need to recharge my energy and rediscover the passion. We are not heading for a “divorce” but the waters are choppy. I don’t want the boat to capsize. My heart needs to be touched again.

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Filed under: Challenges
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