Go to the exercise If the choice is between looking confident and feeling confident, most people will choose to feel more confident. The problem, though, is that we often don’t get to choose. Confidence is a feeling Like anger, fear, jealousy, or delight, confidence is a feeling. (That’s why we say, “I feel confident.”) And Read More

A “25 x 25 in ’25” Public Speaking Exercise [Go straight to the exercise] Have you ever had this experience: This often happens to women, but it can happen to men, too. How? Well, the person who took your shine might have more status, or be determined to make an impression (even if that means Read More

(Go straight to the exercise.) Why Would You Want to Pause Mid-Idea?? In a recent post, I showed you how to pause BETWEEN ideas.* One advantage of pausing between ideas is that people can finish taking in what you just said BEFORE they hear your next point. But the advantages of pausing don’t stop there. Read More

(To go straight to the exercise, click here.) The Value of Pausing in Music It’s past time I talked about Lorna Cooke deVaron. “Cookie,” as everyone called her (though not to her face :-)) was head of the New England Conservatory of Music’s choral department from 1947 to 1988. And when I attended NEC in Read More

We all want to “own the room” when we first step out to speak in public. And fortunately, the first four exercises in my “25 x 25 in ’25” series will help you do just that. What is “25 x 25 in ’25”? This is where, throughout the year, you’ll learn 25 public speaking exercises Read More