Do you know who you are…really?

In order to be a good public speaker you need to be comfortable with who you are. And in order to be comfortable, you have to know yourself—the good…but more importantly and the not so good.

It is easy to focus on the good things about ourselves… if we truly want to grow—we have to look at the not so good things a about ourselves as well. Many people find this difficult and avoid examining themselves in truth and honesty.

Why?

Maybe they feel if they do not admit it then it is not so. Or they are waiting for someone else to mention it to them—and if no one does then they don’t have to worry about it. Whatever the reason it is avoidance which leads to a false belief of oneself.

To read the entire article click here…

As a public speaker it is likely that at some point you will get into a debate situation. A debate is when you have an argument of two opposing points of view. This will be especially true if you enter the world of politics or if you get involved with humanitarian issues.

Though your goal right now is to be an eloquent speaker you should be prepared in case a simple public presentation turns into a debate. How can you prepare yourself for this?

There arefive things that you can do to prepare yourself for a debate.

To read the entire article click here

Are you looking for a safe place for your children to network and chat? Are you looking for other homeschooling parents to talk to or connect with?

Visit Homeschool Chat. They are a social network where you can connect and share with others in the homeschool community.

I hope by now you’ve given some thought to how to save money without making it a painful experience.  No one can solve your financial problems but you – and everyone has financial problems (even rich people have to deal with the issue of what to do with their money.  What I wouldn’t give for that problem!).

It’s time to turn your attention to others.  As my mother used to say, “There is always somebody better off than you and there is always someone worse off than you – the trick is to be happy with what you have.”  Our economy gives birth to a few unnatural fears. Yet those of us still employed should do our best to help those affected by the downturn. It is often that I look at someone less fortunate and realize – I have a job. How can I show I am thankful for ti?

Here’s what you can do to make a difference in the lives of others:

Donate Your Time

Ever hear the phrase, ‘Time is Money?’  It’s so true, when money is tight and there isn’t a lot to spare – it’s a good to spend with people who are less fortunate.  Check with your local church or charity organization and see if you have skills they can use.  It may be easier to write a check, but it’s a better example to your children to give your time. And you’ll personally see how you are making a difference in the lives of the individual—nothing is more rewarding than that!

Be Compassionate With Others

I overheard a conversation about the homeless a few weeks ago and it made me ill.  The gist was that homeless people are con artists looking for free money.  While that is true in some cases, there are many where it is not.  If you’re skeptical, buy the lady a sandwich.  If she doesn’t want it, you have your answer.  Never use a few people as a representation of the whole – that’s how a lot of prejudices are conceived.

Smile

It’s free, it feels good and it’s a part of you that you can share with others daily.

We may come full circle –helping others, helping ourselves and helping others again. I’d like to delve into practical matters next time. Lately, I have been fiddling with our home budget and I’d like to share what I’ve learned with you.

Cheryl Richter is a Christian that happens to be a CPA.  She has over 15 years of experience in the Audit profession.  She has written for the Kansas City Star, Faith section.

Public Speaking for Kids – According to surveys, public speaking is the number one fear among Americans. The fear of death comes in at a distant second.

The ability to speak in front of an audience defines leaders. And you want your child to be a leader—to stand out amongst his/her peers.

As a parent you cannot give the presentation for your child but you can equip them. You can help them master the skill of public speaking thus ensuing that they will stand out from the ordinary child.

Let Me Speak Talk Radio is a program that airs three times a month on Blogtalk Radio. On the show the hosts Dwain and Michelle Welcome focus on issues that affect you as an aspiring public speaker. If you want to overcome your fear of public speaking, learn how to speak with confidence, if you want to train your child to be a leader of tomorrow today–then tune in to our radio program and be enlightened and equipped to do all things with success and confidence.

The opening of any novel or short story is the beginning, the middle and the end. If the beginning is not well written, catchy, evocative and doesn’t move the story forward the writer has lost the reader before they started. In many cases, this is not poor writing but simply the reflection of a poorly framed narrative.

What is a properly framed narrative?

The ability of the writer to think beyond the words that go on the paper, both what came before the first sentence and what will come after the last is what defines the well-framed narrative. It is important that each writer, whether in their mind or on paper through an outline, take the time and effort to create the context that came before the current story beginning and the scene that will come after the last sentence. This places the narrative written on paper in a frame of continuous life.

Many times the time to approach the beginning is during a revision. As you begin to edit your story, ask yourself, “What happened just before the first sentence?” And when you approach the last sentence again, “What happens next?” If you can’t answer these questions, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and revise.

Remember, writing can never get worse it can only get better. As you revise, keep these suggestions in mind for getting your material started off the right way.

Dorry Catherine Pease is a freelance writer, writing coach and  author of Blueprint for Life, Harper Collins 2006.   You can learn more about her by visiting her website at DCtherineWritersWeb.

The hardest thing to understand in personal economics is that sometimes you have to spend in order to save.  The trick is to get as much value as you can for your money.  It’s a juggling act and here are some suggestions on what to spend on.

Refinance Your Car

How I hated extending a loan for my car for another year, but in this case I couldn’t help myself.  I was able to lower the interest rate to 2.94% and lower the required payments by $100 a month!  It didn’t cost anything and I can always keep paying the same amount as I did before but without the extra interest.  What a bargain!

Raise Your Retirement Income

I was very blessed to get a raise this year.  Instead of blowing it on something I didn’t need, I raised my retirement contribution by 1%.  It’s not the whole amount of my raise (I’m not a saint!) and now a little bit more is going to my future.

Buy Something for Your Home

The government is giving a tax credit for home improvements!  It has to be something on their improvement list, so a new Jacuzzi won’t qualify.  We put in new windows.  We should see up to a $1500 tax credit – not to mention the 30-40% savings on our monthly energy bill!  With an expected return of $100 a month, the improvement will pay for itself.

Invest in Yourself

So many people don’t give themselves a chance to learn something new.  Keeping the mind active is worth so much more than a tuition payment.  If you are looking for a way to stand out in this economy this is it.  If you can’t afford a degree, take a class. Anything that helps you improve your skill set will get you noticed—an put extra money in your pocket.

The trick to spending is to know where your money goes. Long term purchases should be negotiated to your advantage – that includes house and cars. As for retirement, planning for the future can made the ride a little more comfortable. The lesson here is not to forget to take care of your investments (and yourself) along the way. Next time – we’ll take a look at what we can do for others.

Cheryl Richter is a Christian that happens to be a CPA.  She has over 15 years of experience in the Audit profession.  She has written for the Kansas City Star, Faith section.

Excellent writing is firmly rooted in knowing who your reader is. Think about the person who will read your words.  Image him or her in your mind.

What is their gender, age, interests [broad or narrow] what you create will have to appeal to the reader. It is now your job to entertain, persuade or inform and to keep that reader in mind. If nothing else, this type of thinking will keep you out of your ego and into your characters.

Readers often see themselves as a character in your story. Let the reader use their imagination, contribute some of the finer details, create their own visions as they read yours story.  Once you have this firmly developed, pick the place where your story will start. Now is the time to begin to put words on the paper.

Show the Main Character in Focus

Let the reader see the main character first, like the front of a car as it comes around the bend.  Scenery is dull and is not what your audience wants to see first.  Recall the old acronym, KISS?   Keep it simple, stupid.  Show those beautiful, eloquent descriptions later, after you have the reader’s head firmly in your grip.  Focus on the main character, physical details and get that reader into his/her head.  “If you stop the story to give the reader a guided tour, you may lose them.”

Provide Context for the Main Character

With the protagonist firmly in the reader’s mind, begin to show the social environment in which this character lives. Think about your character.  Who is he/she? Social outcast, well liked, part of the in crowd, a loner, does he/she move in sync with the world.  Show how your character relates to the people and the world around them.

Show Plot Line and Conflict

Pick a scene that not only introduces your character but also presents the overall conflict. For instance, if the story is a murder mystery, start with the murder or the scene as the protagonist first appears, what he/she sees, thinks, how they relate to the people around them.

The first scene should set the tone for the whole story.  The first scene needs to create the character in a scene that depicts not only the overall situation, but also the internal conflict.  Let the reader see that there is something at stake for the protagonist, an attachment to something or someone and that whatever or whoever that is, is in danger.

Remember, this doesn’t have to be a huge battle or someone dying [unless it is a murder that needs to be solved], but it does need to show us action and how the character to attached to this action.  A reader wants to care about the characters, the situation, wants to be engaged in the development of circumstances and how it is all going to end.

Set mood and pace of the story

Your opening scene sets the overall mood of your writing.  Set the tone accurately for your reader.  If the piece is to be humorous, start with a lighter tone, dark or gloomy, use your beginning descriptive phrases and your character to depict this, show the conflict and/or the why to be a life or death situation if that is what it is. Does that mean that the story can’t change halfway through?  Of course not, but the writer had better have an excellent way to show the transition. This goes to rules, they can be broken effectively for creative purposes but the basic rule to follow is consistency.

Establish Motive: Why Does the Character Care

Present within the beginning  of your story the motive of the character.  Ask yourself “Why is this character doing this?”  “Why not just walk away from it all?”   Develop for your reader the personal stake that your character has in seeing the plot through, single out the character’s passion and engage the reader in the struggle.

Protagonists must have a question that needs an answer, a decision that requires resolving, one that reflects personal needs and desires. What is that question that drives the character? Why? Why? Why?  Let the reader know what that ‘why’ is.   When the moment of decision comes, when desire comes up against the reality of the world, the reader engages as the character grapples with this defining moment in his/her life.

The evil spirits we all have within us reveal the contrasts in our values and our outer behavior.  In that first scene, make your character human, mortal with inner conflicts and flaws. This provides depth and allows the reader to understand the characters possibility for change.

Follow Writing Rules

No matter what genre you are writing, start with the most plausible elements.  If it is a battle, provide actions and reactions that could be real.  Even in Science Fiction or Fantasy, start with the most plausible first.  If for some reason, the character doesn’t have to follow the rules, provide the reader with an explanation of this special ability.  The writer doesn’t need to get into details here, those can come out later, let the reader wonder for a while, but don’t drop something unexpected into the middle of the story that you haven’t hinted at (foreshadowed) in the beginning.

How To Do It

If you have thought through the framing of your story, a single scene will convey everything.  It is possible to integrate all of these points in your beginning and to do so will ensure that your story is off to a solid start.

• Tightly write the first paragraph [Show rather than Explain]
• Use selective details, word choice, similes and metaphors.
• Create images, strong dialogue and phrases, to focus on the character within environmental importance.
• Draw attention to motive and ask why.
• Show the threat, the crime, the action
• Make the reader aware of inner conflicts between wants and needs
• Display that one overwhelming passion that drives the character.

Take special note of the word show. Do not explain and, by following these basic rules for good beginnings, the tone and pace will follow and your story will become better for it.