I enjoy watching Chris Wallace’s show Sunday mornings. He usually stirs up debate on political issues by asking leading questions to guests and panelists from both political major parties. I usually watch with partial attention while getting dressed for my Sunday meditation group. Once in a while someone on his show speaks with unusual…
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Seth Godin, author of Tribes, writes a blog on leadership at sethsblog.com. He quotes his book, “Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead.” He continues with: “It’s uncomfortable to stand up in front of strangers. It’s uncomfortable to propose an idea that might fail. It’s…
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“Jump right into the middle” and “open the shoot and let the bucking bronco out of the pin” are my mottos for opening talks, speeches and communications to groups. I don’t like to hear speakers mumble phrases like “I am so honored to be here” or “Thanks for inviting me.” No one is listening…
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My Zimmer Method approach to helping people to transform stage fright and fear of public speaking has been evolving since 1984. It began by asking people to stand quietly in front of my acting classes to see if they could just be there at the center of attention. Most people had great difficulty simply…
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My webmaster Kenan Branam happens to be a thought leader about the internet and the future of humanity. He is always trying to make sense of the world and how we humans live in it. This cold drizzly Houston morning in December we chatted about a new program I am creating called Your Life…
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One of my favorite communication experts is Loren Ekroth, Ph.D who is a specialist in human communication and a national expert on conversation for business and social life. He sends a newsletter that always has a thoughtful and insightful article. His article this week is on the gift of presence. You can contact him…
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Over several years, I developed a pattern for the process that guides people safely and slowly into healing stage fright so they feel free to share their thoughts and feelings in all kinds of situations. Even more remarkably, this process awakens in people a powerful and authentic presence that radiates from them. However, this…
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Stage fright is fear of feeling in front of others. It is the fear of revealing that you are human and that you have human emotions that are not always positive. It is fear of being seen for who you truly are. Becoming the center of attention also triggers feelings of shame – shame…
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Storytelling is the way to capture attention, engage listeners, free your self-expression, persuade listeners and make your ideas stick. I believe that storytelling is the most valuable presentation skill you can learn. My friend Doug Stevenson is a master at teaching storytelling for business purposes. Doug has written a definitive article on how to…
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When you do become the center of attention, there is only one thing to do: try to exit the situation by leaving your body. If you can’t get out of the situation by avoiding the event, then you try to avoid the sensations felt inside. The way to avoid the sensations is to leave…
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