Sunday, March 9, 2014

A PROCLAMATION OF WOMEN: STILL I RISE (Maya Angelou)

Still I Rise

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

- Maya Angelou

Saturday, January 18, 2014

The Caravan Moves On!



The Church is like a great caravan—organized, prepared, following an appointed course, with its captains of tens and captains of hundreds all in place.

What does it matter if a few barking dogs snap at the heels of the weary travellers? Or that predators claim those few who fall by the way? The caravan moves on.

Is there a ravine to cross, a miry mud hole to pull through, a steep grade to climb? So be it. The oxen are strong and the teamsters wise. The caravan moves on.

Are there storms that rage along the way, floods that wash away the bridges, deserts to cross, and rivers to ford? Such is life in this fallen sphere. The caravan moves on. 

Ahead is the celestial city, the eternal Zion of our God, where all who maintain their position in the caravan shall find food and drink and rest. 

Thank God that the caravan moves on!




*from Elder Bruce R. McConkie's address, October 1984 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. For the full text of his talk, please follow this link.


Tuesday, October 15, 2013

What To Do Before, During, And After An Earthquake?

I woke up to the news of a 7.2-earthquake in Bohol. It did not miss the island of Cebu where old churches were trampled to the ground and buildings have collapsed roofs. 












So how do we ensure that we will be safe? Preparation and readiness are keys to survival.

What to Do Before an Earthquake

  • Make sure you have a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, a battery-powered radio, a flashlight, and extra batteries at home.
  • Learn first aid.
  • Learn how to turn off the gas, water, and electricity.
  • Make up a plan of where to meet your family after an earthquake.
  • Don't leave heavy objects on shelves (they'll fall during a quake).
  • Anchor heavy furniture, cupboards, and appliances to the walls or floor.
  • Learn the earthquake plan at your school or workplace. 

What to Do During an Earthquake

  • Stay calm! If you're indoors, stay inside. If you're outside, stay outside.
  • If you're indoors, stand against a wall near the center of the building, stand in a doorway, or crawl under heavy furniture (a desk or table). Stay away from windows and outside doors.
  • If you're outdoors, stay in the open away from power lines or anything that might fall. Stay away from buildings (stuff might fall off the building or the building could fall on you).
  • Don't use matches, candles, or any flame. Broken gas lines and fire don't mix.
  • If you're in a car, stop the car and stay inside the car until the earthquake stops.
  • Don't use elevators (they'll probably get stuck anyway).

What to Do After an Earthquake

  • Check yourself and others for injuries. Provide first aid for anyone who needs it.
  • Check water, gas, and electric lines for damage. If any are damaged, shut off the valves. Check for the smell of gas. If you smell it, open all the windows and doors, leave immediately, and report it to the authorities (use someone else's phone).
  • Turn on the radio. Don't use the phone unless it's an emergency.
  • Stay out of damaged buildings.
  • Be careful around broken glass and debris. Wear boots or sturdy shoes to keep from cutting your feet.
  • Stay away from beaches. Tsunamis sometimes hit after the ground has stopped shaking.
  • Stay away from damaged areas.
  • If you're at school or work, follow the emergency plan or the instructions of the person in charge.
  • Expect aftershocks. 

Be safe, everyone!


Monday, September 30, 2013

How to Master the 3-minute Speech


Here are some tips on how you can master the 3-minute speech.




1. Expand your definition of a speech.


It’s not just the way you talk for 3 minutes at the front of a room. It’s the way you interact with the audience before and it’s the way you interact with the audience after. Build audience rapport before even delivering your speech. 

2. Do your math.


How long is 3 minutes? Even more basic: How long is 1 minute? Now, the easy answer is: 60 seconds. A minute is 60 seconds. But you need to know much more about “time management” if you’re going to be an effective speaker.

It’s time for a quick lesson on the “rate of speech”. Rate of speech varies by age. Young people talk much faster than older people. It also varies by health. When we’re not feeling well, we prefer to send (and receive) information at a slower pace. Can you see the implications for you as a presenter? A fast pace that’s terrific for an audience of college students would create a disconnect at a retiree gathering.

3. Focus your message.


As Will Durant, the US historian, put it: “One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.” When in doubt, leave it out.

4. See if you can tie your message into the date in history.


Suppose you were preparing a speech to deliver today. See if you can make any connections to this date in history. 

5. Make adjustments based on audience demographics.


What is the size of the group? The age range? The male/female ratio? How much do you know about their educational backgrounds? Their income levels? Their community priorities? The more you know, the better you can connect.

And remember: In a short speech, you have to connect quickly. There’s simply no time for long prologues. And you have to connect effectively. There’s no patience for irrelevant examples.

6. Be specific.


Audiences remember specifics. They forget generalities.

An example. It’s from Chris Van Gorder, CEO of Scripps Health, speaking at the American College of Healthcare Executives, in his role as Chair-Elect of ACHE:

“San Diego alone has 650 wireless companies, and many are developing advances for health care. Estimates say 50 to 60 percent of primary care will be delivered virtually in the future. 

"Wireless band-aids are being developed to monitor your blood pressure, caloric intake, hydration and heart rate. 

"New drug delivery patches can be radio controlled … from across town, or across country. 

"ECG machines (no bigger than a cell phone, and one-fifth the cost of current equipment) will allow for remote exams. 

"Even pill bottles will include wireless transmitters. Just push a button to alert the pharmacy when you’re running low on medication. 


"Is our future changing? You bet.



"And ACHE will be there to advance our profession – our calling – in these rapidly changing times.”

Did you hear how the use of specific details made this speech more interesting and more memorable?

7. Watch your pronouns


More than anything else, pronouns convey “the friendliness factor.” Pronouns can help pull the audience closer.

Count the number of time you use “we", “you”, and “I”. That ratio tells something about you as a speaker.

For example, “we” conveys camaraderie, cooperation, teamwork. Think of Winston Churchill in 1941: “Give us the tools and we will finish the job.”

“You” builds direct rapport with an audience. President Kennedy knew this when he said: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

“I” is important because it conveys the speaker’s voice, the speaker’s commitment, the speaker’s dedication. Too many speakers shy away from using “I” – and they’re missing a powerful technique. Listen to Senator Hubert Humphrey’s voice in this line: “I learned more about politics during one South Dakota dust storm than I got in seven years in the university.” 

8. Give it some style.


Be visual.

When H.R. Haldeman commented on the Watergate affair, he said: "Once the toothpaste is out of the tube, it’s hard to get it back in.”

Here’s a vivid description from Gerald Ford: “A bronco is something that kicks and bucks, twists and turns, and very seldom goes in one direction. We have one of those things here in Washington – it’s called the Congress.” 

There’s nothing new about using visual images to sell your point. Here’s a memorable comment from Teddy Roosevelt about his predecessor, William McKinley: “McKinley shows all the backbone of a chocolate éclair.”

Use rhetorical devices.

Listen to this from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: “Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless.”

Hear the rhetorical power in this line from Senator Robert Kennedy: “Justice delayed is democracy denied.”

9. Use a light touch of humor.


Don’t use complex jokes. They’re too hard to tell. (Plus, they eat up too much of your limited time,)

Instead, use short one-liners. This is one from Will Rogers: "Alexander Hamilton started the U.S. Treasury with nothing … and that was the closest our country ever was to being even.”

Who knew how to use humor better than President Ronald Reagan? He once quipped: “There were so many candidates on the platform that there weren’t enough promises to go around.”

Listen to this humor from Ann Richards, speaking at the Democratic Convention: “Twelve years ago Barbara Jordan, another Texas woman, made the keynote address to this convention, and two women in 160 years is about par for the course. But, if you give us a chance, we can perform. After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.”

10. Fix your delivery problems.


You only have your voice, your body language and your eye contact. That’s it. Those are the only delivery tools you have to “sell” your message.

If your voice needs improvement, start improving. And start now. Ditto with your body language and your eye contact.

Read books. Take classes. Get coaching. Attend presentations.  Ask a colleague to critique your speeches and monitor your improvement. If you want really candid comments about your delivery skills, just ask a kid: A kid will always tell you the truth. Your staff might not venture to say that you have a most annoying way of clearing your throat whenever you start to speak but a kid will tell you about this annoying problem flat-out.

11. Consider your A-V options.


You can reinforce a short speech with a wide range of simple audio-visual options: props, letter from a parent or a friend,  music playing as the audience enters, posters made by local school kids, compelling photographs. The simplest of things (free, or very low cost) can grab an audience’s attention and create a hook for valuable media coverage.

12. Don’t run overtime.


Remember: There are very few people who don’t become more interesting when they stop talking!

Think of speeches as “business investments” in the communities you serve. Respect your audiences by staying within their timeframe.

A good speech builds audience rapport and leaves an audience wanting to hear you again.

Take a lesson from Mark Twain. He said: “It takes about 3 weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” So get started now: Write down 1 key message, and use these dozen guidelines to polish it.

So, the next time someone asks, “Can you speak for a few minutes?", you’ll be prepared to make every second count.


Excerpted from: 
Trends, Techniques and Tips
Strictly for Speakers: How to handle the short speech
(http://www.vsotd.com/Article.php?art_num=4371)


Friday, September 27, 2013

“When God Created Mothers" by Erma Bombeck




When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into His sixth day of "overtime" when the angel appeared and said. "You're doing a lot of fiddling around on this one." 

And God said, "Have you read the specs on this order?" She has to be completely washable, but not plastic. Have 180 moveable parts...all replaceable. Run on black coffee and leftovers. Have a lap that disappears when she stands up. A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair. And six pairs of hands." 

The angel shook her head slowly and said. "Six pairs of hands.... no way." 

It's not the hands that are causing me problems," God remarked, "it's the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have." 

That's on the standard model?" asked the angel. God nodded. 

One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, 'What are you kids doing in there?' when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn't but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say. 'I understand and I love you' without so much as uttering a word." 

God," said the angel touching his sleeve gently, "Get some rest tomorrow...." 

I can't," said God, "I'm so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick...can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger...and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower." 

The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. "It's too soft," she sighed. 

But tough!" said God excitedly. "You can imagine what this mother can do or endure." 

Can it think?" 

Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise," said the Creator. 

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. 

There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told You that You were trying to put too much into this model." 

It's not a leak," said the Lord, "It's a tear." 

What's it for?" 

It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride." 

You are a genius, " said the angel. 

Somberly, God said, "I didn't put it there.”