Book Review: Train Your Brain by Judith Tramayne
Our thoughts create our experience. And the only way to improve our experience is to train our brains to consistently produce better thoughts. That’s the idea Judith Tramayne explores in Train Your Brain. She spent 37 years researching the subject before she was confident enough to share what she learned. Her belief is that spreading this knowledge will end famine, disease, and anything else that prevents “light (good)” from entering our lives.
Thoughts: Read the Rest of This Article »
Book Review: A Brief Guide to World Domination by Chris Guillebeau
“No matter what you have been told, no matter what has happened to you, and no matter what mistakes you’ve made, you can completely change the way you live every day of your life. You can focus the majority of your time on the things you enjoy, and you can also make an incredible difference in the lives of other people while you are at it.”
Taking over the world isn’t just for genetically modified mice; it’s for regular people too. After four years volunteering in Africa, Chris Guillebeau started a social movement called The Art of Nonconformity. His mission is to take over the world and to help you do the same. Taking the road less traveled can be scary, but letting go of our assumptions, expectations, and comfort zones is the only way we’ll ever have what really matters. Read the Rest of This Article »
Book Review: The 7 Keys to Success by Will Edwards
Gain pleasure. Avoid pain. That’s pretty much what we’re wired for. But is there more to life? Will Edwards considered the question and realized that there is. He realized that we need to wake up to our life purpose and dedicate ourselves to fulfilling it. That’s the only way we’ll live to the full. In 7 Keys to Success, he discusses what it takes to do just that: Read the Rest of This Article »
How to Craft the Perfect Speech
“Public speaking is the art of diluting a two-minute idea with a two-hour vocabulary.” – Evan Esar
At some or other point in our lives, we’re likely to be called upon to make a speech, be it for a family wedding or a presentation at work. While maintaining a degree of spontaneity is crucial, winging the whole thing is probably not the best option. Instead, taking the time to prepare something solid can leave a memorable impression for years to come.
Two great resources on the subject are Alan Barker’s Improve Your Communication Skills as well as Dale Carnegie’s The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking. Ultimately, it comes down to these things:
Research the audience. Knowing who you’ll be addressing allows you to use an appropriate style. That way, you’re more likely to connect with the specific group by using words and jargon they’ll understand. It also allows you to pick a topic they’ll be interested in hearing you speak about. That’s a must. What you have to say has to somehow tie into helping them solve a problem or achieve a goal. There has to be some sort of emotional connection or else the whole thing will turn into a bore.
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How an HIV Positive Man Lived with a Positive Attitude
It was a Tuesday morning in early April 2001. I watched the autumn rain as it trickled down the car window and disappeared into the street. Mr Gordon had chosen me to represent the school at the Free State HIV/AIDS Conference. I didn’t know what to expect but I hoped the experience would be a meaningful one. Fortunately it was. Read the Rest of This Article »
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