Speaking Clearly: Living In a World that Doesn’t Understand Psoriasis is a resource book that comes to psoriasis patients, or their loved ones, for free to US residents that request a copy. Having watched my own ex successfully battle the disease I can only really look back to the origin of the source of the useful [...]
Apr
9
How to Knockout Your Fear of Public Speaking
A Guide to Mastering the Art of Public SpeakingIf you are like the majority of people, then your fear of public speaking is a hindrance to your self-esteem that you would love to overcome but honestly don’t know how. The fear of public speaking not only hinders most of us in our personal lives, but affects our professional careers as
well. Whom do you believe will get that next promotion at your workplace, the one who lives in fear of public speaking or the one who has learned to master the art of public speaking?Here is a quick guide to help you turn your fear of public speaking into a successful attempt of mastering of the art of public speaking:What is the root of your fear of public speaking?Think about it. What aspect of your fear of public speaking gets you all tangled up in knots inside? Are you afraid that you will say something that will make you look like a moron or that you won’t be able to stop stuttering from your fear of public speaking? Or are you afraid of being sized up by so many people? Do you really care that much about what people think about you or do you have impossible perfectionist ideas that fuel your fear of public speaking?
Jan
1
For Christians, is it wrong for me to do hypnotherapy to quit smoking?
Coco asked: I realize that God does not want us to “empty” our minds and be open to whatever, but if I have a therapist that i trust, isn’t this better than continuing with this addiction that I can’t seem to break? It has worked for so many people. I am a little confused. How [...]
Oct
20
Weight Loss Over 35: How to Find Middle-Age Success
Tips for Weight Loss and Overall Health when You’re Almost Over the Hill
Remember when you were younger, the days of giving up meat for Lent and dropping 15 pounds by Easter? How about switching from regular soda to diet, and wondering where those last 10 pounds flew off to? Think of them fondly, for those days are long gone once you turn 35. You’ve got to
change the way you think about your body and weight loss, so that you can change your body!
Tip #1: Do what you know
Long-term weight loss requires a combination of diet and exercise. Most of us already know this; it’s not difficult to remember. It’s just difficult to do. Examining (and shrinking) portions of food, giving up French fries for the occasional apple, and skipping dessert or that second glass of wine every once in a while requires a lot more self-awareness, personal responsibility and self-control than most people want to spend. But hey, isn’t that the great thing about passing 30? You finally have a real sense of self-control and self-awareness that is lacking in many people younger than you. This can work in your favor. Take advantage of it.
Tip # 2: Less food in, more energy out
The second part of reaching your weight loss goals is exercise. Don’t run away– come back here and read the rest of this article! Hmmm, is all your running metaphorical these days? Probably so, what with kids and work and stress and no more long nights of dancing (where did all the good dance music go, anyway?). Make yourself move. Join a gym or buy some free weights, get an old treadmill off of craigslist, walk with a friend, anything! At this age, the extra weight isn’t going to burn out– you’ve got to get the fat to fade away. That means regular exercise-and by regular I mean 5 or more days a week-every week.
Tip #3: Loreal’s right, you’re worth it
Aug
22
5 Super Tips to Get Rid of Your Public Speaking Fear
How to Overcome Public Speaking Anxiety or FearI have seen many people around who most of the times hesitate to make a public speech. Many of the times it happens because those people really have fear in their minds for public speaking. I have personally experienced the feeling of inferiority or fear of not having much knowledge about
the topic of speech. These are the major reasons for having public speaking fear. And after a lot of hard work and continuous practice I managed to overcome my public speaking fear. Here are my 5 super tips for you people who want to get rid of their public speaking fear.1) Don’t get scared to make mistakes: Yes when it comes to public speaking you are bound to make some minor or major mistakes. But it is the part and parcel of public speech. Don’t be afraid of doing mistakes during your public speech. Only thing is that you should learn from your mistakes and try not to make those next time when you are presenting. Even if you make a mistake during your speech then don’t get panic and try to remain calm and cool which will definitely help you to present yourself in a better way. 2) Be creative and select your topic which you are most passionate about: When you are going to present yourself in public speaking, it is the primary thing that the topic of the speech should be the one which you know very well and you have a real passion about that topic. Because when you are going to speak about that topic then your heart and mind will produce the most effective and most creative presentation you have ever presented. This is very important as you already are very confident and well knowledgeable about the subject and your audience will also take keen interest in your presentation. 3) Build a strong, positive attitude in yourself: When it comes to any kind of public speech it is mandatory that you should have the requisite confidence in yourself and you should have a s strong belief in your abilities. This will only come when you will look at yourself as a most knowledgeable and highly positive person in your life. So it is the most important factor in making your public speech successful and without any fear.
Feb
26
How to Improve Public Speaking: Four Tips that Will Turn You into an Expert Speaker
The great public speakers that you admire and wish you were like weren’t born that way. Anyone can become an expert speaker if you are willing to put in the time and effort and follow these four tips on how to improve public speaking. 1. Visualize Before your speech, imagine yourself standing in front of the others, sharing
with them the information that they desire. Feel good about yourself when you visualize. Don’t imagine yourself failing. Know that when the day comes you will be calm, confident, and will succeed. 2. Practice Can practice make perfect? Not quite, but it will make it close if you practice correctly. Don’t feel that you must have your speech and gestures completely memorized. Over-practicing can be as bad as not practicing at all! Spend some of your practice time with preparation. Instead of writing out your entire speech, use notecards to outline the important points of your speech. Practice from these notecards until you are comfortable with the flow of your speech. If possible, practice in front of friends or family a few times. If no one is available to listen to you, turn yourself into your own audience and practice in front of the mirror. 3. Record Use a camcorder to record yourself giving speeches. This way you will be able to look at your performance objectively. Did you put your hands in your pockets? Did you use filler phrases such as “uh” and “like” too often? Don’t worry about the mistakes that you made. If you were already a perfect public speaker you wouldn’t have to practice! Be sure to find positive things about your speech giving as well. Approach someone who is experienced at public speaking and ask if they could give you any pointers after watching a few minutes of the tape. Many people will love to help and will be flattered that you consider them an expert. If you are uncomfortable approaching your expert, have some friends evaluate you instead. If they also want to know how to improve public speaking you can form a group and everyone can record themselves and do a group evaluation. 4. Join a Group
Nov
29
How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking
Public speaking is stressful for the majority of people. However, the fear of public speaking, or glossophobia as it is called, is more serious in some than others. Many of us would love to dodge the problem entirely, but in some cases it’s absolutely unavoidable. For instance,
giving a toast as the best man at a wedding or a college presentation leaves you no choice but to just go through it. The good news is that there are effective methods to help improve and correct your fears, allowing you to give great speeches. Here are just a few things to help you do this:Relax.Start off the process by relaxing yourself. Most people believe that certain things in life are stressful, and public speaking is no exception. The truth is, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to give nice, polished public presentations. The people you see giving speeches in front of large groups of people seem to have it down, but keep in mind that they too once started being terrified to speak. Their hands were trembling, voice felt as if it would give out, and there thoughts were cluttered in their mind. Does that sound familiar? If so, just know that they were able to eliminate their fears and so can you. Everyone is human, and if they are capable of doing something then you are too. Be confident with yourself. Change Your Perception of Public SpeakingA public speaker is an idea, almost like a job, and many people strive too hard to bring forth certain qualities that are necessary with being a public speaker. However, that’s not the way to proceed. You’re not trying to be a public speaker; you’re trying to be yourself. The majority of public speeches have gone wrong because the speaker tried to be something or someone that they’re not. Speaking in public is one of the few times that you can fully be yourself in the presence of others. Otherwise, your audience will see right through your false personality. Make your speech feel natural.
Oct
9
Five Tips to Combat the Fear of Public Speaking
Public Speaking – Be PreparedGlossophobia—the fear of public speaking.According to Wikipedia, glossophobia may affect as many as 75% of all people who have ever had to speak in public. There is a running joke that says statistics indicate that many people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of death. Public speaking is pretty much exactly what
it sounds like: speaking in public, and many people are terrified of this prospect.In order to be an effective public speaker, and to alleviate some of the fears associated with public speaking, this article will present five tips to help you become an effective public speaker.1. Know Your AudienceIn order to be an effective public speaker, you have to know your audience. This is where the ‘who’ of public speaking comes into play. How you would address a group of teenagers would differ greatly from how you would address a group of, say, lawyers. This is a critical factor to effective public speaking. You need to know your audience, who they are, their demographics, and then prepare your presentation geared toward the majority of your target audience. When you know your audience and understand where you audience’s perspective will be before you have to speak, you will be much more comfortable when the time comes to make your presentation.2. Know Your Subject/TopicWhat will you be talking about? What is it you will be presenting? Whenever you give a talk, speech, recital, presentation – you are presenting something to your audience. What is it? Figure out what your topic is and research and study it so you are prepared. While you may have a presentation already lined out and ready to just stand up and read, the audience may ask you questions, and you should be prepared to answer them. The more you know about your topic, the ‘what’ of your presentation, the comfortable you will be when speaking and the more knowledgeable you will appear to your audience.3. Practice, Practice, Practice
Jul
31
Good Debt Consolidation Firms vs. Bad – Make Them Work for You
Learn How to Tell a Good Company from a Bad OneFinding yourself under crippling debt is a nightmare turned reality for many people. No matter how hard they try to pay off their debt it just never seems to go down. This is where debt consolidation comes in. Debt consolidations allows you to have one bill from one company every month.
Sound like a dream? You can make it succeed for you. First, let’s take a look at what debt consolidation really is. The most important step is finding a debt consolidation company that is right for you. You can utilize the internet to make your search easier and to also find comments form those who have used the company before. You will want to look for positive reviews about companies that have helped other consumers effectively reduce their debt. The company that you ultimately choose will send you a monthly statement with all of your bills consolidated into one. They are the only company you will you have to pay and you will have one interest rate along with one minimum payment. This can be great for those who have trouble keeping track of the numerous bills they need to pay each month. You won’t miss or forget a payment because you only have one to make. This can also be good for those who have many different, and possibly high, interest rates. Since the debt consolidation company will give you one interest rate there is a good chance that it will be much lower than many of your current rates, which will reduce your overall payment. Another advantage to consolidating all your bills into one is that you no longer have to dodge creditors calling you left and right. Since you are only dealing with one company there will only be one creditor to discuss any issues you may be having and one person to negotiate your payment plan. How you deal with your finances will become easier and less problematic when only one company is involved. However, there are many unreliable credit consolidation companies out there with only one goal in mind – to profit off of you and take your money. These are the types of companies that you should be watching out for. Some of them have even been known to make late payments, which would further your credit troubles.
Apr
15
The Power of Your Business Card
4 Ways to Double the Power of Your Business CardSure, everyone needs business cards. But why not make your business card do double or triple the work of an average business card?Here are 4 proven ways to supercharge your business card into a powerful business tool.1.Use the back of the card to include sales info. Good marketers know that customers need to be reminded at every opportunity how your product or service will help them. Even though business cards are small, you can still include some information on the back of the card that will remind
customers how you are unique, better, and valuable. You could include a short bullet list of features and benefits. You could display some stats and figures, mention awards your product has won, or list a brief testimonial or two. Just a little bit of extra sales information can make a big difference in building relationships and encouraging sales. 2.Use the back of the card as an appointment card. Dr.’s and dentists do this frequently. But other businesses can use the same concept. Sales people of all kinds, realtors, consultants, professionals and more can use the back of their business cards as an appointment card. This is a good idea for several reasons. First of all, it increases the likelihood that a prospect will keep your card close by – at least until you have the appointment. Second, it gives you a reason to give customers more than one business card. The more cards they have the more likely they are to always have one handy when they need it. This is especially important if they are referring you to a friend or relative. They may have an extra card of yours laying around that they can give to someone. 3.Use the back of the card as a map to your store. Maps are important for people who are new to the area, or people who aren’t familiar with your part of town. Also, with just a mailing address listed on the front of the card many people don’t know exactly where you are. A map will clear that up and again help increase the chances of them hanging on to your card