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The
most powerful messages any of us have to give to our listeners,
to our audiences, are those that come straight from the "gut"
of our own lives. From the best lessons we've learned, from
our trials by fire. From stories that show our participants
that we, like they, are many faceted…and that they, like
we, can reach higher personal and professional ground by reflecting
on their own life journeys. With both the expected and the surprises
of life, our paths are many and varied: more fascinating than
the plot of any play, because they are our own both large and
small dramas. Life events and our reactions to them uncover
who we are. They can be funny, sad, sublime, ridiculous, selfish,
loving, giving, triumphant, poignant, embarrassing, silly, saving,
inspiring, dumb…almost every adjective we know could be
ours on any given day.
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Your
power as a speaker is directly aligned with how well you use
and tell your own stories, which should create a bridge between
your message and your listener's mind and heart. Storytelling
is the thoroughfare from their present to their past and thus
to their futures.
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Your stories can trigger the floodgates of your audiences' stories,
causing time itself – in memories – to flow back to
that long-ago instant when lessons were learned and patterns
were set. Re-examining a pattern shines a light on which ones
to reinforce and enhance, and which ones to let go of forever.
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The value of your vignette is simply this: it enables your audience
to revisit their own stories, and the decisions they made because
of them; and opening your audience to revisit their choices
is the key to unlocking their understanding, their creativity,
their self acceptance, their insights, and their willingness
to change and grow beyond where they are today.
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The
challenge of finding and delivering your own unique message
is perhaps more crucial than finding your speaking "niche"
in today's parade of industries, conferences, and technology.
Your strongest resource is your life experience. How are you
using your history, your viewpoint, your stories to make unforgettable
connections with your hearers? Are you telling them in the best
possible way? How are you at remembering those events, ordinary
and extraordinary, that shaped your attitude and learning –
and are you painting pictures with words that will make unforgettable
impressions for your audiences and for your own future?
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Your future as a speaker may be at stake here if you don't want
to be one of the
multitude whose messages are bland and whose names are easily
forgotten.
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Emory
Austin is a storyteller. She is also funny and warm and analytical.
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Emory
coaches speakers on fashioning their stories into memorable
truth carriers.
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| Call
for details about working with story-artist and presentation
coach Emory Austin! |
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Click
here to download your own copy of this page
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