Nervous? What NOT to do.

by Jane PowelL

“Never apologize for being nervous.”

Whether it’s a job interview, a speech or auditioning for a part in a community play, nervous feelings are inevitable. They happen to everyone.

The difference is how each person deals with their nervous feelings. First, you should accept them as part of public speaking and know you are not alone in your feelings. Second, don’t feel the need to apologize for being nervous. When you do, you only draw attention to it. Keep in mind that even if most of the time you see yourself as nervous, your audience doesn’t. And, they don’t need to know.

Instead, take a deep breath, stand tall and speak. You are confident with something important to say – nervousness and all.

FINDING THE FUNNY SIDE

How are you at finding the funny side of situation?

In America, each of the states likes to promote themselves with a
slogan. I currently live in Utah, where the slogan is "Life
Elevated." It's a nod to outdoor recreation in the high country,
including the ski industry. I previously lived in Colorado, a land
with red dirt, majestic mountains and golden plains. The slogan
there is "Colorful Colorado." Years ago I lived in the "PeachState"
of Georgia, and I grew up in New Mexico, whose slogan is "Land of
Enchantment."

New Mexico is a land of high, arid desert and it has a beauty of its
own. I have never seen a sunset as spectacular as one in theNew
Mexico desert. The western sky can glow a brilliant orange behind
red and purple clouds.

But this is also a country of wind, lots of it. A gritty wind can
howl for hours, and "dust devils" (funnel-shaped whirlwinds) will
appear without notice.

We never seemed to get away from dust in New Mexico, so I appreciate
the story of a newcomer to the Land of Enchantment who learned about
dusty breezes. She was visiting an antique shop and the proprietor
wiped down every item before showing it. The newcomer said,
"Everything gets dusty here pretty quickly, doesn't it?"

"That's not dust, honey," the shop owner replied. "That's
ENCHANTMENT."

Here was a person who took a negative and turned it into something
humorous. That made the problem more palatable - easier to swallow,
or at least live with. And face it. There are some things, like the
weather, we can't change. All we can change is our attitude toward
them. I believe one of the best techniques to do this is to find
some humor in the situation. Finding the funny side of a difficulty,
an irritation or a troublesome problem can be one of the most
creative and effective things we can do.

A Hong Kong shopping center manager was informed that an escalator
broke. He posted a sign to warn customers. He opted not to use the
traditional "Out of Order" or "Do Not Use" warnings. Instead,
his sign read, "This Escalator Is Temporarily a Stairway." He turned
a minus into humor and made it a plus. Sometimes the only sense you
can make of a situation is a sense of humor.

How are you at finding the funny side?

Steve Goodier

Happiness within

Happiness is first found within. But that doesn’t mean it must stay there.

Feel the happiness that springs from your own beautiful essence. Then multiply that happiness by sharing it far beyond you.

The beauty of life is in your ability to see it and appreciate it and find joy in it. Allow your own happiness and you make the world a happy and beautiful place.

Don’t waste your effort searching for a reason to be happy. Don’t conjure up excuses that give you permission to avoid your own happiness.

Just let go of your resistance and let that happiness be. Feel how good it feels, and tap into the positive, effective power that comes from feeling so right.

Delight in the happiness within as you allow it to flow out from you. And let life experience itself in a new and beautiful way.

Ralph Marston