Page 6 - VoicesMar2015 .pub
P. 6
eakers Paradox—Continued from page 5)
The Rule
The rule is simple: “If you speak from your heart, the world will listen!” People may not
always agree with what you say or the facts leading to your conclusions, but they
cannot deny what you are saying comes from your heart. When the human heart
speaks, the world listens. The voices and messages of your heart exist already in your
mind and heart, though you may not readily be aware of them. Chose something in
your life that you do regularly, perhaps religiously. Then ask yourself, “Why?” Do you
have a personal rule that you apply to the activity?
Let me give you an example, “I always take my wife’s call, even when I am in a meeting.”
Why? “She is the most important human being in my life!”
If I would interrupt a meeting to take a call
from the President, why should I give my
wife any less respect? Growing up, I watched
my father respond to my mom and when I
asked him about it, he said to me, “It is your
mother and me against the world.” That bit
of wisdom from my father illustrates the
three questions I listed above:
Who are you? (Philosophy) I have adopted my father’s wisdom as a philosophy that
guides my life. Which answers the question who am I in relation to my spouse.
What are you about? (Core value) The rule I live by is simple: If she calls I will answer. I
given a number of speeches in my careers as a teacher, administrator, human resources
director, and now lawyer, on the core value or theme, If she/he calls me I will come.
Where did you learn that? Obviously I learned the core value, If she calls me I will
come, from my father. I can tell a dozen stories illustrating moments when mom called
and dad answered, or left things he was doing to answer her needs.
For any aspiring speakers understanding the power of the three questions to identify
your overarching philosophy, your core values, and the people and events that taught
them to you, provides you with a wealth of speaking topics and stories to illustrate
them. The sad truth though is 99.9% of the population never take a moment to reflect
on these questions, never ask themselves if they are living a life worthy of their
(Continued on page 7)
6
The Rule
The rule is simple: “If you speak from your heart, the world will listen!” People may not
always agree with what you say or the facts leading to your conclusions, but they
cannot deny what you are saying comes from your heart. When the human heart
speaks, the world listens. The voices and messages of your heart exist already in your
mind and heart, though you may not readily be aware of them. Chose something in
your life that you do regularly, perhaps religiously. Then ask yourself, “Why?” Do you
have a personal rule that you apply to the activity?
Let me give you an example, “I always take my wife’s call, even when I am in a meeting.”
Why? “She is the most important human being in my life!”
If I would interrupt a meeting to take a call
from the President, why should I give my
wife any less respect? Growing up, I watched
my father respond to my mom and when I
asked him about it, he said to me, “It is your
mother and me against the world.” That bit
of wisdom from my father illustrates the
three questions I listed above:
Who are you? (Philosophy) I have adopted my father’s wisdom as a philosophy that
guides my life. Which answers the question who am I in relation to my spouse.
What are you about? (Core value) The rule I live by is simple: If she calls I will answer. I
given a number of speeches in my careers as a teacher, administrator, human resources
director, and now lawyer, on the core value or theme, If she/he calls me I will come.
Where did you learn that? Obviously I learned the core value, If she calls me I will
come, from my father. I can tell a dozen stories illustrating moments when mom called
and dad answered, or left things he was doing to answer her needs.
For any aspiring speakers understanding the power of the three questions to identify
your overarching philosophy, your core values, and the people and events that taught
them to you, provides you with a wealth of speaking topics and stories to illustrate
them. The sad truth though is 99.9% of the population never take a moment to reflect
on these questions, never ask themselves if they are living a life worthy of their
(Continued on page 7)
6
