http://articles-collections.com/ Articles at Articles Collection en-us http://articles-collections.com/speaking/mind-over-matter.html http://articles-collections.com/speaking/mind-over-matter.html Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:46:53 +0300
The mind is the most powerful part of the human body, and is what sets us apart from other species...

The term mind over matter means that the mind, when given the proper stimulus, can override the normal limitations of the physical body, and cause the body to perform acts that it would not normally be able to do.

A prime example is the stories of mothers who free their trapped children from underneath automobiles weighing a few tons or heavy piles of rubble that they wouldn’t normally be able to move.

Walking over hot coals in bare feet by people who are trained “fire walkers” is another example of mind over matter. There is a medical and scientific explanation for how this could be. Our bodies produce stress hormones called endorphins which act to give us super-human strength and endurance, including masking pain impulses, in times of extreme crisis.

There are also stories of Yuri Geller and others bending spoons with the sheer power of the mind. To develop the capability to perform such feats of mind over matter requires that you first train and discipline your mind to shut out any outside distractions and to totally concentrate on the objective to be accomplished.

An important aspect of mind over matter is the mastery of our fears. Fear has been described by some as an acronym for False Experience Appearing Real. Our minds are so powerful that they can actually cause our bodies to manifest sickness, as evidenced by students becoming ill shortly before taking an important exam.

Often there are stories of cancer patients or those with other terminal illnesses, who quickly succumb to their disease and die; while others, similarly afflicted, overcome their malady and defy medical science and get well. One major difference between the first group of terminally ill people and the second is the attitude and expectations of the patient.

While a fighting will doesn’t always ensure a complete recovery from a life-threatening disease, it usually prolongs the time left to the patient, when compared to those who give up upon hearing the dreaded diagnosis and prepare to die.

One popular way of training your mind to perform feats of mind over matter is through the Change Your Mind, Change Your Life Course! This features guided visualization and affirmations. You decide the goal that you wish to accomplish and write it down, setting a specific date for your goal to be achieved.

It is best not to focus on too many things at a time. You visualize yourself achieving that goal, and enjoying the fruits of your achievement. For example, if you want a new car, you see yourself at the car lot picking out the make and model of your choice. You picture yourself in your mind driving around town in your new car.

The affirmations are said out loud several times a day - you write them out and customize them to fit what your goals are. This is programming your subconscious mind to achieve what your fears and doubts will tell you is impossible.
]]> http://articles-collections.com/speaking/public-speaking-why-using-the-right-word-is-not-always-the-right-thing-to-do.html http://articles-collections.com/speaking/public-speaking-why-using-the-right-word-is-not-always-the-right-thing-to-do.html Sat, 23 May 2009 08:39:52 +0300 by Philip Yaffe


Mark Twain famously said: "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."


Of course he was absolutely right -- and partially wrong.


As every professional writer knows, choosing exactly the right words to convey their meaning is crucial, because words are all they have. Anything less than "les mots justes", as they say in French, will weaken the message. Therefore, it is worth the time and effort to find les mots justes. Indeed, the commitment to do so is one of the key factors that distinguish professional writers from amateurs.


On the other hand, searching out les mots justes in public speaking can be seriously counterproductive.


This caveat of course does not refer to "formal" public speaking, where the speech is written out in advance. Rather, it refers to "informal" public speaking. This means any time you may be called upon to say something, such as in a committee meeting, a seminar, a training session, etc., with little or no preparation.


We all know people who seem able to speak fluently and persuasively about virtually any subject on a moment's notice. Likewise, we all know people who constantly trip over their tongues and appear bewildered even when speaking about subjects they know very well.


What makes the difference? I believe it is an unnecessary and fruitless search for les mots justes.


I became aware of this phenomenon at a recent meeting of my Brussels (Belgium) chapter of Toastmasters International. Founded in the USA in the 1920s, Toastmasters is a worldwide club of people in all walks of life dedicated to helping each other improve their speaking skills (www.toastmasters.org).


A key role at Toastmaster meetings is attributed to the "ah counter". Throughout the session, he or she makes note of all the "ums", "ahs", "you know's", and other distracting hesitations people rely on when speaking. At a recent meeting of the Dutch-English club (most clubs in Belgium are bilingual), one participant was particularly faulty in this respect. After the meeting I asked him why he had found expressing himself so difficult.


A native Dutch speaker, he had given a speech in English. He replied, "I am unsure of my English, so I was always looking for just the right words." In other words les mots justes.


This sounds like a credible explanation, except it is invalid.


Although using the right word is critical in writing, it is much less so in speaking. While closely related, writing and speaking are distinct disciplines.


Writing and speaking benefit from precise information (les mots justes) for the same two reasons.

1. Confidence. The more you seem to know about your subject, the more people will have confidence in what you say. Using precise information generates confidence.

2. Consistency. Precise information does not permit unpredictable misinterpretations. The more precise information you use, the more easily your audience can follow what you are saying, without their attention being distracted trying to figure out what you really mean.


On the other hand, readers and listeners differ in how they process precise information. With a printed text, if people don't understand something, they have the luxury of reading it again. However, if they hear something they don't understand, it's there, then it's gone. End of story.


This is not a bad thing, because it means that listeners are less critical than readers. They are looking to take away broad general ideas. Details in the speech serve to define and defend these general ideas. They are not to be memorized for later examination.


Listeners also more easily accept the validity of a general statement with less supporting information than they would require in a text. Thus, while a bit of imprecision may cause a momentary blip in the listener's attention, it will quickly disappear because neither the speaker nor the listener is in a position to dwell on it.


In short, while using exactly the right word is always recommended, in speaking you shouldn't become obsessive about it. For any subject, there are usually several ways of saying the same thing. If you are always looking for the "best way" (assuming there is one), then you will invariably find yourself inserting "ums", "ahs", "you know's", and other distracting interjections. In the vast majority of cases, sacrificing fluency while searching for les mots justes just isn't worth it. So go with what you have.


If something comes out of your mouth that you think you could have said better, simply start your next sentence with, "To be more precise . . . .", then say it better. This technique will not only keep your speech fluent, it will make you appear to be master of your subject, not its apprentice. What could be better than that?


Philip Yaffe is a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and a marketing communication consultant. He currently teaches a course in good writing and good speaking in Brussels, Belgium. His recently published book In the “I” of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) like a Professional is available from Story Publishers in Ghent, Belgium (storypublishers.be) and Amazon (amazon.com).


For further information, contact:

Philip Yaffe
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 660 0405
Email: phil.yaffe@yahoo.com,phil.yaffe@gmail.com

]]> http://articles-collections.com/speaking/birthday-gifts-can-help-you-give-a-better-acceptance-speech.html http://articles-collections.com/speaking/birthday-gifts-can-help-you-give-a-better-acceptance-speech.html Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0200 http://articles-collections.com/speaking/how-to-deliver-a-killer-thank-you-speech.html http://articles-collections.com/speaking/how-to-deliver-a-killer-thank-you-speech.html Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0200 http://articles-collections.com/speaking/how-americans-can-instantly-improve-their-speaking-skills.html http://articles-collections.com/speaking/how-americans-can-instantly-improve-their-speaking-skills.html Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:01:41 +0200 by Philip Yaffe


Let me confess that I am an American and l used to speak very badly. Now I speak very well, at least that is what everyone tells me. The fact is, my change from being a poor speaker to being a good speaker happened virtually overnight. Here's the story.


I was a student at UCLA in the 1960s. After graduating, I spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania, East Africa. When I got there, of course everything was quite different from anything I had previously experienced. For one thing, I was posted to a tiny bush village next to what was supposed to be a major north-south road. Anything beyond 20 cars per day passing by was considered to be heavy traffic; in Los Angeles, less than 20 cars per minute was considered to be abnormally low traffic.


Perhaps the biggest surprise occurred when I turned on my shortwave radio. I quickly found the frequencies for both the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) and the Voice of America. The difference was astounding.


Listening to the BBC, I heard cashiers, janitors, parking attendants, etc., speaking as if they had graduated from prestigious universities. By contrast, listening to Voice of American, I heard people at the top of the educational and social ladder speaking as if they had never even graduated from primary school.


This was no chance occurrence; it happened every time I turned on the radio. "How is it that high-level Americans seem to speak less well than low level Brits?" I kept asking myself. And found no answer.


After a few weeks I came to a startling conclusion. The apparent superiority of the Brits had nothing to do with either intelligence or education. It was in fact physical.


If you pay attention, you will notice that the British, particularly the English, tend to form their words on their lips, while Americans form them in the throat. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable among males, whose deep, gravely voice is considered to be masculine, virile and seductive.


I believe that forming words in the throat puts abnormal strain on the larynx, which is why Americans so often tend to stumble over their words. They frequently interrupt their speech by interjecting "ah" or other irritating hesitations. This is not because they don't know what to say next. It's because they are giving their vocal cords a momentary chance to recover.


To put the idea to the test, I consciously began forming my words on my lips rather than in the throat. My own irritating hesitations (I was notorious for this) vanished almost overnight. Suddenly I could put together a sentence that flowed fluently from one end to the other. In fact, I could put together whole series of sentences that flowed fluently from one end to the other with hardly hesitation in sight.


Having tested this discovery over several weeks, I decided to purposely redesign my articulation. It wasn't easy. I had to consciously think about how I was forming my words virtually every minute of the day. However, after a couple of weeks it began feeling more and more natural, until finally it was.


All this happened 40 years ago. During the intervening four decades, I have gained somewhat of a reputation as an entertaining and provocative public speaker, not only in English but also in French (I live in Belgium).

In short, redesigning my voice has worked extremely well for me. I don't know it if would work for anyone else, but I see no reason why not.


But a word of warning. If you do decide to make the change, you are likely to develop a pseudo "Oxbridge" English accent. This is quite normal; forming words on the lips naturally gives rise to this type of accent. However, out of context it can be rather embarrassing.

Since I was living with a lot of British expatriates in Tanzania, my new way of speaking didn't seem particularly odd. However, the minute I returned to Los Angeles, people began commenting on it, including my mother. "Where did you pick up that snooty accent? Get rid of it." So I did.


It is not all that difficult to find a middle ground between the two accents. You will still sound like an American, but without constantly tripping over you tongue. Why not give it a try. The results might amaze you.


Philip Yaffe is a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and a marketing communication consultant. He currently teaches a course in good writing and good speaking in Brussels, Belgium. His recently published book In the “I” of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) like a Professional is available from Story Publishers in Ghent, Belgium (storypublishers.be) and Amazon (amazon.com).


For further information, contact:

Philip Yaffe
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 660 0405
Email: phil.yaffe@yahoo.com,phil.yaffe@gmail.com


]]> http://articles-collections.com/speaking/do-you-want-to-bargain-merchandiseon-qxbid.html http://articles-collections.com/speaking/do-you-want-to-bargain-merchandiseon-qxbid.html Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:09:24 +0200 http://articles-collections.com/speaking/how-some-qxbid-online-auctions-sellers-give-their-basic-within-one-niche.html http://articles-collections.com/speaking/how-some-qxbid-online-auctions-sellers-give-their-basic-within-one-niche.html Sun, 11 Jan 2009 11:49:14 +0200 JeansDeal - edwin jeans
historic come up with a list of ten items concomitant to every. this brand of brainstorming is a sure-fire remedy for pushing ago your seller’s bar. admit your armoury cast , and you’ll cut dead your qxbid recess in no time. ]]> http://articles-collections.com/speaking/three-recipes-for-frozen-desserts-using-artificial-sweeteners-your-family.html http://articles-collections.com/speaking/three-recipes-for-frozen-desserts-using-artificial-sweeteners-your-family.html Fri, 26 Dec 2008 13:03:42 +0200
Frozen Desserts

Some artificial sweeteners do not bear up well under heat, so they are not a good choice for baked desserts - but they are the ideal choice for no-cook and frozen desserts that need sweetening. For more details go to: www.bread-bakers-assistant.com here are three recipes for frozen desserts using artificial sweeteners that your family will love.

Strawberry Smoothie
10-12 large frozen strawberries
1 ½ cups of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 packet of artificial sweetener
Sugar free whipped cream (below)

Put all ingredients in the blender and whirl at medium-low until all ingredients are blended and strawberries are completely crushed. Pour into a dessert glass or milkshake glass and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream if desired. Eat with a spoon or sip through a straw and enjoy!

Vanilla Ice Milk
Gelatin adds body to this simple dessert for vanilla ice milk. Egg substitute means that you do not have to worry about raw eggs in the mix and the artificial sweetener reduces the calories and prevents the sugar spike that you'd get with a sugar-sweetened dessert.

2 ¼ cups cold skim or 1% milk
1 cup of nonfat dry milk 1 tsp unflavored gelatin
4 oz. egg substitute
5 teaspoons of artificial sweetener
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. lemon or almond extract

Pour skim milk into a small saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over the top. Allow gelatin to soften for a few minutes, and then stir mixture over low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved. For help visit: www.tailgating-recipe.com Remove from heat and cool quickly by placing saucepan into a bowl of ice water.

While milk is cooling, combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor until well-blended. Add cooled milk-gelatin mixture and blend for a few seconds longer. Chill in refrigerator till very cold. When ready to freeze ice cream, blend mixture for a few seconds, then pour through a strainer into ice cream machine. Follow manufacturer's directions to freeze ice cream. Makes 1 quart of vanilla ice milk.

Sugar Free Whipped Cream
1 pint whipping cream
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
5-6 teaspoons of artificial sweetener to taste

Chill bowl and beaters in freezer before whipping cream.
Pour very cold whipping cream into chilled bowl.
Beat with chilled beaters until cream begins to thicken.
Slowly add artificial sweetener and vanilla while continuing to whip cream.
Continue to whip cream until stiff peaks form.

Candy Treats

Want a sweet, crunchy, melt in your mouth treat to kill the craving for sugar? Try these sugar free meringues - they're quick and easy and very light in calories and carbs.

]]> http://articles-collections.com/speaking/a-motivational-quote-from-bruce-jenner-and-5-more-olympic-greats.html http://articles-collections.com/speaking/a-motivational-quote-from-bruce-jenner-and-5-more-olympic-greats.html Fri, 19 Dec 2008 01:12:19 +0200
1) Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis was a dominant sprinter and long jumper who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 gold medals. In his career, which spanned from 1976 to 1996, Carl Lewis has 65 consecutive victories in the long jump, and this is one of the sport’s longest undefeated streaks.

“Scientists have proven that it's impossible to long-jump 30 feet, but I don't listen to that kind of talk. Thoughts like that have a way of sinking into your feet.”

2) Dara Torres
Dara Torres is the first American swimmer to compete at four Olympic Games and has racked up a total of nine Olympic medals - 4 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze. She is now training for her fifth Olympics at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

“The water doesn’t know what age you are when you jump in, so why not?” (commenting on her fifth Olympic Games in Beijing at age 41)

3) Amanda Beard
Amanda Beard is a 7-Time Olympic Medalist, and became the second-youngest gold medalist in USA Swimming history by winning her first Olympic gold at the age of 14.

“I concentrate on preparing to swim my race and let the other swimmers think about me, not me about them.”

4) Nadia Comaneci
Nadia Comaneci won a total of nine Olympic medals, five of them gold during her Olympic career in gymnastics. At 14 years of age Nadia Comaneci was the first gymnast ever to score a Perfect 10.

“Hard work has made it easy. That is my secret. That is why I win.”

5) Bruce Jenner
Bruce Jenner captivated the world and became the World's Greatest Athlete when he won the gold medal for the decathlon at the 1976 Olympic games in Montreal. Today Bruce Jenner is a professional speaker who motivates and captivates audiences around the world.

“I spent twelve years training for a career that was over in a week. Joe Namath spent one week training for a career that lasted twelve years.”

6) Mark Spitz
American swimmer Mark Spitz earned seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. Not only did he win seven gold medals, but world records were set in each event. Seventeen years after retiring from the Olympics, at the age of 39, he began training again with the hopes of earning a spot on the 1992 Olympic team. Unfortunately he fell short in qualifying and had to settle with a career total of 11 Olympic medals.

“Life is true to form; records are meant to be broken.”

There are many quoted motivational speakers out there that have inspired athletes to be their best and to achieve the highest levels of success. It is a great world when an athlete who has been motivated can then turn around and become a quoted motivational speaker themselves. ]]> http://articles-collections.com/speaking/know-the-stores-that-are-your-favorites.-00-1066.html http://articles-collections.com/speaking/know-the-stores-that-are-your-favorites.-00-1066.html Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:54:18 +0200 DKNY Jeans

If you can answer affirmatively to any of the above questions you may find that bargain clothes shopping is very worthwhile. There are several ways to go about bargain clothes shopping.
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Know the stores that are your favorites. Keep track of the prices and watch for sales. On top of these two things you need to be aware of any coupons that may be available. You can often find coupons for bargain clothes shopping in daily newspapers, special mailings and even online. If you are truly a bargain clothes shopper you will want to always be coupon-savvy.
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Is it necessary that your entire wardrobe consist only of pieces you have obtained through bargain clothes shopping? Not at all. You can build a fantastic array of clothing by combining a few more expensive classic pieces with those found while bargain shopping.
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