Become a Confident Speaker

This Saturday, I'll be speaking at a Capitol Club Toastmasters special event. Many topics will be covered, but I'll be addressing how to utilize the specifics skills of body language and vocal variety to create a great presentation.

Here are the details:

FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP

When: Saturday, 3/25/17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Smoky Mountain Pizza, Parkcenter Blvd, Boise, Idaho

What: Learn how to overcome nerves, organize and deliver a speech, create introductions, improve body language, and answer Q & A.

Program fee: $20 (includes lunch)

For reservations: Contact Patty Johnson at patty_johnson@prodigy.net or 208-308-3404

Hurry and reserve your spot, because space is limited.

April 20, 2016 = National Lima Bean Respect Day

Consider yourself warned ---> Wednesday is an important day!

Besides writing, I tend to do a lot of unusual research and public speaking. Sometimes … I combine the two. That’s one of many reasons I belong to Toastmasters, an international organization committed to empowering people to become better communicators. On Wednesday, April 20, 2016, I’ll fulfill the role of Toastmaster at our weekly meeting. This responsibility includes acting as a host, conducting the entire meeting, choosing a theme, and preparing brief remarks to bridge gaps between program segments. It’s actually quite fun.

As I do with most research, I typed my topic into Google, and imagine my surprise when I learned that April 20, 2016, is National Lima Bean Respect Day.

Seriously?
Apparently!

Here are some interesting tidbits for you to consider:
• National Lima Bean Respect Day is something that grew organically (no pun intended) on social media. It’s an “unofficial” national event … because the Internet says it is!
• Official Hashtag: #LimaBeanRespectDay
• Sometimes called "butter beans" because of their starchy yet buttery texture, lima beans have a delicate flavor that complements a wide variety of dishes.
• Humans have been cultivating lima beans since 6000 BC in Central and South America.
• The bean received its name when the Spanish explored Lima, Peru, during the 15th century. Although the two are pronounced differently.
• Introduced to the United States in the 19th century, the lima bean is primarily produced in California.
• Lima beans are great in pot pies, casseroles, and salads.
• The heartiness of lima beans makes them a great soup bean.
• Lima beans are often cooked with bacon and pork.
• But beware: eating raw or sprouted lima beans may cause stomach cramping, diarrhea, and vomiting.
• Eating large quantities of undercooked beans can release cyanide (from cyanogenic glucosides), which can impair tissue oxygenation and cause severe illness.
• Lima beans contain oxalic acid, a naturally occurring substance found in some vegetables, which, may crystallize as oxalate stones in the urinary tract in some people. Therefore, people with known oxalate urinary tract stones are advised against eating certain vegetables. Adequate intake of water is advised to maintain normal urine output to minimize stone formation risk.
• In Japan, green baby lima beans are an important ingredient in bean paste.
• Mix puréed lima beans with chopped garlic and your favorite fresh herbs. Use this spread as a sandwich filling or a dip.
• Lima beans are filled with nutritious fiber, potassium, iron, copper, protein, and manganese.
• They’re also a rich source of B-complex vitamins, especially vitamin-B6, thiamin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, and niacin. Most of these vitamins function as co-enzymes in carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism.
• Lima beans are an excellent source of folates, essential for DNA synthesis and cell division. Adequate folate in the diet around conception and during pregnancy may help prevent defects in the newborn baby.
• Lima beans are also low in fat and contain protease inhibitors that stall the development of cancerous cells.
• Lima beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber.
• Eating high fiber foods, such as lima beans, helps prevent heart disease.
• In addition to providing slow burning complex carbohydrates, lima beans can increase your energy by helping to replenish your iron stores. A cup of lima beans contains 24.9% of the daily value for this important mineral.
• Lima beans are a good source of protein, and when combined with a whole grain such as whole wheat pasta or brown rice, provide protein comparable to that of meat or dairy foods without the high calories or saturated fat.
• The beans are generally kidney-shaped and appear in several different colors, including green, red and brown.

Feel free to use any of the tidbits above to share on social media, along with the official Hashtag: #LimaBeanRespectDay … and if possible, link back to this post.

If for some crazy reason, you can’t muster up the courage to support National Lima Bean Respect Day, you may be glad to know that April 20th is also National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day.

YAY for research!

For more information about Toastmasters: https://www.toastmasters.org/
For more information about the TM club I attend: http://capitolclubtm.org/
For more information about lima beans:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=59
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/lima-beans.html

#IWSG: Use It OR Lose It

Many #writers fear #speaking in front of a crowd. Today, I offer a few tips to make the experience easier.

www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

 

*** The first Wednesday of the month is Insecure Writer's Support Group - when we offer words of encouragement and advice to one another. Join the group by clicking on the link above.***

 

Use it, or lose it.

I once played a flute solo in front of a huge crowd in the BSU Pavilion (currently known as the Taco Bell Arena). Now the instrument sits in my closet unused. I haven’t played the flute in decades, and I’ve since forgotten how to even finger the notes. It was a talent I once had, and now I don’t. As the old adage says, “Use it or lose it.”

 

Margo Kelly - 1986

This is often true for various abilities. If we don’t exercise the skill on a regular basis, we run the risk of losing it. I know that if I want to keep a particular talent, I must make a habit of using it.

For me, public speaking is an ability that I want to keep polished. So I’ve made the conscious decision to practice on a regular basis. That means I’m not only delivering prepared speeches, but I’m also leading efficient meetings and offering verbal evaluations of other people’s speeches. These three processes allow me to use my brain in different ways which then enables me to remain proficient with this skill.

Margo Kelly - 2015

So let’s briefly address these three topics: delivering a prepared speech, leading an efficient meeting, and offering verbal evaluations.

First, prepared speeches help me improve my communication skills because through the process, I need to write the speech, polish it, and memorize it. Now of course memorizing is not always necessary, but it is excellent brain exercise. Some people do Sudoku. Some people do crossword puzzles. I do public speaking. I’ve also figured out that about 600 written words equals a five minute presentation for me. In daily life, I tend to be very long winded. So to prepare something short is a great way for me to practice being concise with my message.

Second, leading an efficient meeting is another way to utilize my abilities – because instead of writing, polishing, and memorizing, conducting a meeting allows me to organize, monitor, and listen. These are all necessary tools not only for a competent speaker but also for a leader in any arena. We must be able to organize an agenda, monitor the usage of time, and listen to what’s being said throughout the entire meeting. Listening is a vital element of being a great speaker. Which brings me right into to the next point.

Offering a verbal evaluation of another person’s speech is a practical way for improving my own aptitude. When I am actively engaged in listening critically to someone else’s presentation, I can observe techniques I want to adopt personally and styles I might want to avoid completely. However, being an effective evaluator involves more than just listening. I must also then compile my thoughts quickly in order to offer verbal feedback in a kind but helpful way.

These three opportunities: delivering a prepared speech, leading an efficient meeting, and offering verbal evaluations provide me with varied ways to practice my public speaking.
 
In conclusion, as the old adage says, “Use it or lose it.” I don’t play the flute anymore. I don’t remember how to play a simple scale. But that’s not a priority to me at this point in my life. Speaking well is a priority, and I practice regularly at Toastmasters.

Toastmasters is an international organization dedicated to empowering individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. By participating in the variety of roles offered at the meetings, like delivering prepared speeches, leading efficient meetings, and offering verbal evaluations, I am able to exercise my skills and feel comfortable in front of others in many settings.

https://www.toastmasters.org/