You’ll hear what this factor is and how to acquire it.  You’ll also learn some pitfalls to look out for.

On a sidenote: when you listen to this podcast, you may notice a difference in sound quality.  That’s due to our new Blue Yeti microphone.  It’s an excellent piece of professional recording equipment and I highly recommend it for any podcasters or voice over enthusiasts.

It’s a good thing we used the new mic because my voice is fairly raspy and thin in this recording.  I apologize for that, but my allergies are kicking in big time.

I hope you are blessed by this podcast.  Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments below.

Be blessed,

PS: Going forward, we will be publishing new podcasts on Saturday morning.  It was just becoming too difficult to record them and upload them on Wednesday evenings.  Be looking for our next podcast next Saturday.

As a preacher and public speaker, I’ve had to get over my own case of Glossophobia (fear of public speaking).  Over the years, I’ve learned a few things that  may help you too.

Before we start the tips, let’s look at two things – expectations and fears.  They are very closely related.

When we speak publicly, we usually want to come off as knowledgeable, persuasive and, at the same time, warm and inviting.  We want our audience to listen to what we have to say and believe that we know what we’re talking about.  We also want our audience to “like” us.  No one wants to look foolish in front of a crowd.  This is a type of rejection and fear of rejection is among the most potent in the human experience.

Our fears all revolve around failing to live up to our expectations.  What if we speak and people fall asleep?  What if they don’t like our speech or think we’re boring?  That would be the end of the world, right?

Actually, that’s not quite right.  Keep perspective.  It’s not the end of the world.  In fact, most people will not even dwell on a bad speech very long after it’s over.

The key is to do your best and have fun with your presentation.  Being “human” and warm can cover a lot of mistakes when speaking in public.  Let’s take a look at how that’s done.

DON”T READ YOUR MESSAGE FROM A SCRIPT

Unless you’re a politician giving a speech, don’t read it verbatim.  That sounds very stiff and unnatural and you will lose your audience in a hurry.  In fact, I don’t recommend using a script at all.

It is much better to use an outline which covers your main points and to know your topic well enough that you can deliver your message without the need to read it.

The end result is that you will come off as much more conversational and warm.  People like to be “talked to” not “talked at.”

A side benefit of knowing your topic and practicing your presentation is the elimination of the “uh” and “um” sounds that infiltrate so many messages.

SLOW DOWN

Most people tend to really speed up their rate of speaking when doing so in public.  Be conscious of your speed and slow down.  One easy way to do this is take deep breaths often during your presentation.  Try to remember the speed you were using when you were calm and practicing your presentation and shoot for that.

BE BRIEF

Many people go on far too long when giving a public presentation.  Don’t do that. Show respect for your audience’s time and get to the point.  Say what needs to be said and then STOP!

USE VISUAL AIDS

If you have the opportunity to use a PowerPoint presentation, a slide show or other visual aids, USE THEM!  They really do help to keep the audience engaged, help keep you on track and take some of the audience’s attention off you and your nervous trembling.  :-)

The key here, like most things in life, is moderation.  Don’t overwhelm your audience with slides, charts, graphs or whatever.  Use enough to enhance your presentation but not to overshadow it.

REMEMBER THAT THE UNEXPECTED WILL HAPPEN

No presentation is perfect.  Remember that slide show we just talked about, it will find a way to break during the most important presentation you’ve ever given. Perhaps, you find yourself behind a microphone that no longer works or they tell you that you only have half the time you thought you had.  Stuff happens.  The key is to be cool and don’t freak out!

How do you do that?  Well, first off, accept that no presentation is perfect. In fact, it is often the imperfect ones that have the best chance to make a lasting impression so embrace the imperfection.

Secondly, learn to roll with it.  If the PC running your slide show dies, make a quick, lighthearted comment about it and keep on going.  It won’t be a big deal to your audience unless they perceive that it’s a really big deal to you.

USE HUMOR BUT NOT TOO MUCH

When speaking in front of a crowd, a little humor can go a long way.  The trick is to use enough, but not too much.  Unless you’re a stand-up comic in a comedy club, people don’t need wall-to-wall jokes.  That’s not why they’re there.

How much is “enough?”  Well, that’s difficult to say because it really depends on you, your abilities and the personality you project.  If you’re not comfortable being lighthearted and humorous, don’t force it!  There’s nothing worse than someone who is naturally unfunny trying to force a joke into a speech.  It almost never goes over well.

I’m a natural “cornball.”  I tell very corny jokes and make a lot of quips as part of my normal, everyday  conversation so, what is the “right” amount of humor for me may be way too much for someone else. Find what’s “right” for you and stick to it.

Used correctly, humor can break the tension and cause you and your audience to relax and even bond a little.  People tend to be attracted to those who can make them smile.

One caution here: the amount of humor you use must be appropriate for your topic.  You can use humor in most presentations and I even work a little bit in when I’m delivering a funeral message, but you really don’t want to overdo it.  If the purpose of your presentation is to announce company-wide layoffs, don’t start it with a “knock-knock” joke.

SMILE

Speaking of smiling, it’s one of the best things you can do when you speak.  This doesn’t mean that you should give a forced, stiff smile that makes you look like you just escaped from the state home, but you should smile sincerely, naturally and often during your presentation.   It will attract your audience to you.

Best of all, a smile shows friendliness and confidence.  If your smile is sincere, it will actually be reflected in your voice and your audience will give added weight to what you say.

Again, as with humor, use as is appropriate with your topic.

RELAX

You may be thinking that I should have started with this “tip,” but I disagree.  You see, it’s easy to tell someone to relax, but it’s impossible to do if the proper groundwork hasn’t been laid.

Now that you have some tools to help you endear yourself to your audience and to diffuse their constant stare, it will be easier to relax.

The biggest point here is don’t fidget.  Stand still and don’t rock back and forth.

What do you do with your hands?  This is a question a lot of people have.  It seems that, once we start giving a presentation, our hands become like foreign bodies. We’re not quite sure what to do with them.  Well, if you’re like me, you talk with your hands and that can be a good thing.  Otherwise, leave them at your sides or rest them on the podium if there is one.

If you follow these few simple tips, you’re likely to find that your public speaking experiences are less frightening, more enjoyable and more productive.

Be blessed,

PS:  Do you have other tips you use?  Feel free to share them in the comment box below.

In this episode of the “Living Without Limits” podcast, I discuss a ten minute routine that will pretty much guarantee you a great day.  No, it can’t remove all of life’s challenges and burdens, but it can help change the way you see and react to them.

Give this audio a listen and put the tips to work in your life.  Then, feel free to share the results in the comments section below.  I would also love to hear how you are taking this routine and customizing it to make it uniquely yours.

Be blessed,

This first edition is actually a “test run” of sorts because it allowed me to test the software and hardware to make sure everything works.

I must warn you that this first effort is not very polished, but I believe the information is good. The “polish” will come as we go along.

The subject matter of this first edition is “Reinventing Yourself To Be The ‘Ideal You’” and it closely follows the recent blog post entitled “2012: A Blank Canvas.”

Click the play button below to listen to this podcast.  We hope that it will soon be available on iTunes.

As always, thank you for supporting our site.

Be blessed,

In fact, I usually think of the start of a new year as a blank canvas. It’s unspoiled by past efforts and just waiting for us to create.  The failures we met in the previous year don’t count for the most part. The canvas is blank and pristine.

Now, the truth is, that there is nothing “magical” about January 1 and all of last year’s troubles did not magically disappear.  Some would argue that the date is nothing more than an arbitrary label assigned by calendar makers centuries ago and that’s okay.  We don’t need magic to get amazing results from the new year.  All we need is mindset, belief  and positive action.

MINDSET

First, let’s start with mindset. Take this opportunity to make an emotional and mental break from the past.  I don’t care how much you’ve failed, been knocked down or, for that matter, how much you’ve succeeded. Those past failures and successes are in the past.  Now, we’re marching toward the future.  Learn the lessons from the past and be ready to move on.

Your assignment is to take some time on this wonderful holiday and do some “dream building” or meditation.  Picture yourself as the person you would like to be, not as you think you are.  Be specific.  Imagine that you had describe the “ideal you” to someone else, how would you do it?  What words would you use?

Once you come up with this description, write it down.  This is the blueprint you will follow as you “build” the new you.  Don’t forget to list the positive traits you already like about yourself. Don’t sell yourself short.

BELIEF

Next, we move onto belief.  If you don’t believe you can achieve the improvements you seek in life, you’ll never get there.  It’s just that simple.  You have to believe it.

Belief is the basis of every self-help book and it’s even a fundamental premise of prayer from the Bible. Jesus told his disciples to believe they will receive what they ask for when they pray (Matthew 21:22).  Just a verse earlier, Jesus warned his disciples about the crippling danger of doubt.

Doubt is the killer of dreams and the destroyer of progress.  Self-doubt is especially damaging because it screams, “You can’t do this so why even try?”

Once that thought takes hold, it kills off our desire to take action and, without action, nothing happens and dreams die.  That’s why it is very important that you commit to believing that you can become the person you desire to be.

ACTION

Now, we’re getting to the “brass tacks” of the whole deal…action.  Without positive action, nothing will change and all you will do is spin your wheels.

The first action you must take is to make a road map of sorts.  You must plot out the steps it will take to get you from “where you are” to “where you want to be.”  For example, let’s say your “ideal you” speaks Spanish, but you currently don’t know a single word, you might want to take a Spanish class at your local community college.

If tasks seem to big, break them down until they no longer appear so daunting.  There’s an old saying that goals are a “cinch by the inch and hard by the yard.” So, break them down into “one-inch” pieces.

Once you have your road map written out, take action!  Do something!  If you are not entirely sure what action to take, ask someone who is where you want to be.

I’ve often noted that people become like those with whom they associate. If you want to be an eagle and soar, you can’t hang around with turkeys.  The turkeys don’t have the skills to teach you how to fly. I’m not saying that you should give up your friends, but you should jealously guard your time and your dreams and be very choosy with whom you share either.

This is your year to shine, if you choose to make it so.  Let’s make 2012 the year that we rock this world.

Be blessed,

PS: If you read this article after 1/1/12, don’t think you have to wait until next New Years Day to make positive changes in your life.  That’s not true at all. You can make these changes at any time you want. New Years is just a convenient way to mark the changes in our mind. It’s all up to you.