Knowing you don’t know is wholeness,
Thinking you know is a disease.
Only by recognizing that you have an illness
can you move to seek a cure.
The Master is whole because
she sees her illnesses and treats them,
and thus is able to remain whole.
~Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
Rivers and seas are rulers
of the streams of hundreds of valleys
because of the power of their low position.
If you want to be the ruler of a people,
you must speak to them like you are their servant.
If you want to lead other people,
you must put their interests ahead of your own.
The people will not feel burdened,
if a wise person is in a position of power.
The people will not feel like they are being manipulated,
if a wise person is in front as their leader.
The whole world will ask for her guidance,
and will never get tired of her.
Because she does not like to compete,
no one can compete with the things she accomplishes.
~Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
Wordsmithing written language is like performing heart surgery with a sledgehammer. The written word carries so much less information without the inflection in our voice and non-verbal cues we receive during face-to-face conversation.
The goal is not to get rid of the butterflies; it is to get them to fly in formation.
1. Snakes – 51%
2. Speaking in public – 40%
3. Heights – 36%
4. Being closed in a small space – 34%
5. Spiders and insects – 27%
6. Needles and getting shots – 21%
7. Mice – 20%
8. Flying on a plane – 18%
9. Dogs – 11%
10. Thunder and lightning – 11%
11. Crowds – 11%
12. Going to the doctor – 9%
(Gallup Poll, February 18-21, 2001, with 1,016 respondents; +/- 3%. Retrieved on October 18, 2010 from http://www.faceyourfearstoday.com/Top_10_Fears.html.)
A second “top fears” list shows the following:
1. Fear of flying
2. Fear of public speaking
3. Fear of heights
4. Fear of the dark
5. Fear of intimacy
6. Fear of death
7. Fear of failure
8. Fear of rejection
9. Fear of spiders
10. Fear of commitment
(Retrieved on October 18, 2010 from http://www.selfhelpcollective.com/top-10-fears.html.)
Yes, public speaking appears to steadily maintain its power over us, outshadowing even death. No doubt for most of us, our own death is a distant, abstract idea compared to being thrust before a group of people who are clinging to our every word. For many, the first taste of public speaking began in grade school in the form of show’n'tell, a school play or recital. Eventually, these gave way to spelling bees, book reports and presentations. Brrr.
As they say in Toastmasters, it is not about getting rid of the butterflies; it is about getting them to fly in formation. Whether you are explaining services or participating in staff meetings, effective communication is vital in today’s business world. For more than eighty years, Toastmaster clubs have provided a safe, friendly forum where members are encouraged to develop and improve their presentation and leadership skills.
For the price of a couple cups of coffee each month, you get all this? You get people who will listen to you, coach you, support you and cheer for you for a few hours each month? Absolutely.
Your mission—should you choose to accept it—is to conquer your fear of public speaking. Begin today. Don’t know where to start? You may go to www.toastmasters.org and find a club near you. As with most Toastmaster clubs, it costs nothing to visit and there is no obligation to join.
In support of your efforts,
Matt
Why should you tell your story? Who are you to tell others how you feel and why you feel it? Who are you to tell others about the life experiences that have brought you to this point? Indeed, who are we to believe we
The audacity! Who are we? Why do we matter? Why does any of it matter?
Jesus Christ is recorded as saying, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, so you do unto me.” The Golden Rule is to treat others as you would ask to be treated (which assumes you want to be treated well!) Begin, then, with the question, “How do I want to be treated?” Not sure how to answer that? Think about a time when you felt elevated as a result of your interaction with another. Ask yourself, “When have I felt the most loved, accepted, nurtured, safe, inspired, encouraged or supported?”
Complete the following sentence: “I have felt the most ________ (positive adjective) when ____________________________________________________________ (positive event, interaction, condition). Discuss your experience.
This is what the whole Metamora effort is all about. One of the Metamora Group’s prime reasons for being is to inspire, educate and entertain people while establishing the idea we’re all in this together. The Metamora Group is a collection of individuals and organizations who are tuning into their responsibility to uphold Metamora’s simple, concise mission statement: Elevate humanity. One of the ways the Metamora Group seeks to accomplish this is to bring people together (fostering a connected community) through live events. These live events focus on a myriad of topics including physical wellness, spiritual health, emotional growth and financial well-being. At the very core of this effort is the focus on providing a platform whereby people are called to get up and share their stories and their passions with the ultimate goal of elevating their audience. It is through the sharing of our stories and experiences that we come to learn how very similar we are to one another. It is through sharing our stories that we come to realize we’re really quite normal after all. Further, it is through the sharing of our stories (and then supporting those stories with action) that we inspire true, lasting change in the world.
Now, when I say “our stories”, I’m not saying you have to talk about yourself. Your stories may be derived from your own life experience, certainly, but you have much more to pull from than that. Tell us about the thing that keeps you up at night thinking. Tell us about the stories that mean something to you and then tell us why they mean something to you. Finally, tell us why those stories mean something to us. Stories are repeatable. There are layers of meaning within stories. Ever heard the adage “facts tell, stories sell”? Facts and statistics can be used to reinforce your point, but they will seldom make your point for you.
Okay, so now that you’ve determined what your passion is… wait… have you? If you had to get up and give a presentation tomorrow and the only requirement for the presentation was that you had to leave people with a greater sense of awareness and empowerment, what would you talk about? On what would you expand their awareness and how would you help them realize they were part of the solution? How would you move them to action? Move their minds and they’ll forget you tomorrow, but move their hearts and their minds will follow.
Tomorrow is your last day on Earth. You will be leaving on a long trip and will be out of touch until you return, 50 years hence. You have been told by a trustworthy source there is one person who especially needs to receive encouragement from your before you leave. Who is that person? What do you say to them? Anyone want to share their answer?
Why this exercise works: If you cannot be around to shepherd, counsel, enable or otherwise influence another, you are forced to let go and believe they will be able to find their own way. The most you can do, therefore, is to release your attachment to their outcome and offer them the encouragement to seek their own growth and happiness. How do you do this then? What do you say? How do you say it? Finally, what if it was more than one person you were charged with inspiring? What if it was one hundred? One thousand? One million?
As you begin to solidify your message, you begin to craft the answer to “So what?” Assuming we want to hold true to the high mission of elevating humanity, how do you do this? Again, we return to stories for the answer.
Tell others why you feel the way you do about your passion of choice. Were there experiences that lead you to the views you now hold? What events helped for your current concerns? Why do you fell like others want or need to know about your topic? What happens if you remain reticent and choose not to say or do anything?
“Men’s courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead. But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change.”
~Ebenezer Scrooge, in the Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Story”
Can one person make a difference? Ask Gandhi. Ask Martin Luther King, Jr. Ask Jesus of Nazareth. Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” You want to see change then? Begin living the change. Begin leading the change. Begin with one person; you. Then lead by your example.
Realize then, you have something to offer the world. You don’t have to worry about being particularly eloquent, but you do have to consider whether you’re doing your part with the gifts you’ve been given. I’ve heard sagacious speakers state that really, all we ever need to do is just be. That’s it. If we just be, we will have done enough. I understand and agree with the sentiment of being okay with yourself regardless of your personal results. I disagree, however, with the notion that we are okay to do nothing to improve ourselves and the lives of those around us. I would like to conclude this with a story most of you have heard before.
A rich man who was going on a long journey called his three servants together. He told them they would be caretakers of his property while he was gone. The master had carefully assessed the natural abilities of each servant. He gave five talents to one servant, two to another, and one to the third—to each according to his ability. The master then left on his journey.
The servants went forth into a world open to enterprise and investment. The servant who had received five talents went into business and made five more. The servant who received two made two more. But the servant who received one hid the master’s property in a hole in the ground.
The master returned to settle his accounts. The servant who had received five talents came forth. “My lord,” he said, “you entrusted me with five talents; see, I have made five more!”
“Well done, good and faithful servant!” the master responded. “You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your lord!”
Then the servant who had been given two talents approached the master. “My lord,” he said, “you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have made two talents more!” The master praised the servant in a like manner.
Then the one who had been given one talent approached his master. “My lord,” he said, “I knew you to be a hard man; you reap where you have not sown, and gather where you have not scattered; and being afraid I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours!”
The master’s response was swift and harsh: “You wicked and indolent slave! You were aware that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered; you ought for that reason to have invested my money with the bankers; then, on my return, I should have received my own with interest.”
The master ordered that the talent be taken away from the lazy servant and given to the one with the ten talents. “For to every one who possesses not,” said the master, “even that which he has shall be taken away. Cast that useless slave into the outer darkness; there shall be weeping and the grinding of teeth!”
What do we do with the gifts and hearts we’ve been given? Do we hide them or do we risk the investment of putting them out into the world? What does Christ say will happen if we choose the latter?
Know your passion.
Share your passion.
Ask yourself everyday, “What will I do today to elevate humanity?”
Matt Schoenherr is a husband, father of four, business owner of Dreamscape Multimedia, and marketing consultant. As a syndicated author of a marketing and public relations column, Matt writes for a national online news magazine. Matt has over 17 years of national community outreach experience. His blog at www.mattschoenherr.com analyzes marketing concepts, delivers marketing ideas and occasionally explores the more magical side of life.
