I submitted an audition tape to Oprah on Sunday. I’m hoping that you will vote for me to get my OWN T.V. talk show. We taped the audition in front of a live audience. Between takes I did a little dancing, a little rapping and a little jumping up and down. All caught on video.

I want a show that’s a mix between Soul Train and old school Oprah. You know, when you used to have real-life, everyday people on and they’d tell amazing stories and experience transformation before your eyes. How about if we do that with fun stuff like music and roller derby and stories? That’s what I want to do and you can help me by voting today. Voting ends June 3.

I Am Not a Robot by Marina and the Diamonds Lyrics

You’ve been acting awful tough lately
Smoking a lot of cigarettes lately
But inside, you’re just a little baby
It’s okay to say you’ve got a weak spot
You don’t always have to be on top
Better to be hated than love, love, loved for what you’re not

You’re vulnerable, you’re vulnerable
You are not a robot
You’re loveable, so loveable
But you’re just troubled

Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot
Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot

You’ve been hanging with the unloved kids
Who you never really liked and you never trusted
But you are so magnetic, you pick up all the pins
Never committing to anything
You don’t pick up the phone when it ring, ring, rings
Don’t be so pathetic, just open up and sing

I’m vulnerable, I’m vulnerable
I am not a robot
You’re loveable, so loveable
But you’re just troubled

Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot
Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot

Can you teach me how to feel real?
Can you turn my power on?
Well, let the drum beat drop

Guess what? I’m not a robot
Guess what? I’m not a robot

Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot
Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot
Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot
Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot

Watch the video on YouTube

Get I Am Not a Robot by Marina and the Diamonds on iTunes

Check out more on their MySpace page.

The song of the week is brought to you by Michael Zampelli, former owner of Southern California punk rock icon, Zed Records. For almost 30 years, this mecca of punk and alternative music kept Southern California enthusiasts adequately supplied with unique, original and innovative music.

Currently, Zampelli manages a hockey fan message boards at www.letsgokings.com with thousands of subscribers. He takes photos for the LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned.

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Words and environment impact your life. In this speech from the Toastmasters manual, The Entertaining Speaker, I outline a musical anthology of my life starting in childhood with weekly immersion in Soul Train, moving to age 11 and the purchase of Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder.

(All song links go to iTunes)

In 1979 it was Rapper’s Delight by Sugar Hill Gang then in the 90’s it was People’s Instinctive Travels and Paths of Rhythm by A Tribe Called Quest.

In between was a lot of fun in the punk rock scene. Songs mentioned and sung in this speech: California Uberalles and Police Truck by The Dead Kennedys and New Dreams by Naked Raygun. I finished up with my theme song: Galvanize by The Chemical Brothers with Q-Tip on vocals.

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If you like music that pumps you up and makes you feel strong, get the free Songs to Galvanize Your Mind PDF.
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Use your mind to Create the Life You Want with my free hypnosis audio at icreatehabits.com

Toastmasters has been an amazing experience for me. It’s helped me to uncover my voice and build my confidence. Now I can speak about what I want to speak about the way I want to speak about it. Today I completed my Humorously Speaking manual in Toastmasters and delivered speech #4 “Keep Them Laughing”. I need help with writing jokes but it feels good that I’m confident enough to try.

In the past, if someone laughed during my speech, I thought for sure I had done something stupid and they were laughing at me. In this speech, I decided to make fun of fear by bringing it right into the speech and joking about it. With practice I hope I truly will “keep them laughing” because I know that laughter is powerful.

I would love the opportunity to deliver this speech or one like it to groups of women and girls of all ages. If you are looking for a speaker at your next event, contact me by leaving a comment here or contact me on Facebook.

I’m putting the finishing touches on my newest creation, it’s an eBook titled Songs to Galvanize Your Mind – A List of Songs for a Strong Mind and a Stronger Purpose. I’m going to give it as a free gift to all my readers. A great way to have fun and feel powerful.

Galvanize Your Mind is a 19-page music list that’s broken down into various categories. Here’s a sneak-peek at the table of contents:

Page 4 – Galvanize Your Mind Soundtrack
Page 5 – Moods
Page 5 – Dare to be Authentic and Have Fun
Page 7 – Get Pumped Up
Page 8 – Get to Feelin’ Groovy
Page 10 – Blow Off Steam
Page 11 – Favorite Albums
Page 12 – Favorite Artists
Page 13 – Alphabetized Song List
Page 18 – Misc./Bonus
*Recommended Downloads
*All Engines are Burning Workout Playlist
*Songs not on iTunes at the date this was published but worth checking out
*Completely obscure but appreciated
Page 19 – Final Thoughts

To get your free copy, stay tuned to this blog. I’ll post the sign up form shortly.

While planning for our year-end party, we had brainstorming meetings and came up with the idea of a Red Carpet theme so we could dress up like stars and have some fun. I recommended an awards-style twist on Table Topics.

Table Topics is the impromptu portion of a Toastmaster’s meeting where you call up a speaker and ask him or her to talk about a topic for 1-2 minutes.

How I set it up is that prior to the meeting, I contacted all the members and asked them to tell me two interesting bits of information about themselves that most of us probably wouldn’t know.

I took those bits of information and used them in two ways, one as the basis of a treasure hunt game. We passed out a sheet with some these bits of information written on it then people had to guess which bit of information went with which person. Some of the match-ups were pretty hard to guess.

The second way I used the information was to generate a Table Topics intro. I would introduce each guest by telling a little bit about what they were going to talk about, then they would come on stage and tell the story in their own words. Below are some pictures of the Table Topics speakers and what they spoke about.

Joan Ramirez tells us about the time when Jim Morrison of The Doors pulled her up on stage and planted a huge kiss on her lips! She had the crowd on the edge of their seats.

Susan Lowe tells the audience at Agape Toastmasters Red Carpet Awards celebration about the days when her children were regulars on Sesame Street.

Bruce Gordon entertains the audience at Agape Toastmasters Red Carpet Awards celebration as he showcases his live comedy act.

Diane Moseberry tells the audience at Agape Toastmasters Red Carpet Awards celebration how she used her speeches to educate her child regarding practical life skills.

After the interview-style Table Topics we handed out awards.

John McLaughlin shows off his “Best Film Editing” award at Agape Toastmasters Red Carpet Awards celebration. Club President Cynthia Lamb shows her enthusiasm and support.

Shirley Nason Mitchell is awarded “Best Original Screenplay” at Agape Toastmasters Red Carpet Awards celebration.

Before, during and after the Red Carpet awards, we had good food to eat thanks to Linda Lloyd.

For a complete photo gallery of this event, click here.

All photos in this blog are courtesy of Michael Zampelli.com

One night in roller derby practice, I had to jump over the back seat of a Chevy Corvair on roller skates. The prospect of it terrified me but the end result of taking a risk and having success was life-transforming.

In this 6 minute video taped at Agape Toastmasters, I talk about how jumping over that car seat, even though I was initially convinced I couldn’t, was proof to me that my mind doesn’t always tell the truth and maybe I shouldn’t take it so seriously. When I hear the words “I can’t” in my mind, I ignore it. If you want less fear and more joy, check it out.

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For step-by-step guidance to overcome failure mentality or fear of failure, purchase From Sabotage to Success.

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This coming Saturday, November 21, 2009 Sharon Lacey will be performing at the Pacific Northwest Women’s Comedy Festival in Springfield Oregon along with a dozen other female comics. Today on The Sheri and Erin Show we interviewed her about her career.

Lacey had her first introduction to stand-up comedy at the age of ten. With support from one of her teachers and her parents, she performed for about a year but then lost interest and moved on to other things. After raising her daughter and teaching middle school for 23 years, she decided it was time to pursue her passion and jump onto the comedy stage.

Ms. Lacey has been seen on the Disney Channel, ABC, Lifetime, and A&E. She recently returned from entertaining our troops in Kuwait and Iraq (Read her travel diary here). Lacey has performed in clubs, colleges, and casinos from coast to coast and in Canada.

I recently posted one of Sharon Lacey’s videos on this blog. You can find more videos and a list of Sharon’s upcoming performances on her MySpace page.

More and more lately my work is moving in a humorous direction, and I like it! What is life if it isn’t fun? If you believe in the Law of Attraction, you know that Joy is the feeling state that is most attractive. Therefore, it’s important to be in that state as frequently as possible. This video will help you.

As I was researching various humor-related websites, I stumbled upon Sharon Lacey. Ms. Lacey was a middle school teacher for 23 years before she hit the comedy stage. She has some funny stories about kids and parents.

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“I encourage you to dress up. You can think Halloween or you can think of those items you love but don’t feel brave enough to wear in public. On that note, you could come in your pajamas. Let us see a side of you we might not usually see, get out of your comfort zone and have fun.

P.S. I’m going to wear things that force me to face a huge fear: looking foolish or “too wild” in front of others. Think Dennis Rodman, Madonna or some crazy funk star from the 70’s.”

The result was a creative and inspiring meeting. The fear dissipated with each speech.

Linda Lloyd (far left in polka dot PJ’s), faced her fear of leaving the house without being “made up”. Margaret Futerer (devil costume) talked about her childhood fear of the Devil. Charmaine Shaw (far right) told the dramatic story of her fear-stricken life as a young child in a violent area of Jamaica. Each day on the way home, Charmaine had to pass a cemetery. She grew up hearing stories about the ghosts that resided there. She was so terrified of the cemetery that she ran past it daily without allowing her eyes to even glance in that direction. She arrived home each day winded and tired.

One day, she finally faced her fear. She looked at the cemetery and guess what she saw?

Nothing.

That’s what fear is.

Nothing.

I am a recovering people pleaser and perfectionist. My most common fears have included:
Making a fool of myself
Being “too much”
Being “too loud”
Wearing the “wrong” thing
Looking “weird”
etc.

This day was an exhilarating opportunity to face all of those fears at once.

I was big, I was bold, I was loud and I was wearing all the “wrong things.” Guess what happened?

Nothing.
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One of my favorite moments of the meeting was when I confessed my fear of being “too loud”. I decided to face the fear immediately and let out a bellow. People weren’t ready for it but once they got over the shock, they laughed. Fear can be funny. Especially when you realize that no matter how real it seems, it’s nothing.

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For step-by-step guidance to overcome fear and self-sabotage, purchase From Sabotage to Success.

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Visit Agape Toastmasters on-line.