To Galvanize your mind means to make it strong enough so that no amount of fear can stop you from doing what you want to do. Just like you can strengthen your muscles with physical exercise, you can strengthen your mind with mental practice. If you have a goal or a dream that you’ve been procrastinating or sabotaging. Now might be the perfect time to galvanize your mind.
Get a free hypnosis MP3 download titled Create the Life You Want at icreathabits.com
This past Sunday I realized one of the many ways my Toastmasters training comes in handy. In this video, you’ll see how the hostess of the party invites each person in attendance to light a candle and “tell the birthday girl why you’re glad she was born.”
None of us was prepared for this speech, including me. However, thanks to my many hours of training in Toastmasters, I have improved my impromptu speaking skills.
Toastmasters helps you to think on your feet and teaches you skills like vocal variety, body language and storytelling. After I told Tina why I’m glad she was born, someone said “good speech”. I simply held my hands out, shrugged my shoulders and replied, “Toastmasters!”
Toastmasters is an International organization. Find out more on their website.
See more speech videos on my YouTube Channel. Subscribe today.
To see a seven minute video of Tina Tessina’s birthday, go here.
If you need help learning how to love yourself as you are, consider the Love Your Body, Love Yourself hypnosis and affirmation CD or the Donate Your Weight program.
Last Saturday, December 12 was a fun and exciting day for me. I already wrote about how I won Toastmaster of the Year last week, and it’s taken me this long to re-group and reflect on another aspect of the morning which was being the host of the Agape TM Live Show.
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.
—————————————————————
For step-by-step guidance to overcome failure mentality or fear of failure, purchase From Sabotage to Success.
—————————————————————
The theme for the Halloween meeting at Agape Toastmasters was Overcoming Fear. I was the Toastmaster of the day. I sent out a group e-mail that said:
“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.
:
:
:
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.
—————————————————————
For step-by-step guidance to overcome fear and self-sabotage, purchase From Sabotage to Success.
—————————————————————
Some of us wait for the right moment to take action or to move forward on our goals and that time never comes.
Hopefully this video on YouTube will inspire you to let go of people-pleasing and perfectionism so you can take action on those projects you’ve been procrastinating.
———————————————-
One of the things that was extremely helpful to me, especially for being less anxious and more creative is Holosynch. It uses sound wave technology to increase the threshold of your mind. They’ll send a free CD if you visit their website.
Today I delivered my tenth speech at Agape Toastmasters and completed the requirements for a Competent Communication award. The speech is titled, “Stand In Your New School Power and Dare to Make a Difference” (if you don’t see a video above, click here to watch it on YouTube). I joined Toastmasters just over a year ago because I’ve always enjoyed public speaking and wanted to improve my skills and break out of my comfort zone.
I’ve been speaking to groups of people for about 16 years. However, most of my speaking has been somewhat informal, (i.e. leading small, intimate groups), or it’s been structured but based on a cirruculm (i.e. instructing classes at Long Beach City College). Although teaching, leading and speaking have always been rewarding to me, I felt like I was holding back on presenting passionately and daring to create my own presentations.
In my past year or so at Agape Toastmasters I feel like I’ve really broken out of the mold I was in and this presentation in particular was one of the most exhilarating, honest and enjoyable pieces of work I’ve ever had the privledge of delivering to a live audience.
In my mind, this is the beginning of my speaking career and I hope to have the opportunity to deliver this presentation and others like it to groups of leaders in various locations. Specifically I would like to speak to teachers, therapists, social workers, ministers and organizations who provide service to the community. My hope is to get paid as a presenter and to have the opportunity to sell my book, From Sabotage to Success.
Over the past 16 years I’ve worked at numerous non-profit agencies and I’ve met many educated, dedicated and warm-hearted people who yearn to make a difference in the world yet seem to be confined and stifled, not to mention overwhelmed. My hope is that I can help these leaders feel strong and powerful so they can do the work they’ve always dreamed of. In so doing, I will be fulfilling a dream of my own: to use my skills to make a positive difference in the world for those who need it most.
———————————
If you have a saboteur like Puleza who’s stealing your power, purchase my book From Sabotage to Success and learn how to take your power back.
If you would like to book me to speak at your next event, please contact me at sherizampelli [at] gmail.com.
Usually, you don't read off a card while delivering a speech in Toastmasters. But in this case, I read a quote from Dr. Ramesh Balasubramaniam, a hooping researcher in Canada and the audience was pretty impressed that I could hoop and read while wearing heels. Plus, the fact that I pulled the card from out of my blouse added a little humor to the whole thing. What fun!
When I first looked at the project, I was flooded with a sense of dread. I had flashbacks of the countless hours I spent in the basement of the library at Cal State Long Beach where I got my master’s degree.
Ever since I graduated, I’ve been slowly trying to recover from the creative trauma of constant analyzation and lately, I’ve gone so far as to make a commitment to have as much joy in my life as possible. This generally does not include spending countless hours in a windowless room filled with computers, books and metal bookshelves.
I had to put on my thinking cap to try and figure out how I could possibly attain joy while researching. I pondered, research? joy! research? joy! And then, a thought came to me, “I can research something that brings me joy…like Hula Hooping!”
Here are some hooping facts you might not know:
** Hoops were created out of grapevines and used for exercise in ancient Greece
** In 1958, the Whamo toy company sold more than 100 million Hula Hoop’s. The cost? $1.98
** At this very moment, Dr. Ramesh Balasubramaniam in Canada is actively researching the dynamics of hooping to try and better understand the mind/body connection
** Larger hoops are easier to keep up because of the principle known as conservation of angular momentum
** Heavier hoops are easier to keep up because of the law of inertia
If you think you can’t hoop, think again. It might be that you’ve been using the wrong kind of hoop. After my speech, two women who swore they have never been able to hoop were hoopin’ with ease within five minutes. It was a blast to see their faces light up.
Other things I discovered include hooping fitness classes and courses to become a certified hoop instructor. If I can raise the funds, I just might go for certification. In the meantime, I contacted the owner of Body Hoops and became an affiliate for selling hula hoops on-line. If you’d like to discover or rediscover the joys of hooping you can buy a hoop or a hooping DVD at bodyhoops.com and get $10 off! Simply go to bodyhoops.com and buy your stuff. Then, when you’re ready to check out, be sure to enter “sheri” in the form when it asks you for a coupon code. Most importantly, once you get your hoop, remember to have fun!
Lately in Toastmasters I’ve been experimenting with adding humor to my presentations. In a recent speech, I “channelled” Helen Madden, Licensed Joyologist and revealed one of my inner critics “Drizella”, the evil step sister who forbade all silliness and gave me a tongue-lashing for playing the Licensed Joyologist in public (oh for shame!)
Currently, I’m toying with the idea of bringing that “Drizella-ish” voice out into the light and having a conversation with it. Maybe even a little duel between her and Gal VanIZed. One of my fellow Toastmasters recommend that I look up some Lily Tomlin for inspiration. Great advice. Figured I’d share it.
Jesus Nebot won the International Speech contest today in Los Angeles. His speech title was “Let Silence Speak”, an inspirational presentation that invites listeners to come from the heart, connect with others and make a difference in the world by utilizing excellent communication skills.
Jesus Nebot was thrust into public speaking at the age of 12 when his father urged him to deliver a eulogy at his grandmother’s funeral. The experience was altogether traumatizing and life transforming. Nebot’s father admonished, “don’t speak, unless you can improve on silence.” As Nebot remained silent, waiting for the right words to speak, his mind raced. In a moment of silence it occured to him, “I am not my thoughts but the person observing the thoughts.” Since then he has continued to forge ahead as a public speaker and filmmaker despite the fears and self-doubt that can come with public speaking.
Toastmasters International is a non-profit organization that helps members develop public speaking and leadership skills. Jesus Nebot is a member of the Agape Toastmasters club in Culver City, CA which meets at the well-known Agape International Spiritual Center at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday mornings. The mission of Agape Toastmasters is to “foster an unconditionally loving, mutually supportive and highly inspirational environment that will empower its members to become excellent communicators and leaders ready to serve our community and the world with joy, authenticity, wisdom and integrity.” Visitors are welcome.
P.S. Next week, May 2 I’ll be delivering a speech about the Fun, Physics and Healing of hula-hooping complete with a demonstration. Stop by if you can.
