/Communication

Your fear of pubic speaking may be influenced by who you choose to look at when you speak

Our brains are wired to pay more attention to negative clues and threats in the emotions-caricaturesenvironment. This is also true in the context of public speaking, especially for speakers who may experience social anxiety.

In a recent study, participants – some low in social anxiety, some high – were asked to give a three-minute impromptu speech over Skype to an audience shown onscreen. What the participants didn’t know is that the audience was made up of actors who produced facial expressions and body movements on purpose.  In fact, their positive (smiles and nods), negative (frowns and yawns) or neutral expressions had been recorded earlier and  were shown to the participants as they spoke. The researchers tracked the participants’ eye movements as they gave their speeches, recorded their physical anxiety via sweating and heart rate, and asked them to rate how anxious they felt.

It turned out that speakers with higher social anxiety showed a preference for looking at negative audience members, which fueled their anxiety even more.  In contrast, people with low social anxiety chose to look at positive, engaged audience members.

To calm your nerves, it may be worthwhile to pick out some friendly faces in the audience and deliberately pause there longer as your eyes scan the room.

Better yet, meet some of your audience members in advance of your speech, perhaps, by greeting them as they enter the room.  You will feel more support from the audience that way.

Virtual platforms and networks offer another way to get to know your audience prior to your presentation.

Love is an infinite energy of connection

Love is an infinite energy of connection
Among people, animals, Nature and the Universe.
Love transforms fear and loneliness
And gives us the courage to care.
May the question “What would Love do?”
Guide our minds to action
To expand the energy of Love
Over hatred and indifference.
May it open our hearts to the power of self-love in the face of judgment
And to the acceptance of others, regardless of our differences.
Love is the only thing that sustains our inner beauty
And shines its light into the world.
Breathe and live Love.

My daughter and I doing yoga and making heart shapes.
via Instagram @brainalchemist

Trailer for our online course on Russian Folklore

In 2015, our program “Increasing Engagement through Storytelling, Scenario-Based Learning and Gamification” was a 2015 STARTALK grant recipient. During our program, we trained teachers of Russian on how to increase engagement in blended and distance learning classrooms through the use of storytelling, scenario-based learning and gamification. As a result of their training, we developed a fully functioning online course on the Russian Folklore based on the materials created by the teachers. Here is the trailer for the course.

 

By | 2016-01-20T17:31:46+00:00 January 20th, 2016|Communication, Learning|0 Comments

My Interview at Earbud_U: Entrepreneurship, Conflict Management, Storytelling

EPISODE-9

I had the honor of being interviewed by Jesan Sorrells of Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT) for his Earbud_U podcast series.  We had a great time taking about the brain, entrepreneurship, conflict management and storytelling.

  • Why do our brains like stories?
  • How does learning happen in the brain?
  • How do you turn a start-up idea into reality?
  • How do you choose your business partners?
  • How do you manage a team of creatives from different parts of the globe?
  • How do you tell your story across multiple media platforms?

Click HERE to listen.

Featured Expert: Nancy Kaye on writing and creativity

Nancy KayeNancy’s acceptance speech for Creative Writing
Instructor of the Year UCSD ext. Award

My dear friend and colleague Nancy Kaye agreed to chat with me about her work of helping experts and writers overcome writer’s block and let their creativity flow.

Nancy’s background includes hosting her own TV and radio shows in Chicago, New York and California. She is an internationally published writer (122 countries), having interviewed many famous people, including H. H. Dalai Lama, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Wayne Dyer and many more. She is an engaging and inspiring keynote speaker.

Founder of The Confident Communicator™ Workshops, she instructs one-to-one personalized and group training re-programming sessions globally in all areas of communication. The intensive curriculum is tailored to the needs of each client. She diagnoses, evaluates, and teaches clients on a needs basis, and fine tunes them offering coaching, on-call client support, and empowerment.

Nancy is the founder of Define Your Destiny™ Intensives. She unveils the secrets to creating permanent change in your personal, professional and spiritual path. This unique self-development intensive with mentoring follow-up gives you the powerful tools you can use and build on throughout your entire life. Finding deep solutions to following your destiny to discover your perfect life plan.

She is the founder of Quantum Leaps Mastermind Group.™  Nancy is the West Coast Bureau office and Contributing Editor for the Integral Yoga Magazine.  With her my multiple life and business experience, service to her clients, along with the support know-how, Nancy can help you get the results that you want. Visit http://www.defineyourdestiny.com/ to learn more.

 

By | 2015-04-10T14:08:38+00:00 April 10th, 2015|Books, Communication, Creativity|0 Comments