The Speech Wiz shares an insight on being an inspirational speaker.

"To succeed, you need to find something to hold on to,
something to motivate you, something to inspire you."
Tony Dorsett

We speak to achieve one of three outcomes – to inform, to persuade and to entertain. We lead to achieve one of three outcomes – to help others succeed, to be an agent of change, and to fulfill a collective purpose or promise.

Speaking and leadership have a great deal in common. Chief among these is the ability to influence others. In the speaking world, there are Three Types of Influential Speakers – Inspirational (What is possible), Motivational (Why it is important) and Transformational (How can you achieve it). Each has its own underlying purpose and fulfills a different need for the listener. In this blog post I will share some insights on being an Inspirational Speaker and the challenge of What.

INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKING

An Inspirational Speaker shares stories and perspectives with their audience about “What” is possible for them to achieve in life when they meet and defeat a challenge. Inspirational speaking examines how one approaches life challenges by offering either first hand examples or the example of others who have overcome challenges and achieved an intended goal.

Often, an inspirational speaker will rely on a spectacular tale of incredible accomplishment. Sometimes they are first person recounts, while other times (most often this is the case) the speaker will use a third person narrative of some famous event or accomplishment to make their point. What usually happens is the speaker is lead down a rabbit’s hole believing the more spectacular or incredible their challenge story, the more gravity their message will have. Unfortunately, the correlation between the depth of the challenge accomplishment and “What is possible” when you overcome a challenge does not always translate or inspire an audience.

When you speak, true inspiration comes from telling stories of challenges met and overcome that fall within the realm of everyday people. They need to be relatable to a common life. If the challenge story is too big to fit within the listener’s daily existence, they will fail to see the value of your inspirational message. They will dismiss your example as being beyond their realm of achievability and the “What is possible” you wish to inspire will miss the target completely.

The secret to inspiring people is to share with them “What is possible” as achieved in everyday life by everyday people like them.

INSPIRING THROUGH A COMMON CHALLENGE STORY

One of the stories I like to share in the inspirational portion of my keynote presentation, Won’t Power: How to become a Hope Less Success, is about my great grandfather. It is an ancestral story of highly focused intention in the face of a commonly-faced, almost impossible challenge met by an everyday person facing extraordinary circumstances. It clearly answers the question of “What is possible” when you dedicate yourself to a vision of higher purpose attached to a deeply personal mission.

When telling the story, it must be possible for your audience to imagine themselves in your main character’s place. How would they react? Would they be able to make a similar sacrifice? Would they feel capable of taking on a similar challenge while maintaining relative, highly-focused intention?

I will share the gist of the story I tell about my great grandfather so you can see the inspiring people through story can help them see that within them lies the ability to meet and defeat life’s challenges and succeed.

A COMMONLY INSPIRING STORY

In the early 1890’s my great grandfather, Israel Kovalchesky, lived in the village of Romanova just outside of Minsk. There, like his family had done for decades, he plied his trade as a blacksmith. Life in Romanova was becoming more oppressive. Some of his cousins had already made their way to freedom and opportunity in America. With a wife and five children, he knew their future lied across the Atlantic. In 1892, he left his wife and children behind. Making his way out of Russia, across Lithuania, to Liverpool where he boarded a tramp steamer bound for Ellis Island in New York.

After his arrival he made his way out to iron ore mines of Wyoming where he could ply his skill as a blacksmith making spikes for the western railroads. He toiled through blistering hot summers and numbingly freezing winters for two years. After two years, having earned and saved enough money, he made his way back to New York, boarded a ship for England and made his way back to Romanova. There, he gathered two of his children and repeated the journey back to New York. Once in New York, he left his children with relatives and went back to Wyoming to earn enough money to bring more of his family to America.

After three more years, he made the return trip to Russia. He was greeted by a happy wife and a new child, the product of his last trip home. This time he took three children leaving his wife and the youngest for his final journey.

Once back in America, after leaving his children with relatives, he headed west to Wyoming again. Toiling for another two years, he prudently saved enough to make a final round trip to Russia where he claimed his wife and child and returned to America.

In all, it took him ten years to complete his mission. Ten years dedicated to a singular goal. A goal with no awards show, no government programs, no political support. All he had was a singular vision to meet a daunting challenge head on and succeed in the mission he had embraced based on his own ability.

INSPIRE THROUGH STORIES OF “WHAT IS COMMONLY POSSIBLE”

My great grandfather’s story is a common tale. Outstanding as it is, his story serves to make the inspirational argument that the enormity of what you do is not as important as dedicating yourself to getting it done with extremely high-focused intention.

When you speak or lead, if you want to inspire your audience, use stories of challenges met by common people in the course of their everyday lives. That’s what inspires an audience, because that is what they can relate to and what they want to hear.

Thanks for your support as a reader of my blog and I eagerly welcome any comments on how you’re thinking about achieving the possibility of your promise.  Also, I would appreciate any suggestions you might have for future posts in this blog on a topic near and dear to you in the comments section below. As always, please feel free to share this post with a friend or colleague.

To Your Speaking Success,
The Speech Wiz

Your Success will either DIE or LIVE on How You’re Thinking - Part II

“A person with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.”
Mark Twain

PART II

This is the second of a two-part blog that examines how “Your Success will either DIE or LIVE on How You’re Thinking.” In Part I we examined “The Natural Enemies of Promise” - Doubt, Indecision and Entropy. If you cannot defeat the Natural Enemies of Promise by changing how you think, the possibility of your promise will D.I.E.

In part two of how “Your Success will either DIE or LIVE on How You’re Thinking”, we will examine the Natural Allies of Promise that will enable you to L.I.V.E. the possibility of your promise.

I often hear people espouse about this dream and that dream and how they will, “Achieve it because they believe it!” Goody for them. Having a dream is a good start toward achieving the possibility of your promise. But, dreams can be misleading. What is a dream? It’s vaporware at best. You can’t hold it or mold it. A dream is born of your unconscious mind’s need to express a combination of experiences both vividly imagined and real into a synthesis that, for a fraction of time, makes sense.

If you want to use a dream as a platform for launching your toward reaching the possibility of your promise you will need to take it to the next step; converting your dream into a desire. Your success in converting that desire into a reality will L.I.V.E. on How You’re Thinking when you engage the Natural Allies of Promise as a framework for desire-based thinking.

THE NATURAL ALLIES OF PROMISE

The thinking-shift from a D.R.E.A.M. (a Deeply Rooted Emotionally Achievable Manifestation) to a D.E.S.I.R.E. (a Deeply Emotional Self-Interested Realistic Expectation) is pivotal if you want to reach the possibility of your promise. But, like all things, it’s tough to do it on your own. So, just like any project where you would look to fill in the gaps between your talent and your needs, the Natural Allies of Promise can help you fill the gaps in your desire-driven thinking, helping you keep focused on your intended goal. The Natural Allies of Promise are Longing, Intention, Viability, and Enthusiasm. Let’s briefly examine each’s role as a natural ally of promise.

Longing

When I was seven years old I saved up a bunch of box tops and sent away for a medal model of a red, Ford Thunderbird convertible. The process of waiting to receive that “prize” was my first exposure to desire-driven behavior. My yearning to hold that shiny red auto in my hands became the singular focus of an entire summer. I would plan my days around the mailman’s delivery schedule. In the days before tracking numbers, expectation that “today would be the day” was as close to instant gratification as I could get. My longing to achieve the possibility of the promise of this car as fulfillment of my expectation was the prime catalyst of my success.

Longing is a powerful ally in your desire to achieve something. A longing is more than an idle or passing thought. A longing is a persistent hunger for something accompanied by a burning, obsessive craving, unquenchable thirst to achieve a promise or reach an objective. A longing says you are in it for the long haul and it can be sufficient to sustain you through the temporary troths of your desire-driven thinking.

Intention

In my keynote presentation, “Hope Less Success”, I make a big deal out of telling my audiences there is no such thing as an accidental success. By the very definition of success (the achievement of an intention) you can see how crucial focused intention-based thinking is in achieving the possibility of your promise. In learning to LIVE your promise there is no substitute for intention. Intention is a keen awareness of your current state of progress toward your promise and the distance you will need to travel to close the gap between desire and achievement.

Intention is your internal resolve to do something; to be in control of the outcome as the active, driver of the initiative rather than a passive spectator willing to settle for the result regardless the score or its net effect on you. Intention is the “line in the sand” you will draw that says, “I will not retreat from where I stand. I will only move forward with every fiber of my body dedicated to achieving the possibility of my promise.

Viability

Success does not happen in a vacuum. It requires energy. Lots of it. Without a continuous supply of positive energy your drive to succeed will encounter the friction of entropy and will eventually erode both your attitude and aptitude. To counter this phenomenon, you will need to engage your viability engine.

Viability is your operational state of mind. It tells you that you cannot achieve the possibility of your promise without a deeply committed belief in the sustainability of your vision. Viability is your capacity for tenacity. It is that singular quality of mind that enables you to sustain your desire through belief in your promise’s right to exist. Viability is the reflection of both the competence and confidence you have in your ability to achieve the possibility of your promise.

Viability is your passport into the world of possibility where your desire can be actualized, limited only by your belief in your desire.

Enthusiasm

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

In short, there is no substitute for enthusiasm. Recently, I have encountered several startup companies whose reason for being has less to do with an enthusiasm for the customers they serve as it does for the “big pay day” when then can get acquired. Some of these companies are struggling to hang on. Some are finding it increasingly difficult to define themselves both internally and externally. Others are finding it difficult to attract both customers and investors because they have lost that “lovin’ feeling” for the enterprise they began.

Enthusiasm is an essential element of reaching the possibility of your promise. The phrase, “Do what you love, and the money will come”, is fantastic advice. When you have endless enthusiasm for what you do, your energy will be unlimited as well. Enthusiasm is a clear manifestation of mind over matter. When you hit “the wall”, encounter seeds of doubt, or begin to feel weary enthusiasm can provide the regenerative energy to jump start your desire-driven thinking and propel you toward achieving your promise.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS

Over the last two blogs we examined how Your Success will either DIE or LIVE on How You’re Thinking. In Part I, we looked at The Natural Enemies of Promise – Doubt, Indecision and Entropy and the roles they play in derailing you from achieving the possibility of your promise.

In Part II, we examined The Natural Allies of Promise – Longing, Intention, Viability and Enthusiasm and how they can be harnessed to redirect, reinvigorate and regenerate your desire-driven thinking en route to achieving the possibility of your promise.

Whether you are willing to let the possibility of your promise D.I.E. or L.I.V.E. is a matter of how you think. The choice is up to you.

Thanks for your support as a reader of my blog and I eagerly welcome any comments on how you’re thinking about achieving the possibility of your promise.  Also, I would appreciate any suggestions you might have for future posts in this blog on a topic near and dear to you in the comments section below. As always, please feel free to share this post with a friend or colleague.

Bringing Positivity to Everything,
The Brain Tamer

Your Success will either DIE or LIVE on How You’re Thinking - Part 1

“Perceived failure is oftentimes success trying to be born in a bigger way.”
Chinese Fortune Cookie

PART I

As either a speaker or leader, the possibility of your success is ever present, ever changing, and never ending. The one certain thing I know, is that you will take and remain in control of that success potential when you discover how to define and refine your success mindset. The seeds of success must be planted and nurtured in the mind of the achiever if they are to have any possibility of taking root and reaching maturity.

If you’re looking for the most direct route to achieving success, look between your ears. Examine your current state of thinking toward your destination and become intimately aware of both the natural Enemies and the Allies of your promise.

THE NATURAL ENEMIES OF PROMISE

It might be hard for you to imagine (or not) that lying within the same fabric of energy from which you weave the dream, desire and eventual positive outcome of a promise are the same threads from which you may sew its destruction. These natural enemies of promise lurk beneath the surface of your positive energy waiting for that moment when the slightest crack in your resolve presents the opportunity for them to insidiously strike at the heart of your desire.

Without any fanfare or warning they will inject their venom into your thinking system causing the possibility of your promise to D.I.E.

The natural enemies of promise are Doubt, Indecision and Entropy. Let’s briefly examine each’s role as a natural enemy of promise.

Doubt

You’ve may have heard the expression, “sowing the seeds of doubt.” It’s true. Doubt is an easily planted, quick-rooting seed. Once planted it becomes self-nurturing, feeding upon a growing bed of uncertainty about the outcome of a possibility. Doubt can cause the deeply convicted to consider questionable or unlikely the strength of their conviction. Doubt is that critical moment when you hesitate to believe the possibility of your promise. Doubt is never an ally of the bold, the innovative, or the achiever.

The purveyors of Doubt are all around you. Even in places you might consider “safe”. Eliminate doubters from all facets of your endeavor. This might include friends, family, peers, superiors and subordinates, partners and patrons. If your goal is to succeed at achieving the possibility of your promise, you must build a wall of resistance and learn to cast away all signs of doubt. Steel yourself to the struggles ahead while learning to plant seeds of positivity nurtured by the faith of your conviction.

Indecision

My dad was one heck of a very successful salesman. Not only was he a success, but many of the people who worked for him were successful as well. One of the favorite expressions he used to inspire and instruct his sales force in helping them learn how to close for the benefit of the customer was, “Not to decide, is to decide.”

Indecision is an infectiously paralytic mindset that inflicts upon a person’s possibility of promise the inability to decide in both initial and critical situations. Unlike doubt that causes one to reconsider a belief, indecision robs the possibility of promise of its right to exist by shutting down all forward momentum. Indecision is the quicksand of the mind in which a current state of sinking in overwhelm becomes the accepted norm. Indecision is treading water with no apparent safe shore in sight.

Your goal in dispelling indecision is latch on to your resolve. See the possibility of your promise for all of the wonderous reasons that initially inspired you. Deepen your intention and take the leap of faith you dreamed of at the start.

Entropy

All endeavors exist on the same basic ingredient, energy. For most speakers and leaders this energy is limitless. It is culled from the intensity of their vision and the desire to share their vision with a wider, deeper impact.

Entropy is a doctrine of inevitable decline and degeneration. It tells us that, universally, reaching the possibility of your promise is an uphill battle. Things have a tendency toward deterioration. When pursuing the possibility of your promise you must know that whatever energy (enthusiasm) you amassed to begin will not be sufficient to sustain. To overcome the forces of entropy you will need to find ways to continually add to your supply of energy.

It’s not easy, but it is possible. Positive mindset techniques like expanding your vision, increasing the scope of your pursuit, and increasing the number of people that are aware of your promise are all ways you can add energy to your endeavor to counter the effects of entropy.

DON’T LET YOUR PROMISE D.I.E.

The natural enemies of promise are formidable, but not controllable. To become the master of the enemies you will need to intensify and solidify your positive mindset. When doubt, indecision or entropy begin to surface, you will need to learn how to adeptly hit the reset button without losing momentum. Remember, the solution lies between your ears.

TO BE CONTINUED…

This is the first of a two-part blog that will examine how “Your Success will either DIE or LIVE on How You’re Thinking.” In this part we examined “The Natural Enemies of Promise” - Doubt, Indecision and Entropy. If you cannot defeat the Natural Enemies of Promise by changing how you think, the possibility of your promise will D.I.E.

In part two of how “Your Success will either DIE or LIVE on How You’re Thinking”, we will examine the Natural Allies of Promise that will enable you to L.I.V.E. the possibility of your promise.

Thanks for your support as a reader of my blog and I eagerly welcome any comments on this post or suggestions you might have for a future blog on a topic near and dear to you in the comments section below. As always, please feel free to share this post with a friend or colleague.

Bringing Positivity to Everything,
The Brain Tamer

How to Grow Your Speaking Voice through Respect.

“Stupid is as stupid does.”
Forrest Gump

These words above, from the fictional title character of the film, Forrest Gump, have amazing clarity and truth. Think about it as it applies to you. We all do stupid things, mostly by accident, sometimes by omission, and other times strictly due to a lack of concentration. But, “Stupid is as stupid does.” Let’s take a closer look.

I feel safe in venturing that few, if any, of us wake up each morning with the singular goal of, “Gee, what stupid things can I do today and still live to tell about it?” Yet, we manage to do more stupid than brilliant things without really trying. The fact that we are not aware of our own propensity for stupidity may be more of a curse than a blessing. The fortunate end of this is that most often the stupid things we do are little things which, when taken individually, have little or no effect on our life each day. Yet day after day we still do the stupid without regard to the cumulative effect it has on our lives as a whole. While some consider doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result to be a definition of insanity, I like to think of it a dose of good ole homegrown stupidity. This type of behavior will eventually call into question the foundation of Respect we have for yourself.

RESPECT AND THE SPEAKER

As a speaker, you must be ever aware that your authority to speak rests greatly and precariously on the foundation Credibility you established for yourself. A large portion of your credibility is impacted and shaped by the depth of respect you have for yourself, your foundational message, and your relationship to the audiences you serve.

In many cases, as a speaker, it is what we do when we are saying nothing that can easily betray the depth of our credibility and the level of respect we maintain.

You’re at the airport on the way to a speaking opportunity when you step into the newsstand to pick up some water and a snack for the flight. As you walk down the aisle you cross in front of another shopper who is tortuously deciding which chewy snack will hit the spot and you do so without even offering a courteous, “Excuse me.”

“So, what,” you say, “they probably didn't even notice!”

You might be right. But, that’s not the question you should be asking yourself. The real deep question here is. “Did you notice?” And if you did notice and did not offer a polite, “Excuse me” you may have committed a double offense, one to the person you offended and two to your personal dignity and respect.

When you walk in to your speaking engagement the next day, you are greeted by the very person you were rude to at the airport. You feel stupid for having acted badly in a situation you can never undo. You cannot NOT communicate and the message you have sent through your action is a sign of disrespect and questionable credibility.

RESPECT AND YOUR SPEAKING VOICE

“Actions speak louder than words” and growing your speaking voice is less about what you’re saying and more about the foundational base from which are speaking. While you are diligently digging to discover content that matters to you and will impact your audiences, your actions throughout the process will help solidify a platform with the integrity to support your message.

The more actions of respect inward and outward that you perform, the stronger your experiential base as a speaker will be. Not only will what you say grow, but the strength of conviction within the voice behind those words will grow as well.

SPEAKING OF RESPECT

The general point here is that it is more than just a common courtesy so say “Excuse me” when we infringe on another’s space. By doing so, we acknowledge there are rules of conduct which we ascribe to as a civilized society. These rules help us to create order while they relieve us from the potential rule of chaos.

Saying, “Excuse me” not only bestows a measure of respect on the infringed, it bestows a measure of civility on the infringer as well. This behavior can and will establish an atmosphere of mutual respect between each person involved in the encounter. Respect makes our world a better place to live. It makes our common efforts rewarding. It makes us understand the basis of our common existence.

My challenge to you is to try to be courteous and respectful in all situations. Particularly those when you are about to knowingly do something stupid. Give yourself a break. Take yourself off of autopilot and take command of your vessel. At the end of the day, acknowledge the stupid little things you have done and make a conscious effort not to repeat them.

Remember, the most important person in the world is you. If you don't show yourself the maximum amount of respect you deserve, it's quite possible no one else will either. If you keep on going day after day repeating one small stupidity after another, it will have a cumulative effect on your reserve of self-respect.

 “Stupid is as stupid does,” but stupid does not have to become a standard of performance or an excuse to be rude.

Thanks for your support as a reader of my blog and I eagerly welcome any comments on this post or suggestions you might have for a future blog on a topic near and dear to you in the comments section below. As always, please feel free to share this post with a friend or colleague.

Bringing Positivity to Everything,
The Brain Tamer

You can successfully profit from “A Labor of Love.”

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.
If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
Albert Schweitzer

Like most of you, I am mourning the "official" end of summer. So much potential for relaxation seemed to turn on the currents of urgency. Life, death, joy, and recovery were all part of "a summer to remember." And now, "It's back to work!"

I am looking forward to a return to something that is both routine and productive. Oddly, both of these things are a necessary part of work. Without routine, work tends to be haphazard, unstructured and quite possibly counterproductive. Without productivity, work is aimless, unaccountable and unquantifiable therefore rendering it meaningless and valueless. Work without value is like treading water, it may keep your head above water, but you are not making any progress. Even, a Labor of Love.

A LABOR OF LOVE

On the day before Labor Day, of our 33rd anniversary, my wife and I volunteered to work at a festival for a group we had never met, had no direct contact to and did not plan to join at any time in the future. When we got there, we found they lacked a great deal of the organization and know-how required to cook food for the masses. Both of us had significant festival food experience by virtue of being "band parents" for seven years (somewhere around 25,000 hamburgers served.) You never know when or which of the experiences in your life will be of the greatest value to others. For four hours we toiled under humid conditions without the proper tools or facilities. We improvised, encouraged, instructed and organized. In short, we had a ball! We couldn't have asked for a more reaffirming and rewarding experience as an exclamation point to this "summer to remember."

At the end of our shift, the organizer called us "Angels sent from God." I told him he should call my mother and let her know her son is an "angel." This Labor of Love really had extreme value in so many ways. First, we met new people, always a pleasant and vibrant experience. Second, we learned that even the little things we do can make a great difference to those in need. Third, we left an imprint on others that should kindle in them the ability to reach out to others who at some time in the future may need their help too. Lastly, on our anniversary, we reaffirmed our love for each other by sharing our "precious" time doing something "angelic" for strangers.

Intangible Value + Doing Something Joyful = A Labor of Love

GIVING RETURNS SUCCESS

I'm not sure how often you may have an opportunity to volunteer or just take the time to do something that doesn't cross your palm with anything but a handshake, but you should. Service to our fellow beings, human or animal, is one of the keys to understanding the universal question of "Why are we here?" We grow exponentially every time we reach out and connect with someone or some group. That growth is measurable yet infinite as long as it is embraced, not as a means to an end but, as a way of life. The concept of "Reaching out and touching" someone has less to do with communicating than it does with the love we should have for each other and the unique opportunity helping others affords each of us to enhance the total significance of all humanity. When the opportunity presents itself, choose to be a helpful person and you’ll experience a valuable element of a successful life. Remember, success is simply the achievement of an intention.

SAGE ADVICE

Albert Schweitzer was spot on when he said, “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”. Whether you speak or lead people for a living, think about how valuable your skills might be to a cause in need. Having personally experienced the rewarding experience and “good feelings” I get every time my contributions help promote a worthy cause, I can't imagine my life without it. I encourage you to seek the opportunity to make a difference through a “labor of love”. When you do, the rewards of the experience will be priceless.

In this blog, I have introduced a formula. Formulas are a coaching tool I have used for years with profound results. Feel free to collect them and integrate them into your success strategies as you see fit.

Thanks for your support as a reader of my blog and I eagerly welcome any comments on this post or suggestions you might have for a future blog on a topic near and dear to you in the comments section below. As always, please feel free to share this post with a friend or colleague.

Bringing Positivity to Everything,
The Brain Tamer

Where are you in the audacious and tenacious stories you tell when you speak?

"Nobody is a villain in their own story. We're all the heroes of our own stories."
George R. R. Martin

One of the great joys of speaking may be found in that moment when something you say inspires or motivates your audience. There are two ways you can make this happen.

The first is through sharing deeply profound insights that clear the cobwebs from your audience’s mind, allowing them to see clearly through to an outcome you envision.

The second is through the telling of inspiring and motivating stories.

If you take option number 2, you should tell stories of audacity to inspire and tenacity to motivate. When you tell these stories, they will have greater impact on your listeners if they have you as the hero.

AUDACIOUS TALES

I have heard many speakers, keenly intent on inspiring their audiences, tell heroic stories of other people’s accomplishments. True as these stories may be, they lack the first-person credibility a speaker needs to add gravity to the inspiring point they seek to make.

One reason for this, is many speakers do not feel comfortable telling stories of their own audacious experiences. They view this act as “bragging”. But, it is not. It is merely the opportunity to humbly share lessons learned through your own experience at the crucible of life.

Audacity (being audacious) is the ability to take bold risks. If you want to really inspire your audience, take the time to reexamine your life and look for those moments when you stepped outside of your comfort zone. It could be the story of your first time away from home or you're the time you took on a project without any idea of how you would pull it off. Audiences are inspired when they hear stories about the possibilities of human endeavor. The stories that resonate the most with them are delivered through first person testimony.

When audiences hear you tell stories about the achievements of famous people, the listening rule they follow is “If the story is not about you, then why are you telling me?” To be your most effective as a speaker, open up and let them hear about your trials and triumphs.

TENACIOUS TALKS

When I speak on success, I often ask my audience if they have “A capacity for tenacity?”

My goal with this question is to help them gain an understanding that success is not an instant experience, but an accumulation of many instances of success over time. In other words, you can motivate your audience to see why a dream is possible if they can attach themselves to the bigger vision with a massive amount of tenacity.

One story I tell is how I trained my dog to ring a bell hanging by our back door to alert us when she needed to go outside. Now this may not seem like a big deal, but for the dog and our family it was. This story combines elements of overcoming the nay-sayers, calling upon extreme ingenuity and innovation, patience, understanding, commitment to the vision, teamwork and success.

When your audience learns, through your stories, that no dream of theirs is too small to be given their all, they will become motivated to reach for newer and bigger goals.

HEROES AND VILLAINS

George R. R. Martin, author of the Game of Thrones series said, "Nobody is a villain in their own story. We're all the heroes of our own stories."

To be a really effective speaker you must feel comfortable being the hero of your stories. To inspire your audiences, you will need to seek out the memories of where you have boldly gone and look for the wisdom within the tale. You can use this to drive home the critical point of what you want to say. To motivate your listeners to new heights, you will have to revisit the life experiences that will help others learn the value of focused commitment as a means toward achieving greatness.

Have no fear, speakers can be heroes too.

Thanks for your support as a reader of my blog and I eagerly welcome any comments on this post or suggestions you might have for a future blog on a topic near and dear to you in the comments section below. As always, please feel free to share this post with a friend or colleague.

Bringing Positivity to Everything,
The Brain Tamer