3-Dom

         Sometimes our challenges talk to or for us. As a child, till about the fourth grade, I had a lisp-more a lith. Problems pronouncing the ‘ths’, they became wifs. The threes were free. I was teased, ‘get wif it.’

         I worked at my pronunciation as a reaction to the teasing. I didn’t then and still don’t like being wrong.  I had a Dad as a teaser at home. School was my sanctuary, one reason I keep enrolling in the University of Gary to keep from being teased.

As I add those memories  of ‘’ths, & threes’ to teachings from Gurdjieff, quantum physic’s, Toastmasters ‘Rule of Three, and life experience the lessons of three magnifies. Even read recently in  the San Francisco Chronicle Sports page headlined          “3 is the Magic Number.”

         From the point of view of  free attention, the lack of being attached to being right, being identified as a noun-your job, your relationship, your age, sex, any and all labeling other than being a verb, your attention becomes fixed. It is our ego’s that fix our attention with the three ego traps:

         1-I have to be right

         2-I can’t make a mistake

         3-I already know that

         Those three are ways to stop learning. Ways to lose our free attention

(freedom),  and believe that something, other than our self is in charge of our success and happiness.

         So I encourage to look at a new, different and meaningful way to create and maintain freedom ‘wif’ a unique spelling-3Dom.

         This is 3D that really makes an impact without the silly glasses, it’s a new and freeing way to look at life.

         3 Dom to see we always have choices. That the world is not an either or situation. Yes and no are not the only answers. It is not this or that, but something else.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Mass market, mass media, mass insanity appears to be ruts for our creativity.

           I have had many of the nutri-preneurs flood me with the excitement of the new panacea. A cure all for my gout, aging, or whatever ails me or the masses. The cure also comes with opportunity to market, and or get a discount while getting your friends involved. The remedy cures, enriches your bank account and serves humanity.

         How can I resist? 

         Well I am curious about more money, more health and more skeptical about mor-onism in general.  

         I experienced that one man’s all-you-need chocolate shake was not for me, the democrats or republicans were never the answer, and size 36 pants vary with manufacture. 

         One size does not fit all.

         Is it possible for our nutri-preneur to probe beyond their needs into Who We  Are and what works for us?

         Where we pay our attention? What’s important to us?

         How our system works?

         Then create a dialogue or inventorying process to find what size might work.

         I wonder if I am being listened too.

         I wonder what’s another way to look at this panacea. Is their attention on me or themselves?

         My intent in writing is that you decide! You use, listen and see where your attention goes and find what works for you.

         One size fitting all is Fixed Attention. It is a concept that creates rules and  laws that often are self-serving, limit our creativity, and are from the creation of those who believe One Size Fits All.

         You are unique, just like me and everyone else. The caveat is the concept that belief’s are on a spectrum and what cures gout, finances and adds love aliveness has a great possibility of being different for every one of us.

         Pay Attention, It Is Your Best Investment, and the way to see if the panacea is a fit for you.

Let’s play the Segue Game

         It’s like playing ‘Telephone game-start a message and see how it changes, combined with some Improv using the ‘Yes, and concept.

         Pick a topic-(How to build business?) Give audience cards that are Segues like:

1.   Speaking of

2.   Pondering the question

3.   That reminds me of

4.   I like

5.   As I hear myself

6.   An opposing view

7.   Another way to look at this

8.   Now that we are on the same page

9.   Here is what fits next

         The above are all third tier segues.

         Tier 1-Fillers-uh, er, um, like you know (the answer to such inanity is “If I know why are you telling me again?”)

         Tier 2-So, Ok, Now

         A professional does not rely or use tier 1 or 2, most of the time.

         Game begins with the host or emcee passing out the cards with 3^rd tier segues. Then makes the topic state- “How to build a business,” and calls on a member of the audience to use their card.

         “Speaking of building a business a great model is Apple.

         The next participant uses “Pondering the question” looking toward Apple we see major success.

         “That reminds me of the basic rule of business; provide the customer what they want.

         “I like the phrase the customer is always right, which means I need to know what is right for my customer.

         “As I hear myself say that I am brought tone of the core values many people have, the Golden Rule and knowing what is right for you is golden.

         “An opposing view may say that is selfish, however being selfish means having an opinion, maybe even taking action.

         “Another way of looking at this, is we care about our customer “and now we are on the same page. The page where the customer is always right. (Bonus points for this player for using two segues.)

         ‘“Here’s what fits next, organize your business team or buddies to get into the specifics of building a business.

         Segues can start a conversation and elegantly lead to the next concept to support an idea or bring forth the next concept.

Segues

-Here is a suggestion that can slow down a presentation and add a smoother transition from one thought to another when speaking, the well planned SEGUES.

         85% of the world does not use appropriate SEGUES, instead they  use filler words (eh, er, um) or minor or irrelevant words  (so, OK, and) instead of using phrases that directly relate to what has been said and leads to the next thought,  next point or story. Here are three examples 1- Speaking of _____, 2- Pondering this question of ______,  3-That reminds me________.         

         The ultimate SEGUE is the PERIOD. Punctuate your idea with the MEANINGFUL PAUSE. In writing it is the period. Hold the space for the audience to consume your last idea and use that idea to lead to the next idea.

Example:

         “The Fall is one of my four favorite seasons.  It is a time to reflect upon our personal harvest.

         ”Speaking of harvest there are few items we can gather during all the season, and one of them is gratitude.

         Gathering our harvest of gratitude can easily be done by using the Five Friends-Who, What, Where, When and Why. These are friends that act as SEGUES, and also help control the internal, eternal often infernal Private Speaking of our inner chatter by asking questions. Using questions to control our mind is the basis for education and my favorite tool to handle the resistance we have to creating life as we wish and curing Seriousitis™.

         Who I am grateful for are my children and the joy they bring.         

         Speaking of joy the Church Choir rehearsal have been a joy to me and the children. I invite you to join us for our public presentation.

         When I think of a public presentation I think of speaking coach Gary C Smith. We are working together to keep our enthusiasm about life and slow our speaking so we can all feel the excitement of harvesting our gratitude. J

         Where are you most grateful?

         What has your enthusiasm?

         Why not get excited about the wonders of life before our act is closed?

         In closing, it is how we SEGUE from one idea to the next that connects all of us together as one people, seeking peace and happiness this fall season.”

         Recapping:

         A SEGUE is a transition from one idea to another. Using a pause we can move past the ums, so, and, and use verbs to connect to the next idea. Often it is a case of repeating the last phrase, the next idea connects to the last.

         SEGUES are what makes an ARIA powerful, an essay make sense, a reason to pause to honor our audience.

            SEGUES keep our audience paying attention.

How to get from here to there and not forget the audience: Or The Medium may also be the message

        As a long time conversationalist with a tendency toward my own topics and agendas learning the segue was and is important in creating what I want. I first practiced this skill as a teenager calling girls, both those I knew and  those I wanted to know. Often with no common ground, other than an attraction on my part it was imperative to my intent to create a segue to how cool I was.

         SO(second tier segue)  how did I transition the subject to drive in movies?

         OK, (second tier segue)  it is possible to use 2 letter words and trust that the new subject was well rehearsed and would be of interest and warm her to my plan.

         NOW ( a common second tier segue) let’s change the subject for just a moment. I offer you 3 ways to segue your presentations to help make the medium your message.

         One-Can you imagine the Muppet Miss Piggy puckering up to kiss Kermit the Frog?

         YES?

         You have the power to imagine anything.

         Picture your next presentations using the FIVE FRIENDS, the questions-WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW, and WHY to move the audience to your next point or topic.

         CALL BACK questions lead audience where you want to go.

         WHAT’S NEXT?

         WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO?

         WHEN IS A GOOD TIME TO CHANGE TOPICS?

         HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT IS TIME TO SEGUE?

         WHY HAVE MORE THAN ONE TOPIC?

         CALL BACK questions lead audience where you want to go.

         The second way is metaphors.

         Let’s see the door open to a room full of colorful metaphors describing what you want, empowering you with a new vision, a feeling, space in which the new blossoms like a hand opening with a greeting.

         Metaphors with imagery can replicate pictures telling a thousand words on the way to your next point. Storytelling uses metaphors to transiting (another word for segue) topics. Often the metaphor requires the audience to think and remember as you say

         ONCE UPON A TIME…

         The third is get the audience to go internal and search for the meaning of PIGLIPTZ. Yes the TRANCE derivational search. Forcing the audience to think, to search their mind-

         Huh? DO PIGS HAVE LIPS?

         Moving the audience ‘s attention from outside themselves, from being on the speaker, to being inside, because as we all know CHANGE COMES FROM WITHIN!

         OK, SO NOW let’s recap.

         Ok, so, now are common segues AND/BUT  they allow the listener’s attention to slip like Teflon off your point.

         The use of the Five Friends create open ended leading question that can Velcro your audience to your transitions and make segues part of the message.

         Putting mascara on a pig can shock the audience into waking up and pondering the wonder of your informative, entertaining, inspiring and persuasive topic and pump your presence.

         It worked as a teenager, got lots of dates and still use the power of segues today.

         For more unique ways to build your segues and you’re your speaking career go to FACEBOOK, to Mr Public Speaker GC Smith or join the multitude who receive a weekly copy of THE Church of Attention .

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing,

There is a field.

I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies in that grass,

the world is too full to talk about.

Ideas, language,

Even the phrase each other doesn’t make any sense. Rumi

This concept is ancient win/win, open source & is free attention.

There are no limits in the world of poetry, but public speaking is USUALLY not poetry.

We love the poetic, and appreciate the imagination involved and an audience comes to hear the specific.

An audience wants parameters, surprise is fine, and WIIFM* the audience asks.

Public Speaking means put fences around the pastures.

It means clues to right and wrong.

*What's in it for me.*

Creating Rapport with an Audience

Rapport is the best gift you can give your audience.

A speakers two best friends are rapport and preparation.

How can you create rapport with an audience?
It is tough to mirror and match an audience of more than a few.

TIPS:
Get there early, be first and introduce yourself to everyone.

It's not easy with more than ten, so still be early, be by the door, wear a name tag.

Plan your presentation to match the four different personality styles.
Be bright, vivacious, enthusiastic for the promoters-they have on the bright colors, the most jewelery and are aggressive and informal in style.

Give a bottom line objective and results for the controllers. There creases are neatest.

Recognize and speak slow and soft toward the nourishers’ and acknowledge their presence. Become their new best friend.

Be reasonable analytic in the why we are here to the analyzers.

Tell the truth-be authentic-be real in desiring to create rapport.

“Good morning. I wish I had the time to connect with each of you, and EVENTUALLY I will, for NOW please know that I am here to do that-to connect, to create results, to have fun and provide the information you deem important for us to trust each other."

You can create rapport when a question is asked.

"I'm glad you asked that. Let me repeat the question."

Do not wait till the end

of the seminar for Q&A.

Great rapport means no one gets lost along the way.

“We are all on the same page. Your goals and our goals match because rapport is the best gift we can give each other."

Remember there is an interconnectedness of all things.

We have more in common than we do in difference, and who wants to be indifferent to change?

Create an Attitude of Gratitude.

Be and feel honored to speak.

Have a plan to put your gratitude into motion.

Acknowledge everyone!

Appreciate yourself for the risk taken, Challenges met & skills you have developed and willingly share.

Shameless self Promotion

“Mommy mommy look at me.”

It begins at an early age.

It’s the stage after we begin to learn & want to share a new skill & get others attention.

The theme is shameless self-promotion.

A mixed and convoluted way to spread the word, the promoter, the promotion and often much much more.

This is not a rant on why not too self-promote, but how to do it ethically.

How to with no shame and ask for what one wants from the purity of our intentions.

For we have nothing for which to be a-SHAMED.


Shameless self-promotion happens all our life.

We may have joined Toastmasters to get good at it.


If you really get good at it you’re a star.

Madonna got so good at it that re-invention as a different kind of star became a mainstream rage.

Look at Oprah

Look at our President Obama

You can’t be a popular politician without Shameless self-promotion.

Daytime TV is made up of shameless self-promotion.

The dictionary offers insightful looks at the terms.

Shame

1. a. A painful emotion caused by a strong sense of guilt, embarrassment, unworthiness, or disgrace. b. Capacity for such a feeling: Have you no shame?

2. One that brings dishonor, disgrace, or condemnation.

3. A condition of disgrace or dishonor; ignominy. See synonyms at disgrace.

4. A great disappointment.

Self-promotion-noun

1. The act of promoting or the fact of being promoted.

2. Advancement in rank or responsibility.

3. Encouragement of the progress, growth, or acceptance of something; furtherance.

4. Advertising; publicity.


This is a term, like manipulative, that has got bad press.

Manipulate means to artfully and skillful do something.

If someone is manipulative they are considered improperly using someone and are BAD.

It is not the words it is the implications in the mind of the listener.


Shameless self-promotion means to bring no disgrace, no dishonor, no disappointment, or the pain of guilt to an endeavor.

Self-promotion is about an advancement of responsibility.

The encouragements of progress.

It is A furtherance of a person place or thing.

Shameless self-Promotion is an honorable project.

Rid yourself of any feelings of guilt.

Harbor no shame.

Advance the Ranks.

It's not like Riding a Bike

Overcoming the fear of Public Speaking is a sensitive issue.

Sensitive because our EGO is involved.

I can't make a mistake.

It was our egos that created the sensitivity and fear.

Our four year old grandson Trent has aquired Grandpa Gary's verbosity.

The censors have not arrived & his speech is free flowing, fearless, & with excitement. He has seen, heard and felt life and wishes to share it.

He is in the 'actually' stage. "Actually Grandpa, it is Speed racer and not Kyle Busch."

It's a wonderful version of 'correction without invalidation.'

He just wants to get the facts straight, I have to be right."

He practices a lot.

It's all new, & no one has told him, & it will never come from me, that he is wrong.

It's all good stuff.

But with those who have had the other kind of experiences, the I am 'stupid & wrong.'

"They laughed at me",

"I forgot what I was going to say",

"I feel stupid",

"I can't do this,"

the sensitivity-embarassment, ridicule, taunting, kidding, teasing takes its toll.

It may not be the phsycial pain and scars of a bike crash, those heal.

We forget, put on a helmet and get back in the saddle.

Where is the helment for the scars are EGO's create?

How can we get back back in the saddle, after embarrassment, and the fear returns?

Practice.

Practice again.

Practice some more.

Just cause you got over the fear once, it can come back and the only answer is practice putting your attention out.

When your inner turmoil becomes to large to handle, put your attention on practice, on something outside of yourself.

Accept, initiate or reinitiate the beginners mind.

The fear lives in only one place, inside you.

Oh yea, I already know that.

You don't have to be right, be a lefty for a change.

You can make a mistake, you are human.

And you do know all of this, so share it with others.

Telling a joke to the clerk at the store, gets you back in the saddle.

You have value-share yourself.

Rapport is the best gift you can give.

Rapport is a speakers best friend along with preparation.

How can you create rapport with an audience?

It's tough to match and mirror an audience of more than a few.

Here are some tips:

Get there early, even be the first one there and introduce yourself to everyone.

With large groups wear your name tag and stand near the door and observe.

Plan your presentation to cover the four personality styles.

Be bright, vivacious, and enthusiasm for the promoters, the blings in vivid color.

Give the bottom line objective to the controllers, the suited, well pressed ones.

Nod toward the nourishers, speaking slower with empathy recognizing them.

Be reasonable and analytic in why we are here and the immensity of info to cover.

Be authentic, tell the truth, in your desire to create rapport. "Greetings to each of you. I wish to connect with each of you, and EVENTUALLY I will, for NOW know that is my intent. I trust we will have fun, create results, decipher the information we need to feel good."

Create rapport when a question is asked. Do not wait till the the end of the presentation for Q&A, great rapport means no one gets lost along the way.

The interconnectedness of all things. We have more in common than we do in difference, and who wants indifference to our topic?

"Your goals and our goals match because rapport is the best gift we can give each other."

The Attitude of gratitude and Acts of Apprehension are the guides.

People like people who are and like them.

Accept the honor that speaking creates and especially Appreciate yourself for the risk, challenges and preparation you share.
Dirk Gently-Wholistic Detective-In search of the Interconnectedness of all things

Paying for the Words

-"That's a great deal to make one word mean," Alice said in a thoughtful tone.

"When I make a word do a lot of work like that," said Humpty Dumpty, "I always pay it extra."

How much are you paying for your words?

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone, " it means just what I chose it to mean-neither more or less."

"The question is ," said Alice, " Whether you can make words mean so many different things."

"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be the master-that's all."

Who is the master?

Are you choosing or are you being what your words believe you are.

Is the word, the name, the label more than what you mean it to be?

Are you trapped by your words?

Are certain words running the show?

Is there power in CAN'T?

Does WORRY run the show?

Has WHATEVER taken over?

Our Public Speaking is 93% body talk and vocal variety,

BUT our words are 100% of our communication in our Private Speaking.

Chose our words carefully, we may become them.

Get Fit

Is there any activity, endeavor, skill, task, or goal that doesn't come easier when we are fit?

Dealing with the fear of public speaking, the nervousness, is much easier to handle with the breath control attained from physical fitness.
Shallow breathing, a rapid up heart rate, that unneeded adrenaline rush does not show poise and confidence.
My favorite exercise pattern now is NIA, " a high powered energizing workout...its a total mind body celebration...NIA is like chocolate" it gives you the high without the calories.
NIA builds self appreciation by focusing on the pleasure of our bodies.

Our bodies make up over 50% of what we communicate.
A NIA class encourages creativity of movement.
NIA sets the mind to explore the bodies possibilities of expression.
A NIA instructor uses martial arts, healing modalities, and dance forms to provide an environ to communicate positive affirmations, strength, and flexibility.

As a speaker those are traits I wish to build every day.
Get Fit and Dance through Life. and Speak Fearlessly.

Becoming Mediterranean

Gesturing.

How many gestures do you have? Let's do an inventory.

Can you:

Stop in the name of love?

Can you:

Invite someone in?

Can you:

Hitch a ride?

Can you:

Be the one

Can you:

Say a prayer?

Can you:

Beats me.

Can you:

Hurry up.

Can you:

Slow down you move too fast?

Can you:

Shh, be quiet.

Can you:

Come on join in

Can you:

Be disgusted

Can you:

Wail and flail, get confused and then get centered?

All with your gestures.

Can you become Mediterranean?

Be silent, speak only with your hands.

How important is it to Speak?

It is important to have a message.

It is important to share that message.

To tell a story and make a point is how humanity evolved.

It was eons of generations before a story could be shared other than by speaking.

Eons before the written word storytellers shared the messages of wisdom, of which berries to eat, where the clean water flowed, food, shelter, the magic of survival and words to thrive.

Storytellers held the clan together, understood death, passed on nourishment, brought laughter,

acknowledged change, spoke of taboos, victories, and taught others to speak the truth.

But today, where does the importance reside?

The media's have spoken words in a billion places, movies, audios, TV, the Internet.

The magic,wisdom, laughter, the stories have been told, recorded and are available to all.

The importance now resides in the speaker.

The courageous ones who choose to speak and share the greatest gift of humanity, our presence. Sharing our story, the uniqueness of me, of you, of us.

The importance of speaking is in the past, the future and mostly in our presence.

Our wish to share, to inspire, to motivate, to entertain.

To build a skill 99% of the populace can learn and master.

To understand the concepts of 'need to know and need not to know.

To understand it is not what I say, it is what you hear.

To understand that 93% of our communication is not the words.

To connect with another or a group and deliver words of change, words of victory, words of care, laughter to handle upsets, words to unfold new points of view.

Speaking fearlessly is abolishing fear, the biggest lie.

History or Herstory its Your Story!

History or Herstory
“Everything great must have its story.”
--Found on a tin of Velamints.

What’s your story?
All of us have stories.
Stories of times when we made a difference.
Stories as unique as person telling the story.

But like so many skills & art forms it takes a coach to bring out the best.
We are losing our ability to tell stories. Much of our history is being re-written, spun to an agenda. Generations have lost the ability to pass on wisdom, know how, kindness & compassion.
The oldest generation experienced life in ways never to be seen or heard again. Each individual was part of the power of that NOW.

You have a message.

You have meaning to that message that needs to be passed on, not passed over.

It is an important time to formulate your message and deliver that message in writing, but more importantly by word of mouth.

To break the media cycle of human less communication and use the SPOKEN WORD to preserve and share your wisdom, hopes & fears, doubts & triumphs, and most importantly your unique POINTS OF VIEW.

Speaking to groups, family or friends they need to hear as much as you need to speak your voice.

We are not just aging; we have aged to being an elder, with a message, and its time to speak up.

Having reached the magical age of 60, Gary C Smith, is coaching those who wish to share their message.

As a coach, Gary deals with the fear of public speaking, assists with providing and editing content, connects with the 93% of communication beyond words, and shares the fun and meaning of your message.

Chronicling Your Story-A Tip
Telling and translating a story can start with a list, a tree-to hang your fruits upon, a really cool digital watch-to keep them in real time, or a mind map. The map starts with key idea, and then I armed with memories that lead away or toward more of who, what, when, how, and why you are.
Have fun being an omnificent writer, an engaged first person narrator, an impartial third person with video, or combine all three as in a dream, be the director, viewer and the star, even have a cameo role.
Get started today, tomorrow there will be one more thing to remember, put pen to paper NOW . For now you don’t need an editor and will never need a judge!y or Herstory

“In olden days when a storyteller comes to the end of her tale,

she places the palm of her hand on the ground and says,
‘I put my story here so that someone else may take it up another day.”

Phone Magic

Phone: Friend or Foe? How to tell:
We all use them each day. Sometimes our business and our success is driven by our phone presence, but how do we know what is going on the other end? Are they getting our message? What kind of an impression am I making?
Here are some phone guidelines I find effective:
1-Client Fishing. You put out the bait, an ad, a business card, a one to one meeting, and they called. Oh, Happy Day. Have a standardize greeting, “XYZ business. This is Gary. How can I help you? LISTEN then use the Five Magic Words. “Tell me about your ____.” Script the blank to your service or business. “Tell me about your hair, yourself, your loan, your child, your roof, your challenge.” Or with your sincerity ask, “How I can help you?” The KEY is to have an active attitude of curiosity and gratitude for the call and respond by putting all your attention on the caller. If you make a lot of calls having a mirror in front of you can be very helpful at maintaining attention, smiling and reinforcing your side of the call as positive. Without being able to show your happy face, you must intend them to know your interest in them. You must let them know you care. “

2-Taking Notes. Show you care by asking if you can take notes. Your showing you care, are paying attention and want to get it straight. You can add to this at the end of the conversation by saying, “Let me read back my notes so I can be sure I got our conversation right.”

3-Breathing. Belly breathing is the best way to stay connected on the phone. It slows the need to rush, and it keeps you more in tuned to the magic of feeling. I don’t think judging from feeling is useful, but being in your feeling is usually more effective than being in your agenda.

4-Digital Remembering. This is my reminder on how to get an appointment right. Make sure all the information is correct by index finger pointing at the info and reading it back. “Sam our meeting is on January 29, Thursday, at your office, 123 Main street at 2:00.” Remember to pause and listen for the response.

5-Humor and Honesty. Tell them your glad for the call, even say “I want you to know that put a smile on my face.” Become a teammate and show you’re also concerned about the issue.

6-Brag, just a little, about your connection and appreciation of them. “I just want you to know that we are sending, referring, linking to your business. A business to business connection. We want you to know we appreciate you.”

7-Thank them. Feel the thanks. You can never say thanks too much, or for creating a special feeling. Phone service is not about being right, always winning or even getting the truth told. It is an impression, a limited sensory experience, so make the best use of your guidelines, and project your appreciation for taking them a bite.

Connecting over the Phone is a program available from Gary C Smith Public Speaking & Trainings 510-722-3212

The Art of Persuasion

Audio communication doesn’t get any better than The Art of Persuasion by Dr. Rick Kirschner. Dr Rick has a voice that intones interest. His use of characters, stories, and humor give him abilities to make large valuable pieces of information palatable and memorable. This audio is a must for everyone from sales people; counselors, teachers, parents, children and anyone who has an idea and wishes to create change and break free from the inSAMEity of the habitual sleep walk society has fallen into.

There are brilliant individuals in our society with life changing ideas who need this audio. Our ‘information-tech’ society will not flourish without the insights and the keen sense of ‘useful assumptions’, a reduction of individual differences by ‘blending’, understanding ‘access languaging’, and the move from limits to ‘possibilities gates’ that Dr Rick clearly states for all personality styles. It is both a beginners course in the art of persuasion and a doctoral dissertation on persuasion and how to protect yourself from persuasive manipulation.

Dr. Rick has made the valuable transition from helping us deal with difficult people, to dealing with the most difficult person of all, our self.

This is not an audio of scripting, manipulation techniques or psycho babble, but here are the basic patterns of effective persuasive communication, not just with others, but to better understand who I am, and the ethical qualities that honest, authentic, real people need to know

Our educational system needs to be revamped around Dr. Rick’s’ The Art of Persuasion.

As a trainer of speakers I use Dr Rick information as guidelines for my marketing group, Toastmasters, and public speaking.

He sums it all up with two quotes:
“If you have to be right, your doing it wrong.”
“You make a difference in your world and in our world.”
I can say the same and more about the works of Dr. Rick Kirschner, he makes a difference in my life.
Thank you
Gary C. Smith Public Speaking & Trainings

The Greatest Speech

Get ready it is coming.

The greatest speech of our lifetime, prehaps of the history of the USA.

How do you know?

What else could Mr. Obama do?

He is going to amaze us, make us cry, give us hope, speak complete sentences and really, really, really mean it!

Oh yea,

I know cause I've had the flu and tapped into some amazing auditory hallucination.

I can't remember the speech word for word.

I am a little confused about the ideas,

I am sick, but by golly, by gum I feel it!

The road he's travelled, the colleages he's gathered, the family he loves and his ability to put his attention in the moment!

"Here & Now boys & girls."

"Here & now boys & girls."

Get ready to listen.

Practice with your chuildren, your co-workers, at the unemployment line, applying for a job, working the soup kitchen, listen.

Listening is not about the sounds hitting the ear drum, the hammer and anvill doing some type of synphonic cacophony, but, like in my auditory hallucinations, hearing what's important. Grasping meaning and being able to share the meaning.

Listening is looking right in the eyes, and not switching channels, or adding a new down beat or changing the tempo.

Listening is about letting the speaker speak, without your agenda, the Democrats or Republicans agenda, not your mothers or Gods agenda.

Things will be said that sway us into hearing each other better.

And that's what I want, to hear the message that everyone has to say.

A message came in my dreams
Where Mr. Morpheus planted seeds
Of magic beans & missing friends
who speak words bearing love
hidden beyond sights, sounds & smells
wonders of life
& dark days being celebrated.
Seeds holding gifts of fruits
Faces inspiring poets
& play of children holding hands
& whispering
“I’ve got a secret.
Let me tell you how it goes.
If your real quiet
You can see
& feel
how we’re all the same.

Let us Sleepers Awake.

Toasting

Speaking Fearlessly with Holiday Cheer.

I hope you find an occasion to provide a toast for and to your fellow holiday revelers.

This months Toastmaster Magazine has an article Tips on Toasting Well.

“The purpose of a toast is to shine a gentle spotlight and pay tribute to the honored guest or event. Toasts typically proffer well wishes, good fortune, long life, health, happiness, sage advice or other positive thoughts. …Begin by introducing yourself, state first and last name….explain how you’re related to the guest of honor then present the toast….Be brief, be bold, be done.”

Be Brief-“No toast should last longer than 60 seconds was Mark Twain's golden rule.”

Be Bold-“Stand proud and speak loud. Ensure that everyone sitting in the room…can hear your tasteful toast.”

Be Done-“Smile, nod, and accept any applause…then refocus the spotlight on the guest of honor.”
…”speakers can add a humorous story about the guest of honor after they explain how they know the honoree and before the actual toast.”
Why is it called a ‘toast’?
From Shipley’s Dictionary of Word Origins “in the middle ages, drinks often had sopped in them a piece of spiced and toasted bread….The Tattler #24 June 4, 1709 tells that the use of the word (toast) arose when a celebrated beauty of the time of Charles II was in Cross Bath; one of her admirers took a glass of the water in which she stood, and drank her health to the company. Another present said he liked not the liquor, but would have had the toast(i.e. the lady sopped in it. Thereafter, when men drank to the one they delighted to honor, it was called a toast.”
A Master of Ceremonies in formal terms is called the Toastmaster.
I learned of the "Toast to the Idiots" from my Gurdjieff teacher in 1971.

Annie Lou Stavely, Gurdjieff Group Leader




A true "idiot" is one who knows that he does not know, a ‘conscious incompetent.’



The toasts were given at the end of a meal, usually with Armagnac or Calvados, high alcohol content Cognac’s. The group gathered to do ‘the work’, the Magnus Opus and the toasts were celebrating and honoring that we knew we were mechanical slaves, sleep walking through our lives and were will to work to awaken. Without Gurdjieffs’ help, and he died in 1949, no one got past idiot # 6.


1 ordinary idiot-Here is to the ordinary idiot, those who sit at this table.
2 super idiot-Here is to the super idiot who thinks the most.
3 arch idiot-Here is to the arch idiot, who would have us all follow him/her.
4 hopeless idiot-Here is to the hopeless idiot who gave up too soon.
5 compassionate idiot-Here is to the compassionate idiot, who sees us all in the same soup.
6 squirming idiot-Here is to the squirming idiot, the idiot who wants out.
7 square idiot
8 round idiot
9 zigzag idiot
10 enlightened idiot
11 doubting idiot
12 swaggering idiot
13 born idiot
14 patented idiot
15 psychopathic idiot
16 polyhedral idiot
Idiots 17-21 constituted a spiritual hierarchy, reflecting progressive gradations of objective reason
Idiot 18 presented the highest development which a human being could reach, but in order to attain it, he had first voluntarily to descend again from 17 to 1, the ordinary idiot.
Idiots 19 and 21 were reserved for the sons of God.
21 - Unique Idiot (God himself being the Unique idiot)

Happy Holidays
Gary C Smith
Blogging Idiot

It's Your Ideas not the Words.

You may forget the words, but the ideas are still there.
If it is poetry, a song, or someone else’s work, use their words. Be diligent and respect their work, however you have permission to use your ideas in public speaking fearlessly.

It is YOUR IDEAS that have stirred you into a presentation. It is your task to hold those ideas and flow with them with stories and keypoints like waterfalls into pools.

Present an idea, a sacred point that leads to a story, a pool of imagination that the audience can take a cool dip or a refreshing swim or shocking plunge into the next pool, the next point, next story.

Then add the next idea, this falls drops us into a new way of seeing, a new vista to assess our position and see if that will support our fall into the next pool of multiple ideas or a pool where the one right decision can be made.
As you soak in that pool prepare for the next plunge over the edge of limits and safety into the next new pool of unlimited ideas or the current that brings your raft into the port of prosperity, happiness, and to the next stage of your journey.

Remember it is your ideas, clearly formed you are presenting. It’s your showboat of who you are. Know your self and your ideas will flow and carry your audience with them.