People Matter

 

eNewsletter - July 2010

 

Become a better thinker

 

Are you an analytical thinker? Does your mind go to the core of an issue? Do you ask provocative questions that make people pause?

Sharp thinking and reasoning processes are at the heart of clear speaking. But not enough people use their thinking skills. The brain has 1 billion cells. Just as we need physical exercise to help keep our bodies in shape, mental exercise helps our brain to increase its power to analyse. Here are some suggestions for improving mental processes:

Ask questions. This is at the core of critical thinking. Your mind should continually be alive to possibilities. Turn something upside down and examine it from the underside. Seek out the reasons behind each rationale.

Become a sceptic. Never accept anything at face value. Think around all sides of an argument. Realise that experts do not necessarily have all the answers. Statistics especially can be deceptive.

Don’t be hoodwinked by labels. For example, he’s bi-polar; she’s a sales person; he’s wealthy. Labels inhibit clear thinking. Labels limit our perceptions of people into broad generalities.

Become a serious reader. Stretch your knowledge base and expose yourself to different kinds of thinkers by reading diverse, challenging material. In his book, ‘The 7 habits of highly effective people’, Stephen Covey commented that: ‘There is no better way to inform and expand your mind on a regular basis than to get in the habit of reading great literature.’ Reading is to the mind what fuel is to the car: It stimulates the mind to keep churning. It increases your vocabulary and challenges perceptions.

Make people your school of life. Everyone has something to share. Never end a personal encounter without learning something. Perhaps the other person has an unusual hobby. Maybe he’s learned difficult life lessons. Ask people questions – about their career, preferences or parenting philosophies. This will not only expand your insights, but will encourage a pattern of being curious, which is essential to keeping the mind active.

If the above principles are practised daily, then this can only aid functioning of the most amazing of organs: The brain.

 

Source: Toastmaster magazine, Jul 2010, p28-29

 

Top of page

 

 

Poet’s Corner:
Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare

Those of you that have attended our public speaking training sessions know the importance of crafting compelling speeches using beautiful English. So, each month, we feature a topical poem or passage that paints a picture using beautiful language.

 

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer's lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade

Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;

Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou growest:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this and this gives life to thee.

 

Sonnet 18, William Shakespeare (1564-1616), English dramatist & poet

 

Top of page

 

 

Quotations

‘Eighty percent of success is showing up’, Woody Allen (1935-), US movie actor, comedian, & director

‘I am not a has-been. I am a will be’, Lauren Bacall (1925-), US movie actress

‘The more I practice, the luckier I get’, Jerry Barber (1916-1994), Professional Golfer

‘Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things... I am tempted to think... There are no little things’, Bruce Barton (1886-1967), Author, advertising executive, politician

 

Top of page

 

 

Let’s lick loneliness

Feeling lonely? Even if the answer to this question is no, why don’t you join our ‘Let’s lick loneliness’ (LLL) initiative?

The purpose of LLL is to share information with others in the group about what we are doing. Then, if people want to join outings, they can.

I have always held the view that it is better to tell people about a forthcoming event and they say ‘no’, rather than not tell them and they could have been interested in attending.

Some members of LLL have just enjoyed a fantastic evening at the beautiful National Portrait Gallery in London. And, on Friday 13 th August 2010 (18:00 hours), we will be going along to a late night opening of the splendid National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London, where we will be able to listen to talks or live music, or relax at the bar. Admittance to the National Gallery is free.

Do contact us if you would like to come along to the National Gallery, or would wish to hear about any of our forthcoming events. To ensure that the group is as inclusive as possible, events are invariably free or low cost. And all, of any age group and background, are most welcome to attend our outings. Membership of LLL is free.

I will leave you with the words of Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), English poet, critic & writer: ‘... when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life...'.

But, if you are not based in London, why not start an LLL initiative in your area?

 

Kim Crosby , CustomerClix , July 2010

 

Top of page