Monday, September 7, 2009

A New Week: The Courage to Speak!

Meeting all of you last week was a tremendous time for me. I have so enjoyed our laughter together, our writing together, and our time of learning about what challenges this year offers us.

Throughout this week, we'll focus on the theme: Things aren't always what they seem. We'll hear some powerful stories about this idea, and also have the chance to write about and share our own.

Also, we'll begin preparing for our book talks based on summer reading. Jerry Seinfeld jokes that in America, the number one fear is public speaking, while the number two fear is death. We'll try to prove him wrong as we become more comfortable speaking in front of one another--and we'll try some uncommon practice routines to help us get ready for our talks.

Be sure to take good notes as we discuss the elements of a good speech, and write your index cards and practice them at home this week.

I believe that each of you will give a stunning talk!