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Browse every published article connected to Phil Méthot, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
Articles
Browse every published article connected to Phil Méthot, or search within this exact expert archive.
This one word of one syllable, this little four-letter word causes so much trouble and prompts so many people to ask questions of its nature and its hold on us. Most questions about fear have to do with getting rid of it, overcoming it, fighting it, and last but not least, being free of it.
Just recently at a Toastmasters Open House, I gave a speech where I talked about the real benefit of learning how to speak in public. Sure, most people say they joi Toastmasters in order to learn how to speak in public, to hone existing skills, or to get over shyness doing so.
Be Authentic, Be Inspirational! That is quite a challenge, and two completely different attributes that in their own right are worthy of attainment. Tara Wilken would like to suggest that both attributes are conjoined twins. History has maybe suggested that she is right and that we have been mostly inspired by those individuals who stood out as authentic selves. Great individuals like Ghandi, himself a superlatively authentic individual, unequivocally inspired countless millions.
What is going on with smart women out there lately? I routinely answer blogs, questions, and see clients on many topics relating to low self esteem, and negative self images. Since my book; "Through the Door!": A Journey to the Self, came out, there has been quite an increase in this line of questioning.
My favorite quote is this one: "A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not where ships were meant to be." I don't know where the quote comes from, but I think of it at those times when I hesitate to do something that I want to do, out of fear. Being comfortable and safe is nice, but it isn't everything. We only grow when we step out of our safe havens (harbors) and risk riding the waves of life. It is only then we can potentially see new worlds, or at least new ways of looking at the world, and our role in it.
Who The Hell Do You Think You Are? No Really... ...who do you think you are? I ask because before we can talk about our self image, it would behoove us to know just what a self image is. My research over the years taught me that the problem even with the phrase self image, is that we use this phrase to mean three completely different things that get lumped into 'self images'. The problem is that only one of these three things are true self images. Those three processes are: Our relationship to the environment.r
Fred Haley a Distinguished Toastmaster wrote an article here on selfgrowth entitled; Toastmasters Doesn't Want You To Be A Great Speaker. The title is surely provocative and clever, and when you read the article you see that Fred is making the point that more than anything else, with Toastmasters, the message is key. I have to agree with Fred ...mostly. It is true that the message is Toastmasters' goal, but it isn't necessarily true that it need be THE goal.
Anger is an emotion that can be observed even in babies. For them, so much is new, and their developing command of of their own bodies challenges them and produces frustration that is manifested as anger. The interesting part is that, in the very young, manifestations of anger are natural. Almost right away, the infant observes the reaction that all of their actions have on those around them. They quickly learn which behaviour gets what kind of response from their parents.
Okay guys, put down the beer can, shut off the TV and pay attention; THIS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE! Your wife/girfriend has made some sort of comment that led you to believe that Valentine's day was no big deal. You took her at her word, because after all, you have an honest relationship, right? (CUE THE BUZZER) WRONG!!!!!
Public Speaking! Oh you monstrous demon the sends men and women to their own personal hell; how shall we smote thee! Smokers know that they have a 50/50 chance of dying a horrible death from doing it yet fearlessly light up. Some people drink and drive, knowing yet again that the chances of getting into an accident is greatly increased, yet there is no fear there either. But ask them to give a speech and for some, the fear of public speaking reduces them to a quivering cornered mouse.
If if told you that bloozles were on sale now at 80% off, would that get you excited? Probably not, since you don't know what a bloozle is. (of course it's just a word that I made up)
The Joy of Cancer – Olga Munari Assaly & Kim Mecca rniUniverse 2012 One summer Wednesday night, a little over a year ago, a woman walked into our Pointe-Claire Toastmasters Club as a guest and instantly changed the aura of the room. Her effervescence, her poise, and her clear blue beautiful eyes radiated strength and confidence and determination that I would come to think of as the ‘Olga Factor’. That was my first meeting with Olga Munari Assaly.
Yesterday I treated myself to a couple of TED talks. For those who do not know what a TED talk is let me briefly explain. TED stands for Technology Entertainment and Design. Essentially TED talks are a series of lectures each of which lasts only 18 minutes, on subjects reflecting the name TED. It has expanded to other topics since its inception in 1984, and has had speakers from all over the world who are innovators in their field. A quick search on YouTube on TED Talks, and you are there.
Sometimes what seems like libido dysfunction is simply the lack of desire to get close to the person that you have become distant to. If your relationship is mutually empowering, and you feed each others' sense of self, than physical desireis usually not too far away. But... if the feeling of getting close to your mate has an emotional 'cost' attached to it, than, libido isn't the problem, it's a symptom.
10 Steps to Becoming A Great Public Speaker ISBN 978-0-0-986-5572-2-4 Methotology Press, 2011 A Free Multimedia onscreen eBook by Phil L. Méthot So your boss has asked you to prepare a PowerPoint presentation and present it to the sales team, so what do you do? Like most people - PANIC!!!
Are you so worried about stage fright that you refrain from speaking in public? Is your desire to do public speaking shackled by the idea that you have to overcome your fears first? Consider this. Sir Laurence Olivier, one of the great thespians of his time had terrible stage fright before his performances, yet he had a long and highly distinguished and successful career.
Your self-images may not be something you think about them very much. In fact, most of you probably don't even realize that you have many self-images, each one taking a turn depending on the circumstances you are in. The way you see yourself, or the way you think about yourself affects the actions and choices you make everyday. We are talking about your belief system. It is the answer to the question; who are you? Unfortunately, the misunderstanding of this concept produces consequences that are life-changing; often not for the better. A Rose By Any Other Name