Many careers require you to be able to make presentations and this is
often the part of the job that people find most daunting. If you have an
important presentation to make and the thought of standing on stage in
front of a room full of people fills you with dread, then you are going
to need a little bit of help. Fortunately we have a few ideas that will
help you. If this presentation is not likely to be a one off, you might
like to think about enrolling in a course such as the Certificate IV in
Training and Assessment (TAA). Otherwise, there are still plenty of
things you can do to boost your confidence and ensure that your
presentation is a roaring success.
Know your material
Whatever
the speech or presentation you are giving it is vital that you know the
material like the back of your hand. If you get to pick the subject,
choose something that you know intimately and are passionate about. Your
knowledge and enthusiasm will shine through, and you are far less
likely to get stage fright. If someone else has control over the
subject, and it is something you know less well, then research it in as
much detail as possible. Make the subject second nature, so that you can
concentrate on the delivery.
Know your audience
Find out
as much as you can about your audience and tailor your speech to suit
them. Find out what they know and don't know about your subject, and
what their expectations are of your presentation. That way you will be
able to pitch your speech in such a way that you avoid problems such as
bamboozling your audience with overcomplicated technical matters, boring
them by going over issues they already know, being overly serious when
humour is called for, or offending people with inappropriate material.
Know the room
If
possible, visit the room where you will be speaking before the big day.
If you have input into the seating configuration it is worth thinking
about what will suit your presentation best. Get to know where all the
entrances and exits are, what kind of microphones and other audio visual
equipment are in use and where any clocks are positioned. This will
help you feel more comfortable when it is time to give your speech.
Practise
The
best advice is always to practise. Once you have written your speech,
find a willing friend or colleague and go over it again and again until
you are confident it is as good as it can be. Feedback is important
here. The earlier that you are made aware of mistakes or weak areas, the
easier they will be to fix.
Study
Perhaps the ultimate
solution for someone who needs to be able to make presentations at work
is to study for a qualification such as the TAA. It is not an instant
solution by any means, but you will learn all the skills you need in
order to make presentations and train staff confidently and capably.
http://www.eurosptp.com/page.php?name=ribengou74
2012年1月15日星期日
10 Wise Lessons: What I Wish I Knew When I Was Younger
As I recently celebrated another year of life and am entering a new
phase of mid-life (whatever that is) I began to contemplate the lessons
that I would pass on to my younger self.
Whether you are young or young at heart, it is never too late to change — or incorporate some new (and better) practices into your daily life.
Here are 10 wise lessons that I wish I knew when I was younger:
1. Don't worry about what other people think of you.
I used to worry too much what others thought of me, of my decisions and of my actions. Eventually, I came to realize that if you're wasting too much time seeking validation, respect or approval from others, then you won't have time to accomplish all that you desire.
Everyone has an opinion, but in reality other's opinions of you are based more on their history and perceptions than anything you're actually doing. So while it's good to ask for feedback, rely on your own assessment of you rather than others.
2. Today is what's important.
This is a biggie on so many levels. Enjoy every moment of today, because you are not guaranteed a tomorrow. Don't put off your dreams. Don't wait to do, try, enjoy all of those “someday” items. Don't tell yourself I'll do it tomorrow. If it's important to you, then DO IT TODAY.
Pay attention to what is happening now, to the people around you, to the task at hand and to all of the choices you make today, big and small. What you do today, determines what tomorrow will bring. Our future is set by what we decide and act on today.
3. Let it go.
What happened yesterday is over. Those unmet expectations, difficult situations, failures and conflicts are in the past. You can't change it, so let it go. Don't waste your energy dwelling on anger, resentment or disappointment. It only keeps you stuck in the past and holds you back from moving forward in your life.
Also, learn to let the little things roll off your back. Insults, criticisms, setbacks — let them all go. Don't hold on to old resentments or slights. They only weigh you down.
4. It's called work for a reason.
Success at anything takes work. When you hear about an overnight success story, don't forget about all of the work that came before. It takes time to build a career or a business, prep work, time to learn and fail, time to build a network and a team of mentors and supporters.
You may have to do work you do not enjoy and trudge through the trenches of planning, building, refining, moving up, out, over and redefining before you get to the place where success clicks. Keep going.
5. Believe in yourself.
You are your own worst critic, and so can you be your own best supporter. If you do not have confidence in your own value, abilities and contribution, then nobody else will either. You must have faith in your intrinsic worth. We each have something to offer that is necessary and valuable, though we may not know what that something is.
You do not have to be able to see the end zone. Just because you aren't able to visualize where you might go and how you might succeed, that doesn't mean it will not happen. And just because you may have made mistakes and have a string of failures behind you does not mean that you can't achieve your goals in the future. You can do far more than you can imagine.
6. Don't burn your bridges.
You never know when a former boss, colleague, business partner or acquaintance may come in handy. Try to part on good terms, stay on good terms and never gossip about former connections. Be respectful and open to possibilities.
Maintain and foster connections on all levels. Connect others and offer your help to those you know. A wide pool of friends, peers and connections of all kinds will provide a wealthy resource of ideas and support as you go forward in life. (The exception would be dishonest, disrespectful or offensive people. Cut em loose!)
7. Money is not the most important thing.
Money is important. We all have bills to pay, I understand that completely. But in the end, or even in the middle, maybe especially in the middle, money is not the end goal. Satisfaction in a job well done, contributing to something worthwhile and finding something you enjoy doing (or figuring out how to enjoy what you do) are more motivating goals and certainly lend themselves to a happier and less stressful life.
Contrary to what you have been sold by the “lifestyles of the wealthy and happy” fallacy, money does not equate to happiness. Nor does it insulate you from pain, suffering and conflict or improve your relationships with those around you. Money is simply a currency that allows you to eat, dress and live. It is not a magic wand.
8. Don't be afraid to stand up and stand out.
Take a stand. Speak up. Stand out from the crowd. If something is important to you, then stand up for it...even if it is unpopular. Never compromise your integrity. One person can make a difference and shed light on injustice or unfairness. If it's not right, say so.
Be quirky, be different, be yourself. Don't worry so much about conforming to society's standards or whatever passes for the norm. While I do think it reasonable to be clean, respectful and considerate, I think we place too much emphasis on fitting in and being “appropriate.” This is not your grandmother's world. Don't be afraid to be yourself.
9. It's not a race.
We have so much to do, so much to accomplish and it feels as though we have to be in a hurry to get there. It is likely that you will live upwards of 80 years. That is plenty of time to fit a whole host of wonderful endeavors into your life. People work into their 70s and 80s, have children into their 40s and change careers or start businesses at any age.
You do not have to do it all at once. In fact, if you try to do it all at once you will, at best not have time to enjoy it and at worst burn out and damage your health and relationships. Slow down and take one thing at a time, one day at a time. Yes, make plans, but don't be in such a rush 24/7.
10. Look for the good in everything.
Stay positive. Look for the good in people. Celebrate the happy moments, big and small. Search for the lesson and opportunity for growth in the difficult. Give helpful encouragement rather than negative criticism. Be helpful whenever possible.
This does not mean put on Pollyanna glasses and ignore the bad. Dishonesty, disrespect, unhappiness and evil exist and you will have to deal with them. But don't let those difficulties color your experience. If you view the world around you and life's challenges through the lens of goodness, then you will find life much more enjoyable.
Life is serious — and sometimes awful — but you can still be upbeat and hopeful. Otherwise, what's the point?
http://www.discovery-ptp.eu/promote1.php?user=ribengou74
Whether you are young or young at heart, it is never too late to change — or incorporate some new (and better) practices into your daily life.
Here are 10 wise lessons that I wish I knew when I was younger:
1. Don't worry about what other people think of you.
I used to worry too much what others thought of me, of my decisions and of my actions. Eventually, I came to realize that if you're wasting too much time seeking validation, respect or approval from others, then you won't have time to accomplish all that you desire.
Everyone has an opinion, but in reality other's opinions of you are based more on their history and perceptions than anything you're actually doing. So while it's good to ask for feedback, rely on your own assessment of you rather than others.
2. Today is what's important.
This is a biggie on so many levels. Enjoy every moment of today, because you are not guaranteed a tomorrow. Don't put off your dreams. Don't wait to do, try, enjoy all of those “someday” items. Don't tell yourself I'll do it tomorrow. If it's important to you, then DO IT TODAY.
Pay attention to what is happening now, to the people around you, to the task at hand and to all of the choices you make today, big and small. What you do today, determines what tomorrow will bring. Our future is set by what we decide and act on today.
3. Let it go.
What happened yesterday is over. Those unmet expectations, difficult situations, failures and conflicts are in the past. You can't change it, so let it go. Don't waste your energy dwelling on anger, resentment or disappointment. It only keeps you stuck in the past and holds you back from moving forward in your life.
Also, learn to let the little things roll off your back. Insults, criticisms, setbacks — let them all go. Don't hold on to old resentments or slights. They only weigh you down.
4. It's called work for a reason.
Success at anything takes work. When you hear about an overnight success story, don't forget about all of the work that came before. It takes time to build a career or a business, prep work, time to learn and fail, time to build a network and a team of mentors and supporters.
You may have to do work you do not enjoy and trudge through the trenches of planning, building, refining, moving up, out, over and redefining before you get to the place where success clicks. Keep going.
5. Believe in yourself.
You are your own worst critic, and so can you be your own best supporter. If you do not have confidence in your own value, abilities and contribution, then nobody else will either. You must have faith in your intrinsic worth. We each have something to offer that is necessary and valuable, though we may not know what that something is.
You do not have to be able to see the end zone. Just because you aren't able to visualize where you might go and how you might succeed, that doesn't mean it will not happen. And just because you may have made mistakes and have a string of failures behind you does not mean that you can't achieve your goals in the future. You can do far more than you can imagine.
6. Don't burn your bridges.
You never know when a former boss, colleague, business partner or acquaintance may come in handy. Try to part on good terms, stay on good terms and never gossip about former connections. Be respectful and open to possibilities.
Maintain and foster connections on all levels. Connect others and offer your help to those you know. A wide pool of friends, peers and connections of all kinds will provide a wealthy resource of ideas and support as you go forward in life. (The exception would be dishonest, disrespectful or offensive people. Cut em loose!)
7. Money is not the most important thing.
Money is important. We all have bills to pay, I understand that completely. But in the end, or even in the middle, maybe especially in the middle, money is not the end goal. Satisfaction in a job well done, contributing to something worthwhile and finding something you enjoy doing (or figuring out how to enjoy what you do) are more motivating goals and certainly lend themselves to a happier and less stressful life.
Contrary to what you have been sold by the “lifestyles of the wealthy and happy” fallacy, money does not equate to happiness. Nor does it insulate you from pain, suffering and conflict or improve your relationships with those around you. Money is simply a currency that allows you to eat, dress and live. It is not a magic wand.
8. Don't be afraid to stand up and stand out.
Take a stand. Speak up. Stand out from the crowd. If something is important to you, then stand up for it...even if it is unpopular. Never compromise your integrity. One person can make a difference and shed light on injustice or unfairness. If it's not right, say so.
Be quirky, be different, be yourself. Don't worry so much about conforming to society's standards or whatever passes for the norm. While I do think it reasonable to be clean, respectful and considerate, I think we place too much emphasis on fitting in and being “appropriate.” This is not your grandmother's world. Don't be afraid to be yourself.
9. It's not a race.
We have so much to do, so much to accomplish and it feels as though we have to be in a hurry to get there. It is likely that you will live upwards of 80 years. That is plenty of time to fit a whole host of wonderful endeavors into your life. People work into their 70s and 80s, have children into their 40s and change careers or start businesses at any age.
You do not have to do it all at once. In fact, if you try to do it all at once you will, at best not have time to enjoy it and at worst burn out and damage your health and relationships. Slow down and take one thing at a time, one day at a time. Yes, make plans, but don't be in such a rush 24/7.
10. Look for the good in everything.
Stay positive. Look for the good in people. Celebrate the happy moments, big and small. Search for the lesson and opportunity for growth in the difficult. Give helpful encouragement rather than negative criticism. Be helpful whenever possible.
This does not mean put on Pollyanna glasses and ignore the bad. Dishonesty, disrespect, unhappiness and evil exist and you will have to deal with them. But don't let those difficulties color your experience. If you view the world around you and life's challenges through the lens of goodness, then you will find life much more enjoyable.
Life is serious — and sometimes awful — but you can still be upbeat and hopeful. Otherwise, what's the point?
http://www.discovery-ptp.eu/promote1.php?user=ribengou74
Grief raises heart attack risk, says study
The newly bereaved are at greatly increased risk of heart attack after the death of a close loved one, US researchers say.
Heart attack risk is 21 times higher within the first day and six times higher than normal within the first week, a study in the Circulation journal of nearly 2,000 people shows.
Symptoms to watch for include chest pain and shortness of breath.
Experts say intense grief puts extra strain on the heart.
The psychological stress associated with loss can raise heart rate, blood pressure and blood clotting, which, in turn, can increase the chance of a heart attack.
A person's sleep and appetite are also likely to be disrupted.
Compound this with self-neglect - such as not bothering to take regular medication - and the result can be grave.
The researchers say it is important for family and friends to be aware of these risks and to keep an eye out during such difficult times.
“It's very important that if you're taking medication because you have, or are at high risk of, heart disease, don't neglect taking it following a significant bereavement”---Prof Peter Weissberg
Emotional
Lead investigator Dr Murray Mittleman, of Harvard Medical School's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said: "During situations of extreme grief and psychological distress, you still need to take care of yourself and seek medical attention for symptoms associated with a heart attack.
"Caretakers, healthcare providers and the bereaved themselves need to recognise they are in a period of heightened risk in the days and weeks after hearing of someone close dying."
The researchers reached their estimates by studying 1,985 heart attack survivors and comparing how many of them had recently been bereaved.
Among the study participants, 270 (13.6%) experienced the loss of a significant person in the prior six months, including 19 within one day of their heart attack.
Heart attack risk went up significantly within the first week after the death of a close loved one.
The risk was highest in the first seven days following bereavement and declined steadily thereafter.
Vulnerable
The elevated risk ranged from about one in 300 to less than one in 1,000 depending on the individual's general heart health before bereavement.
Those with a history of heart disease already fared worse.
Prof Peter Weissberg of the British Heart Foundation said: "We're already aware that, under exceptional circumstances, emotional stress can trigger a heart attack.
"But we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that heart attacks triggered by stress normally only happen in people with underlying heart disease. It's very important that if you're taking medication because you have, or are at high risk of, heart disease, don't neglect taking it following a significant bereavement."
Past research has already shown that recently bereaved people have heart rhythm changes which may make some of them more vulnerable to health problems.
And grieving spouses have higher long-term risks of dying, with heart disease and strokes accounting for around half of the deaths, findings suggest.
http://cashmania.be/promote1.php?user=ribengou74
Heart attack risk is 21 times higher within the first day and six times higher than normal within the first week, a study in the Circulation journal of nearly 2,000 people shows.
Symptoms to watch for include chest pain and shortness of breath.
Experts say intense grief puts extra strain on the heart.
The psychological stress associated with loss can raise heart rate, blood pressure and blood clotting, which, in turn, can increase the chance of a heart attack.
A person's sleep and appetite are also likely to be disrupted.
Compound this with self-neglect - such as not bothering to take regular medication - and the result can be grave.
The researchers say it is important for family and friends to be aware of these risks and to keep an eye out during such difficult times.
“It's very important that if you're taking medication because you have, or are at high risk of, heart disease, don't neglect taking it following a significant bereavement”---Prof Peter Weissberg
Emotional
Lead investigator Dr Murray Mittleman, of Harvard Medical School's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said: "During situations of extreme grief and psychological distress, you still need to take care of yourself and seek medical attention for symptoms associated with a heart attack.
"Caretakers, healthcare providers and the bereaved themselves need to recognise they are in a period of heightened risk in the days and weeks after hearing of someone close dying."
The researchers reached their estimates by studying 1,985 heart attack survivors and comparing how many of them had recently been bereaved.
Among the study participants, 270 (13.6%) experienced the loss of a significant person in the prior six months, including 19 within one day of their heart attack.
Heart attack risk went up significantly within the first week after the death of a close loved one.
The risk was highest in the first seven days following bereavement and declined steadily thereafter.
Vulnerable
The elevated risk ranged from about one in 300 to less than one in 1,000 depending on the individual's general heart health before bereavement.
Those with a history of heart disease already fared worse.
Prof Peter Weissberg of the British Heart Foundation said: "We're already aware that, under exceptional circumstances, emotional stress can trigger a heart attack.
"But we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that heart attacks triggered by stress normally only happen in people with underlying heart disease. It's very important that if you're taking medication because you have, or are at high risk of, heart disease, don't neglect taking it following a significant bereavement."
Past research has already shown that recently bereaved people have heart rhythm changes which may make some of them more vulnerable to health problems.
And grieving spouses have higher long-term risks of dying, with heart disease and strokes accounting for around half of the deaths, findings suggest.
http://cashmania.be/promote1.php?user=ribengou74
Mercedes-Benz, Facebook Team Up to Put App in Cars
Facebook is coming to a new Mercedes-Benz near you.
At CES 2012 in Las Vegas, the German car maker revealed that Facebook would be one of the apps in its new Mbrace2 telematics system, which will begin appearing in the company's SL class vehicles this spring.
Mercedes' edition of Facebook won't be as robust as the online version, according to a report by Reuters. It will have a limited set of features designed for drivers and focused on locations of friends and businesses.
Moving Facebook to venues with Internet access other than computers and smartphones is a logical extension of the social network, its vice president of partnerships and platform marketing, Dan Rose, told Reuters. For example, he noted that since people use GPS devices to track the location of their car, why shouldn't they be able to track the location of their Facebook friends from their car.
There has been increased concern lately, especially in the United States, about gadgets in cars, especially smartphones, distracting a driver's attention from driving and contributing to accidents. In fact one national automotive safety organization has called for a complete ban of operating cellphones in cars.
Mercedes is addressing that issue head-on with its Facebook app.
The app does not support any Facebook activity that requires you to enter text while the vehicle is in motion.
You can, however, post canned messages to your Facebook page while driving by poking a screen or turning a knob. You can also automatically publish a notice that you are in route to a destination, as well as an estimated time of arrival.
Nearby friends can be found by the app, too, as well as nearby restaurants that your friends "liked" on the social network.
If you want to play Farmville in your Mercedes, though, you're out of luck. The app doesn't support third-party Facebook apps.
Mercedes isn't the only car maker touting cockpit tech at CES. Ford demonstrated new voice command capabilities that allow a driver to control navigation applications and even find their favorite public radio station.
http://nuaptp.fr/promote1.php?user=ribengou74
At CES 2012 in Las Vegas, the German car maker revealed that Facebook would be one of the apps in its new Mbrace2 telematics system, which will begin appearing in the company's SL class vehicles this spring.
Mercedes' edition of Facebook won't be as robust as the online version, according to a report by Reuters. It will have a limited set of features designed for drivers and focused on locations of friends and businesses.
Moving Facebook to venues with Internet access other than computers and smartphones is a logical extension of the social network, its vice president of partnerships and platform marketing, Dan Rose, told Reuters. For example, he noted that since people use GPS devices to track the location of their car, why shouldn't they be able to track the location of their Facebook friends from their car.
There has been increased concern lately, especially in the United States, about gadgets in cars, especially smartphones, distracting a driver's attention from driving and contributing to accidents. In fact one national automotive safety organization has called for a complete ban of operating cellphones in cars.
Mercedes is addressing that issue head-on with its Facebook app.
The app does not support any Facebook activity that requires you to enter text while the vehicle is in motion.
You can, however, post canned messages to your Facebook page while driving by poking a screen or turning a knob. You can also automatically publish a notice that you are in route to a destination, as well as an estimated time of arrival.
Nearby friends can be found by the app, too, as well as nearby restaurants that your friends "liked" on the social network.
If you want to play Farmville in your Mercedes, though, you're out of luck. The app doesn't support third-party Facebook apps.
Mercedes isn't the only car maker touting cockpit tech at CES. Ford demonstrated new voice command capabilities that allow a driver to control navigation applications and even find their favorite public radio station.
http://nuaptp.fr/promote1.php?user=ribengou74
How To Start Conversations And Make Friends
If you've been reading a lot of articles on how to make friends that
tell you to start conversations, be more outgoing, and be yourself, and
you're not getting the results you want, I'm writing this because I
found myself in the same situation seven years ago, and I had no idea
how to make friends, or how to build relationships and take things from
the “acquaintances” stage, and I'd like to share with you what I learned
in this article.
Most of the advice you read is very similar to telling someone with no knowledge of how to fix a car to “go fix a car”, then them out and expecting them to be able to do it.
They tell you “start conversations” and “be real” and “be yourself”, but they don't give you action steps on how to do any of those things... and that's the missing gap in understanding that you need to fill in if you want to be successful at making friends.
Since being able to start conversations is the starting point to making friends... and being able to keep a conversation going is the key to building relationships and making friends, I figure it's as good a place as any to start talking about.
In this article, I'm going to give you two very simple techniques you can use in any social situation to IMMEDIATELY improve your conversational skills, help you start making friends, and getting people to like you and want to be friends with you.
1) Have Something Interesting To Say When You Speak
A lot of people throw around words like “interesting” or “boring”, but few people actually take time to understand what the words interesting and boring actually mean, and how that information can help them to be more interesting.
Here are the definitions according to Dictionary.com:
Interesting: engaging or exciting and holding attention or curiosity; arousing a FEELING of interest.
Boring: not interesting; tedious; so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness.
Which one of these two things are you doing during your conversations?
Being interesting literally means arousing a FEELING of interest inside another person to hold their attention.
Being bored means not interesting (aka no feelings)... and if you think back to times when you were bored, it's because of the way you were FEELING in that situation... and when you started to become interested in something your FEELINGS changed in that situation.
So the first thing you want to do is make sure you're interesting by making sure you're stimulating people's EMOTIONS when you're talking to them.
This leads us to our next question:
How do you make your conversations, or whatever you're talking about, more interesting?
It's actually ridiculously simple and easy to do.
2) Tell A Story During The Conversation
Building on using feelings, and how you can't have an interesting conversation without them, I'd like to talk about the second piece of the puzzle, which is telling stories (which is the key to keeping someone's attention and keeping them focused on YOU and interested in what you're talking about).
Here's the first rule about stories:
Our brains think in pictures.
For example, if I say the word beach, a picture of a beach forms in your mind, and you can build a story off that by putting people in it, and talking about how they were all swimming together as the waves came crashing down over their heads.
Did you notice how you're imagining these images almost like you were watching them on television, how the thoughts of a beach create FEELINGS in your body, exactly the same way as when you're watching something on television, and that it's holding your attention, making you FEEL things, passing the time, and keeping you focused on what I'm talking about?
But if I say an abstract word like productivity (a word that doesn't have a physical equivalent), your brain can't use its imagination to build pictures... and since your imagination and the pictures you form in your head are what cause the feelings you experience in your body, you can't hold a person's attention for very long.
If you can't build a picture in a person's head, you can't make yourself or the other person FEEL anything... and you can't, by definition, be INTERESTING.
For this reason, when you're talking to people, you want to use vivid DESCRIPTIVE words that build a picture in the other person's mind, and always be focused on telling a progressive story that has a theme and is always leading somewhere, creates curiosity, interest and keeps a person focused on what's happening.
This is the difference between talking at a person, and communicating with them... when you're communicating with them, you're building a picture in their mind as you're telling a story, so that there is a connection between the two of you, and their brain is being entertained (much like watching television) by the story in their head.
In fact, if you watch 99% of television you'll quickly realized it's focused on exactly what I just did:
Telling stories to hold attention for HOURS and stimulate emotions... and when you finish the first series of your favorite DVD series, even after 7+ hours, you could literally watch 5 more episodes because it is INTERESTING and holds your attention.
This use of storytelling and emotions is how a television show can hold your attention for HOURS without any hesitation, how it keeps your attention, and how it makes you feel focused and captivated on it (and tune out everything else)... that's the effect you want to have on people socially with your words.
Another example is sports... all sports do is make people feel emotions to get them involved in the game and hold their attention, and if you can do this when you talk to people, you can make them instantly like you and want to be friends with you.
Using sports and television as examples, you can see the EXACT formula for making friends, and getting people to like you... because both (two of the most popular forms of entertainment ON EARTH) both follow this formula... people are literally ADDICTED to sports and television.
People like a story, drama, a plotline, tension, curiosity, they like something to wonder about, to debate about, argue about; something to focus on and think about that can get a genuine conversation going.
As an example of this social principle, think about Facebook, it's another perfect example right in front of our eyes of how socializing works:
People post something that has debate or opinion value, and other people respond by posting their thoughts/opinions/feelings on the subject... that's the core of what socializing, and two-way communication, is all about.
Or if you want a further example look at music; it has two things:
EMOTIONS and a STORYLINE that makes us FEEL a certain way... and it's the most universally popular part of life throughout the world, and all throughout history.
We relate to the story in the lyrics, and the FEELING that the melody gives us as we're listening to the song (notice we listen to certain songs when we want to FEEL a certain way).
This is what creates laughter, pleasure, excitement, drama... and this is the key to arousing FEELINGS, and being INTERESTING, which is the key to starting and maintaining a conversation going that really grabs people's attention and makes them want to be friends with you.
The reason just “starting conversations” alone isn't enough, is because if you start a conversation, or you just start talking to people, but you're BORING, and you're not grabbing people's emotions while you're talking to them, you can get their contact information, or try to build relationships all you want, but people are just going to see you as an acquaintance and nothing more, and they're going to have no real interest in being friends with you, or hanging out with you.
So next time you're in a conversation, remember that you've got a prime opportunity to make a friend... but what you say and do is going to determined where the relationship goes, what happens, and whether the other person is even interested in talking to you at all.
So make sure you keep them interested in whatever you're talking about by focusing on telling stories, generating feelings by using visuals to create the story when you talk, and letting people know that, like a TV show, you're interesting and entertaining, can hold their attention for long periods of time, and you're someone they would FEEL GOOD around by being friends with.
http://www.moneysurf.net/promote1.php?user=ribengou74
Most of the advice you read is very similar to telling someone with no knowledge of how to fix a car to “go fix a car”, then them out and expecting them to be able to do it.
They tell you “start conversations” and “be real” and “be yourself”, but they don't give you action steps on how to do any of those things... and that's the missing gap in understanding that you need to fill in if you want to be successful at making friends.
Since being able to start conversations is the starting point to making friends... and being able to keep a conversation going is the key to building relationships and making friends, I figure it's as good a place as any to start talking about.
In this article, I'm going to give you two very simple techniques you can use in any social situation to IMMEDIATELY improve your conversational skills, help you start making friends, and getting people to like you and want to be friends with you.
1) Have Something Interesting To Say When You Speak
A lot of people throw around words like “interesting” or “boring”, but few people actually take time to understand what the words interesting and boring actually mean, and how that information can help them to be more interesting.
Here are the definitions according to Dictionary.com:
Interesting: engaging or exciting and holding attention or curiosity; arousing a FEELING of interest.
Boring: not interesting; tedious; so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness.
Which one of these two things are you doing during your conversations?
Being interesting literally means arousing a FEELING of interest inside another person to hold their attention.
Being bored means not interesting (aka no feelings)... and if you think back to times when you were bored, it's because of the way you were FEELING in that situation... and when you started to become interested in something your FEELINGS changed in that situation.
So the first thing you want to do is make sure you're interesting by making sure you're stimulating people's EMOTIONS when you're talking to them.
This leads us to our next question:
How do you make your conversations, or whatever you're talking about, more interesting?
It's actually ridiculously simple and easy to do.
2) Tell A Story During The Conversation
Building on using feelings, and how you can't have an interesting conversation without them, I'd like to talk about the second piece of the puzzle, which is telling stories (which is the key to keeping someone's attention and keeping them focused on YOU and interested in what you're talking about).
Here's the first rule about stories:
Our brains think in pictures.
For example, if I say the word beach, a picture of a beach forms in your mind, and you can build a story off that by putting people in it, and talking about how they were all swimming together as the waves came crashing down over their heads.
Did you notice how you're imagining these images almost like you were watching them on television, how the thoughts of a beach create FEELINGS in your body, exactly the same way as when you're watching something on television, and that it's holding your attention, making you FEEL things, passing the time, and keeping you focused on what I'm talking about?
But if I say an abstract word like productivity (a word that doesn't have a physical equivalent), your brain can't use its imagination to build pictures... and since your imagination and the pictures you form in your head are what cause the feelings you experience in your body, you can't hold a person's attention for very long.
If you can't build a picture in a person's head, you can't make yourself or the other person FEEL anything... and you can't, by definition, be INTERESTING.
For this reason, when you're talking to people, you want to use vivid DESCRIPTIVE words that build a picture in the other person's mind, and always be focused on telling a progressive story that has a theme and is always leading somewhere, creates curiosity, interest and keeps a person focused on what's happening.
This is the difference between talking at a person, and communicating with them... when you're communicating with them, you're building a picture in their mind as you're telling a story, so that there is a connection between the two of you, and their brain is being entertained (much like watching television) by the story in their head.
In fact, if you watch 99% of television you'll quickly realized it's focused on exactly what I just did:
Telling stories to hold attention for HOURS and stimulate emotions... and when you finish the first series of your favorite DVD series, even after 7+ hours, you could literally watch 5 more episodes because it is INTERESTING and holds your attention.
This use of storytelling and emotions is how a television show can hold your attention for HOURS without any hesitation, how it keeps your attention, and how it makes you feel focused and captivated on it (and tune out everything else)... that's the effect you want to have on people socially with your words.
Another example is sports... all sports do is make people feel emotions to get them involved in the game and hold their attention, and if you can do this when you talk to people, you can make them instantly like you and want to be friends with you.
Using sports and television as examples, you can see the EXACT formula for making friends, and getting people to like you... because both (two of the most popular forms of entertainment ON EARTH) both follow this formula... people are literally ADDICTED to sports and television.
People like a story, drama, a plotline, tension, curiosity, they like something to wonder about, to debate about, argue about; something to focus on and think about that can get a genuine conversation going.
As an example of this social principle, think about Facebook, it's another perfect example right in front of our eyes of how socializing works:
People post something that has debate or opinion value, and other people respond by posting their thoughts/opinions/feelings on the subject... that's the core of what socializing, and two-way communication, is all about.
Or if you want a further example look at music; it has two things:
EMOTIONS and a STORYLINE that makes us FEEL a certain way... and it's the most universally popular part of life throughout the world, and all throughout history.
We relate to the story in the lyrics, and the FEELING that the melody gives us as we're listening to the song (notice we listen to certain songs when we want to FEEL a certain way).
This is what creates laughter, pleasure, excitement, drama... and this is the key to arousing FEELINGS, and being INTERESTING, which is the key to starting and maintaining a conversation going that really grabs people's attention and makes them want to be friends with you.
The reason just “starting conversations” alone isn't enough, is because if you start a conversation, or you just start talking to people, but you're BORING, and you're not grabbing people's emotions while you're talking to them, you can get their contact information, or try to build relationships all you want, but people are just going to see you as an acquaintance and nothing more, and they're going to have no real interest in being friends with you, or hanging out with you.
So next time you're in a conversation, remember that you've got a prime opportunity to make a friend... but what you say and do is going to determined where the relationship goes, what happens, and whether the other person is even interested in talking to you at all.
So make sure you keep them interested in whatever you're talking about by focusing on telling stories, generating feelings by using visuals to create the story when you talk, and letting people know that, like a TV show, you're interesting and entertaining, can hold their attention for long periods of time, and you're someone they would FEEL GOOD around by being friends with.
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Has climate change 'blocked' the next ice age?
Carbon dioxide emissions might warm the planet enough to keep Earth from once again becoming a frozen wasteland
Earth isn't due for another ice age for 1,500 years. But by then, say researchers from Cambridge University, carbon dioxide emissions appear likely to have raised the planet's temperature so much that the ice sheets will be unable to form. Will climate change "block" the next ice age? Here, a brief guide:
Wait — an ice age?
Yup. The planet experiences regular ice ages — scientists have discovered evidence of five of them — and we're due for another one. "The period between the end of an ice age and the beginning of the next is typically about 11,000 years," says Britain's Telegraph, "due to a natural cycle related to the Earth's orbit."
So when is this one supposed to hit?
Around A.D. 3500, "the world will be due for another round of chilling and frozen wastelands," says the International Business Times. We're actually already overdue — it has been 11,600 years since the last ice age. But scientists determined that we're still 1,500 years out by comparing current conditions to a similar period between ice ages 780,000 years ago.
And this next one might not hit?
Probably not — at least not with current concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. For the next ice age to hit, CO2 levels would have to fall to 250 parts per million by volume. Right now? The current carbon dioxide concentration is 390 ppmv — and at that level, the ice sheets just can't expand.
So that's a good thing, right?
Not exactly. Man-made climate change could have "huge consequences" for the planet, says study leader Dr. Luke Skinner. And the argument that CO2 emissions might be helping the planet is "missing the point."
http://www.moneyinthepocket.com/promote1.php?user=ribengou74
Earth isn't due for another ice age for 1,500 years. But by then, say researchers from Cambridge University, carbon dioxide emissions appear likely to have raised the planet's temperature so much that the ice sheets will be unable to form. Will climate change "block" the next ice age? Here, a brief guide:
Wait — an ice age?
Yup. The planet experiences regular ice ages — scientists have discovered evidence of five of them — and we're due for another one. "The period between the end of an ice age and the beginning of the next is typically about 11,000 years," says Britain's Telegraph, "due to a natural cycle related to the Earth's orbit."
So when is this one supposed to hit?
Around A.D. 3500, "the world will be due for another round of chilling and frozen wastelands," says the International Business Times. We're actually already overdue — it has been 11,600 years since the last ice age. But scientists determined that we're still 1,500 years out by comparing current conditions to a similar period between ice ages 780,000 years ago.
And this next one might not hit?
Probably not — at least not with current concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. For the next ice age to hit, CO2 levels would have to fall to 250 parts per million by volume. Right now? The current carbon dioxide concentration is 390 ppmv — and at that level, the ice sheets just can't expand.
So that's a good thing, right?
Not exactly. Man-made climate change could have "huge consequences" for the planet, says study leader Dr. Luke Skinner. And the argument that CO2 emissions might be helping the planet is "missing the point."
http://www.moneyinthepocket.com/promote1.php?user=ribengou74
5 Tips to Avoid Being a New Year Resolution Dropout
Every New Year, it never fails: people get a new spark of enthusiasm for
embarking on a healthy course for the year. Gym memberships soar,
health oriented websites surge in traffic, diet programs and pills are
gobbled up like no tomorrow, and personal trainers don't have enough
hours in the day to see the new clients who've signed up for sessions.
Unfortunately, the enthusiasm rampant in the beginning of January wanes after a few weeks and before you know it, gyms have membership cancellations, websites see drops in traffic, McDonald's gets back their customers, and personal trainers have a more manageable number of clients. This trend is as predictable as the ball dropping in Times Square on New Year's Eve.
Just because the majority of resolution makers give up, however, doesn't mean that you need to become a resolution dropout as well. Here are a few ways to ensure that your attempts to make positive change in 2012 are successful:
Don't Bite Off More than You can Chew: Try making smaller changes each week instead of making all your change at once. It is human nature to want to do everything at the same time, but success is often found in a more patient, methodical approach. Don't try to over commit yourself too early. Ease into your resolution so that you don't get overwhelmed or discouraged.
Stay Motivated with Activities You Love: Pretending to love running when you don't, is not going to encourage you to exercise. Instead, partake in activities and sports that you actually enjoy. If you love skiing, make an effort to do it more. If you enjoy aerobics classes, sign up for a month's worth.
Play with Your Food: Similar to exercise, force-feeding yourself rice-cakes when you think they taste like cardboard isn't going to make you love healthier cuisine. Instead, make a game of it. Experiment with different types of health foods to find the ones you like. There are tons of healthful and nutritious foods, so please your personal palate with what you are most likely to eat and enjoy.
The Buddy System: Take on your resolution with a friend or family member. Teaming up with another person can help to keep you motivated so that you are more likely to stay committed to the change you want to make. Further, by teaming up with another individual, you'll feel responsible for their success as well.
Be True to Yourself: If you choose to buy a membership at a gym or embark on new foods or hire a personal trainer or wellness coach, be sure they are a match to you and your personality. Working out in an environment that you don't like or getting help from a coach that you don't respect is not going to keep you coming back for more.
New Year's resolutions are a great way to make positive, healthy change in your life. You owe it to yourself to stick with it! And you can!
http://www.thunder-ptp.com/enter.php?r=ribengou74
Unfortunately, the enthusiasm rampant in the beginning of January wanes after a few weeks and before you know it, gyms have membership cancellations, websites see drops in traffic, McDonald's gets back their customers, and personal trainers have a more manageable number of clients. This trend is as predictable as the ball dropping in Times Square on New Year's Eve.
Just because the majority of resolution makers give up, however, doesn't mean that you need to become a resolution dropout as well. Here are a few ways to ensure that your attempts to make positive change in 2012 are successful:
Don't Bite Off More than You can Chew: Try making smaller changes each week instead of making all your change at once. It is human nature to want to do everything at the same time, but success is often found in a more patient, methodical approach. Don't try to over commit yourself too early. Ease into your resolution so that you don't get overwhelmed or discouraged.
Stay Motivated with Activities You Love: Pretending to love running when you don't, is not going to encourage you to exercise. Instead, partake in activities and sports that you actually enjoy. If you love skiing, make an effort to do it more. If you enjoy aerobics classes, sign up for a month's worth.
Play with Your Food: Similar to exercise, force-feeding yourself rice-cakes when you think they taste like cardboard isn't going to make you love healthier cuisine. Instead, make a game of it. Experiment with different types of health foods to find the ones you like. There are tons of healthful and nutritious foods, so please your personal palate with what you are most likely to eat and enjoy.
The Buddy System: Take on your resolution with a friend or family member. Teaming up with another person can help to keep you motivated so that you are more likely to stay committed to the change you want to make. Further, by teaming up with another individual, you'll feel responsible for their success as well.
Be True to Yourself: If you choose to buy a membership at a gym or embark on new foods or hire a personal trainer or wellness coach, be sure they are a match to you and your personality. Working out in an environment that you don't like or getting help from a coach that you don't respect is not going to keep you coming back for more.
New Year's resolutions are a great way to make positive, healthy change in your life. You owe it to yourself to stick with it! And you can!
http://www.thunder-ptp.com/enter.php?r=ribengou74
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