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On a bike with one wheel
This week I gave my first Toastmasters speech in several years, as part of a new club. I spoke about being weird, and how being different attracts attention. I learned this when I learned how to ride the unicycle as a kid. Unicycling isn’t a normal activity (shocker!), and when you cruise past on a…
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Loaves and Fishes
I was introduced to the work of David Whyte recently. In reading his poetry, I came across a beautiful little poem called Loaves and Fishes. This is not the age of information. This is not the age of information. Forget the news, and the radio, and the blurred screen. This is the time of loaves…
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Jerry Seinfeld on How to Write a Joke
When you watch a great comedian tell jokes, it’s easy to assume that they’re just naturally funny. They seem to just go up there and talk, and everything they say is automatically hilarious. How do they do it? Jerry Seinfeld, a legendary stand-up comedian most famous for his sitcom “Seinfeld”, gives some great insight into…
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The Words You Use, They Matter
A few years back I was put in the uncomfortable position of explaining the Christian term “spiritual warfare” to a rabbi. I was explaining the training program I was leading at the time (the word was embedded in the title) when he kindly asked me to clarify. Was this some kind of warfare tactic, where…
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The Evil Villain of Communication
We’ve all fallen prey to it before. Your text message says, “See you there at 8”, and they showed up in the morning instead of evening. Or the Help instructions say, “Select the brush icon from the toolbox”, to which you respond, “Where the heck is the toolbox in the first place???” You’ve just been…
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What Jip en Janneke Can Teach Us About Storytelling
As I mentioned before, I’ve been admiring children’s books lately. Since coming to Holland we’ve been spending a lot of time in the kids’ section of bookstores, looking for books that will help Olivia learn Dutch language and culture. Lots of fun! I’d like to introduce you to one of this country’s favourites. Jip en…
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You Can Change the World: TED Talk by Nancy Duarte
A couple months ago I got my hands on Nancy Duarte’s new book, Resonate. Duarte recently spoke at TEDxEast, and released the video of her 18-minute talk. Nancy Duarte’s talk at TEDx East from Duarte Design on Vimeo. “You are not the hero who will save the audience; the audience is your hero.” – Nancy…
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The Power of Cartoons
Patrick Chappatte is an editorial cartoonist who gave the following talk at TED this year about the power of cartoons. While quite to point out (and laugh about) the grim future of the newspaper, Chappatte displays the enduring power of visual communication. Watch this talk if, for nothing else, the clever use of his cartoons…
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A Napkin Can Make You a Better Communicator
Last week we took Olivia to a pediatrician. After the Doc had asked a bunch questions and done the basic check-up stuff, he proceeded give some suggestions for Olivia’s health. Often a doctor will rattle off a bunch of important info during an appointment, then you struggle to remember it a couple weeks down the road…