10 Lessons Public Speaking has for New Bloggers

October 5, 2008 at 11:05 pm (Baha'i, Entrepreneur, Faith, Passion, Verdanta, audiobooks, business)
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I’m a blogging newbie, but a relative veteran when it comes to public speaking.  I’ve been in Toastmasters for three years, serving two years in executive officer positions, and I’ve even taught public speaking at the community college level.  I know what differentiates an average speech from a great one.  And yet, it never occurred to me to apply what I knew about public speaking to blogging. 

Last week, I received an email that a book I had put on hold was available for pickup.  I put books on hold all the time, so I wasn’t too sure what it might be.  I was surprised to find ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income sitting on the shelf, because I didn’t remember reserving it.  Looking at the title, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to check it out because money wasn’t my primary motivation for blogging.  Still, I thought maybe there would be some tips on how to make my blog better.

Am I glad I did!

Yes, the book was very interesting, but what really got me excited was a post I found at the ProBlogger website: How to Craft a Blog Post – 10 Crucial Points to Pause.  As I read through it, I realized that most of what Darren Rowse suggested were things I already knew – from public speaking!  That’s when I realized, blogging was nothing more than a Toastmasters speech in written form!

I sat down and in five minutes thought of 10 tips that apply equally well whether writing a blog entry or a speech:

1.    Know your general purpose

2.    Know your specific purpose

3.    Write with your audience in mind

4.    Answer the question “So what?”

5.    Know exactly what you want your audience to walk away knowing

6.    Realize that your audience is voluntary

7.    Use metaphors, personal stories, anecdotes, and quotes to add depth, interest and credibility to your story

8.    Make statistics accessible to your audience

9.    Choose a topic about which you are passionate

10.  Don’t try to cram too much in

In the interest of not violating #10, I will spend the next several weeks exploring each of these tips in its own post.  I know this list is by no means complete, so I encourage you to comment on other similarities that I may have left out.   I could be adding your tip to my list!

If you’re not a Baha’i, feel free to stop reading here.  If you are, or you are a prior visitor to my blog, read on!

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My previous readers know that this blog is about chronicling the conception, gestation, birth and development of my entrepreneurial baby, Verdanta, a business that will record Bahá’í audiobooks.  A discussion of how to improve one’s blog may not immediately seem relevant.  I would posit, however, that since a blog is such a wonderful way to spread the word about something, and that the Bahá’í Internet Agency encourages Bahá’í bloggers, then learning to blog well is exceedingly important, if for no other reason to represent our Faith well.

 

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Overcoming Fear and Doubt on the Road to Success

August 25, 2008 at 11:58 pm (Baha'i, Bliss, Career, Faith, Mystery, Passion, Work, spirituality)
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Earlier this year, when the very first thought of this new career path crossed my mind, I immediately dismissed it.  Why?  Because it was way too scary: too many things I didn’t know, too many people I would need to meet, too many skills I would need to acquire.  But somehow, here I am, well on my way down that new, scary path. 

One of the hardest things to do, regardless of what path you choose, is to overcome fear and doubt, especially when contemplating a new path.  It helps to have a few tools in your tool box to handle them.  One of the tools I use to deal with fear and doubt is faith.  I have faith that the path I am on is the right path for me at this time.  Beyond that, I have faith that if I am on the wrong path, it will be made obvious to me by closed doors and failed opportunities.  It may take me a while to catch on that the door of opportunity has closed, but eventually I will, and then I can start checking for open windows. 

Let me give you an example.  It took me two tries to write a thesis for my Master’s degree.  The first time, I chose a topic that seemed perfect.  But by the end of the second semester, I hated my topic, I hadn’t even completed my lit review, and I had lost three committee members including my chair.  I was miserable, but I persevered, gutting it out to the end of the semester. 

That summer, I threw up my hands and said “That’s it! I give up.  I’m reading what I want to read for a while!”  At the end of the summer, I had found a new topic, one which energized and excited me.  But it was totally different than my original topic.  To switch would mean dumping a years worth of work, and I didn’t really think anyone but me would interested in what I wanted to write about.  Talk about fear and doubt!  Eventually, I did toss that first thesis, starting over completely from scratch.  And was it worth it!  My second thesis was amazing.  I loved writing it, and I loved the final product.  A far cry from my first effort!

What does all that mean?  When making a decision that will affect the direction of your life, choose a path and have faith that it’s the correct one.  Have faith that God, or the Universe, or the Creator, whatever you call that unknowable essence that created us, will correct your path if you’re not where you should be.   Then start looking for open windows!

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Service to Humanity is All About Seeing a Need and Filling it

August 24, 2008 at 6:30 am (Baha'i, Career, Entrepreneur, Humanity, Mystery, Passion, Service, Work)

A few years ago, an animated movie called “Robots” came out.  The kids and I enjoyed it, and one line really stuck with me: “See a need, fill a need.”  That’s what it’s all about in life, isn’t it?  Especially if your goal is to find a way to serve humanity in some way, and thereby help to make the world a better place. 

There are many many ways to do this of course, but I wanted to find the one that met all of my other criteria as well: utilizes my talents, engages my passions, feeds my learning addiction, flexible hours, everything I’ve blogged about so far and more.

Earlier this year, I saw a need.  Ever since then, I’ve been working steadily to find a way to fill that need.  I’m approaching the point in time when my efforts will begin to bear fruit.  Small fruit at first, of course, but fruit nonetheless.

And that is clue #9: My new job will fill a need which I have identified in the world.

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Mystery job: Clue #7

August 15, 2008 at 4:37 pm (Baha'i, Bliss, Career, Faith, Humanity, Mother, Mystery, Parenthood, Passion, Religion, Service, Wife, Work, spirituality, work as worship)

The other night, my son was complaining about his homework load.  Dad tried to say that he (Dad) had to do homework for 8 hours a day and wasn’t that much worse?  My son said, “Dad, you’re not doing homework, that’s just work.  But you’re right, it’s not fun either.  Work isn’t supposed to be fun.” 

When he said that, I felt a little sad.  He’s already figured out that work is something you do because you have to, not because you enjoy it.  I interjected, “Well, it’s not fun for a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a job doing something you enjoy.  In fact, that’s what you should try to do!”  He answered, “Really? Pumpkin pie, Mom.”  That’s his code word for “tell the truth,” like that was too crazy to be true. 

A lot of people have talked about finding their bliss.  I, like many others, enjoy a lot of different things.  It’s more a matter of figuring out how to use some combination of those passions to support your family.  I’ve done a lot of reading, taken some seminars, and explored several possible avenues as potential “blisses.”  Unfortunately, for one reason or another, none of them have panned out.  I tried teaching at the local community college.  I’ve been offered my old engineering job back.  I’ve volunteered on several projects, including service projects.  I’ve even looked into real estate and stock market investing, right before both crashed.  While the learning was valuable, the end destination was never the magic panacea I was hoping for.   Something was always missing: time with my family, flexibility, stability, service to humanity… 

Baha’u'llah told us that “any work performed in the spirit of service is exalted to the level of worship.”  That could be anything from mopping floors to running a mega-corporation.  As long as the work is done to the utmost of one’s ability, with the attitude towards that work being one of wanting to improve the lot of humanity, then it is just as praiseworthy as going to Church, or sitting in meditation, praying.  I decided I wanted to find a job that lets me serve humanity in some fashion, preferably directly through the Baha’i Faith. 

Elsewhere, I’ve listed the requirements of “my perfect job,” including that it must “engage my passions.” As long as those passions are engaged, I will have a job that I can look forward to doing, rather than doing it because I must.  Serving humanity is one those passions.  I really want to do something that will make the world a better place, in a rather concrete, tangible way, and will hopefully outlast my little time here on earth. 

And that is Clue #7: My new career will allow me to serve humanity through the Baha’i Faith.

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Yet another blog

August 6, 2008 at 9:55 pm (Baha'i, Entrepreneur, Faith, Mother, Parenthood, Passion, Religion, Wife, Work, spirituality)

Today, another as yet unremarkable blog makes its debut in the blogosphere.  I am struck by the optimistic futility roiling within me, hoping that someone someday will read my words, resigned to the fact that only a few select people ever will.

And so it is with joyful relief that I cast off my attachment to the outcome of this blog and get to the why, as in “why bother?”

This blog will record a journey (my journey, of course!) as I strive to live a life consistent with my values and passions.  Check out my “About me” page for more on what that looks like. 

Only time will tell. 

Welcome to my life.

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