Speaking Skills
How to Find Your Cheerleaders
These can be very dark days. Who are the bright lights in our lives? Time to connect with the people who motivate us. We need them now more than ever. Recall a moment when you were excited. Was it when you started a new project or a business or a new job? So much enthusiasm…
Read More“Wait–whaat?”
I love stand-up comedy. I watch often. It’s research for comic timing, to help my clients find the funny in their speech. I love the comedy of Mark Maron, his bit about death. He says, “I don’t think I’m afraid to die. I’d prefer it happens quickly. Like the transition–I just want it to be…
Read MoreTough Times; Give Yourself Extra Points
Challenging times. Livin’ on a prayer? We must endure. I’m joyfully bingeing hours of competitive skating on TV. The Winter Olympics are less than a year away. Inspires me to think we’ll make it, I swear. Must be halfway there. Let’s say we are. Here’s my inspiration: In figure skating, you get extra points in…
Read MoreEnd the Day With a Giggle
How can I be well-informed and still remain sane? I end every day with at least one rerun episode of the TV series, Seinfeld. According to the Mayo Clinic, data is mounting about the positive things laughter can do. It enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, cools down your stress response, and soothes tension. I…
Read MoreMight As Well Jump (Revisited)
“Mimi, how do you stay so upbeat throughout this crazy/nightmare time?” I was asked this during the pandemic, and now I’m asked again. I did not have an eloquent answer till I heard the lyrics, loud and clear, though my headphones, of Van Halen’s “Jump.” I realized I do get up, roll with the punches,…
Read MoreRespect the Number
Birthday time. “Age is just a number?” Sure it is. No “just” about it. As the number increases, so does your wisdom and your value. So respect the number. “Respect the number” has become a mantra for me and everyone who knows me. Be kind to yourself. Be aware your human body is a wonderful…
Read MoreHappy Obligation
In this season, be careful what you label “obligation.” The word derives from the Latin “obligare,” which comes from the root “lig” which suggests being bound (think ligature). In modern terms, obligation means a course of action which someone is required to take, be it a legal obligation or a moral one. So think about…
Read MoreThe Face of Innocence
Me–at 21. College graduation photo. An unlined face, yet to experience the challenges– jobs, career, relationships, health. Most people faced much bigger challenges, and I was grateful. I was a college “activist,” and I thought we had solved the inequities of race and gender. Now, just in time, comes Ken Burns’ latest masterpiece documentary on…
Read MoreHistory Has Its Eyes On You
It’s your voice. I’m all about using your voice. It’s your power. Now’s the time. The election is a little more than one week away. The contrast is stark. My mail-in ballot is mailed in. As I watch the polls, my guts twist. My playlist includes the Hamilton soundtrack. These words say it for me.…
Read MoreShow Me the Movie
When you author a book, the reader expects to do the work: make the connections, visualize pictures in their minds, read the last page first… With a speech, the listener expects you, the speaker, to do the work: make the connections to their lives and draw them the picture–show them the movie. A speaker gives…
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