LEAD LIKE MAD

Watch Out for Those Traffic Cameras

2010-06-03T11:54:00.000-06:00

I was driving when I saw the flash of a traffic camera. I figured that my picture had been taken for exceeding the limit even though I knew that I was not speeding.

Just to be sure, I went around the block and passed the same spot, driving even more slowly, but again the camera flashed.

Now I began to think that this was quite funny, so I drove even slower as I passed the area once more, but the traffic camera again flashed. I tried a fourth and fifth time with the same results and was now laughing as the camera flashed while I rolled past at a snail's pace.

Two weeks later, I got five tickets in the mail for driving without a seat belt.

Forwarded by Melody Paterson, www.mikeysFunnies.com

The Business of Speaking for Profit, Pleasure, and Personal Growth

2010-05-25T15:57:00.000-06:00

By Mike Moore

I believe that public speaking can be rewarding in many ways. First of all it can provide you with an opportunity to earn a fantastic full time or part time income working from home. Groups, organizations and businesses are always looking for informative, entertaining speakers to address their members at banquets, annual meetings, conferences etc. As you become well known as a speaker the invitations increase. Word of mouth is still the best form of advertising. As your reputation spreads you will find people from outside your local area approaching you to present to their group. Since I began my speaking career I have spoken to numerous groups throughout Canada and the United States. Not only are the financial rewards terrific, but I get to travel, all expenses paid, meet new people and see new country. What a great life and what great rewards for doing what I love to do.

Another appealing feature of a speaking career is that you control your own schedule. You accept only those engagements that fit nicely into your other family duties and obligations. If you want a month off, you just don't accept bookings during that time. When you add this to no traffic jams to face twice a day and no boss to contend with it starts to hit you just how appealing this career is.

Not only do you determine how many speeches you would like to give per month but you also can negotiate how much you will charge per speech. When just starting out in the speaking business you will receive in the neighborhood of $200.00 per presentation. Within a year you could be receiving between $500 and $1000 per talk. Not bad part time money for doing something you love.

I like to have a fee range to accommodate the various budgets of different groups and to provide room for negotiation. I am in the business of opening doors of opportunity not closing them because my fee is rigid. This is entirely up to you. I know speakers who will not negotiate their fees. That is their choice.

If you just want to speak locally you can. If you want to spread your vocal wings across the region and the continent the possibilities are endless. Marketing yourself and your service will bring opportunities galore. If you have a computer and are online you can advertise on your own web site. This brings inquiries from all over the planet and spreads the word about your speaking topics and availability to millions of potential clients.

Added Benefits of a Public Speaking Career

1. Public speaking builds confidence. When you experience the thrill of holding an audience in the palm of your hand and receive their appreciative applause your confidence soars.

2. Public speaking boosts your self esteem. When you see the audience relate to you as someone who really knows what you are talking about your self esteem increases. And we all can use an increase in self esteem.

3. People start looking at you in a more positive way. Even if you never use your public speaking skills in giving formal presentations, people will notice that you are more articulate and confident in expressing an opinion or sharing an insight. You will discover that they begin looking to
you for advice and opinions on many issues.

4. It helps you become a more organized thinker. Planning, writing and delivering a well researched, well organized presentation has an overflow effect in other areas of your life. You begin to plan and organize your thoughts more effectively.. This is especially helpful in your
career or business. When your manager or supervisor asks your opinion on some work- related issue you are better able to express your ideas in a clear, concise and well organized manner.

5. Public speaking begins to alter your self perception. As you begin to use the skills involved in public speaking you will notice that you begin to start talking to yourself in a more positive way. You begin to see yourself as capable and confident.

6. By accepting the challenge to speak in public you begin to explore and actualize your own potential. Many of us go through life not realizing how much we are capable of achieving. Public speaking is an effective tool in the process of self discovery.

7. Public speaking gives you the courage to break out of your comfort zone. I believe that the comfort zone is the enemy of human growth. When we are too comfortable where we are we tend to become stagnant. Speaking in public pushes us out of the comfort zone and reveals to
us our enormous capabilities.

If you feel compelled to share your expertise or message with others do so. Start slowly and start small but start. The benefits and rewards are tremendous.

Mike Moore is an international speaker on the role of humor in human relations. Mike's articles and cartoons have appeared in publications throughout the world. For more on what Mike can do for your organization visit http://www.motivationalplus.com

http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?speakbiz

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Moore

Our Kids Are Always Listening

2010-04-28T12:11:00.000-06:00

A woman invited some people from church to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?"

"I wouldn't know what to say," the girl replied.

"Just say what you've heard Mommy say before," the wife answered.

The daughter bowed her head and said, "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"

Laughter Is Good for Your Heart

2010-04-23T17:18:00.001-06:00

We all need a daily dose of chocolate and chuckles, according to this heart doctor. Good, brief video on the health benefits of laughing.

"They say laughter is the best medicine. Kasey-Dee Gardner finds out if that's true." http://news.discovery.com/videos/why-tell-me-why-laughter.html

news.discovery.com

Laughter and Listening

2010-04-20T11:36:00.000-06:00

"Once you get people laughing, they're listening and you can tell them almost anything." - Herbert Gardner

Boring Subjects or Boring Teachers?

2010-04-19T22:41:00.000-06:00

Here's one of my favorite quotes on education. "There are no boring subjects; just boring teachers."

It would be great if every student came to every class, and to every subject, with a burning passion to learn. But they don't. And we can't expect them to. It is the teacher's responsibility to make the subject interesting. As teachers, we can hold ourselves responsible to transfer our passion to our students. If we don't have passion for the subjects we teach, we shouldn't be teaching. We cannot impart what we do not possess.

Someone has said, "Set yourself on fire and people will come to watch you burn." Anybody have a match?

A Fool and His Money

2010-04-06T17:14:00.001-06:00

M.A.D. Humor Quote:
There was a time when a fool and his money were soon parted, but now it happens to everybody. Adlai Stevenson

What I Learned as a Professional Substitute Teacher

2010-03-31T16:38:00.001-06:00

During the 2008/2009 school year I was a full-time substitute teacher for four school districts in Topeka, KS. I took any opportunity to substitute for any grade or subject. One day I would teach Kindergarten and the next day I might "teach" an advanced high school chemistry class (I know nothing about chemistry!). I came away with two major observations:

1) There are a lot of conscientious, hardworking teachers out there.

Teaching is a tough profession. Yet most teachers I met cared about the kids and went out of their way to help them.

2) There are a lot of angry teachers out there.

Apparently, many teachers have only one classroom management technique: Get angry and speak harshly. It's so common place that when teachers observe their colleagues harshly demeaning a student, they act as if this is a perfectly acceptable way of behaving.

Teachers tell me they get no formal training in the vital task of motivating students to behave or to learn. They are left on their own to figure it out. Sadly, many never do.

Before all else, teaching a class is a leadership function. If you can't lead and inspire students, you will find it very difficult to teach them anything.

I created my Teach like M.A.D.^TM workshop to train teachers how to use leadership principles and laughter to tap into their students' internal motivation to behave well and to learn more.

More about that in future blogs.

False Confidence

2010-03-26T16:37:00.000-06:00

Confidence is the feeling you have before you understand the situation.

M.A.D. Humor - Funny Quotes to Help You Lead like M.A.D.

2010-03-26T16:28:00.002-06:00

A funny quote is easier to use than a joke and much less risky. I volunteered to give a M.A.D. Humor quote at the end of each of my BNI networking chapter meetings. People look forward to hearing them, and it gives me great visibility.

I'll be posting carefully selected, truly funny quotes here regularly. Feel free to use them in your speeches, newsletters, consulting, and conversations with friends and family.

Here's one of my favorites:

When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep.
Not kicking and screaming like the passengers in his car.