Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Yes! Because a body that’s glowing with health is beautiful. It’s best
that you maintain an ideal weight for you. You can achieve this by
having a healthy eating habit; drinking plenty of water; taking the
right vitamins and minerals; avoiding too much stress; and having enough
sleep the night before.
You could still look good. Though there are downsides to it, being a
bit chubby is not physically ugly at all. In fact there are many people
who find them irresistible. It actually depends on how you carry it.
You’ll find some more tips on how to look good despite of your being oversize as we go on further in this article.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
How to Create a Captivating Presentation
"Creativity" isn't the first word
you'd associate with the average business presentation. The phrase
"Death by PowerPoint" has been a cliché for years, but sadly the same
clichés are being perpetuated day in day out - slides "designed" using
hideous templates, crawling with bullet points and paragraphs in tiny
fonts, which presenters then read out in a monotone (turning their backs
to the audience), using interchangeable meaningless corporate jargon.But there is an alternative - and you hold the keys to it.
Now, you may not consider yourself a natural presenter. Maybe, like many creatives, you are slightly shy by nature, at your most comfortable when seated at your desk or alone in the studio with your work. As an introverted poet, I can relate.
But I managed to transform myself from someone who was terrified of standing up in front of an audience to an in-demand public speaker and workshop leader. Not only that, preparing and delivering presentations is now one of the things I enjoy most about my work. Here's how I did it - and how you can do the same:
Treat the presentation as a creative project in its own right.
Don't think about "presenting your work," as if the creative part were limited to the work and the presentation were tacked on afterwards. Apply the same level of imagination and passion to your presentations as you do the rest of your creative work. Once you do that, you'll start discovering all kinds of interesting ways to get your message across in a persuasive fashion. Here are some tips to help you get started - and to illustrate why your creative talents are the perfect ingredients for a killer presentation.
1. Tap your enthusiasm.
Everyone I've ever coached on presentation skills has told me they want to be more confident - but I tell them to forget about confidence and focus on enthusiasm. Confidence can be impressive, but it can still leave an audience cold. Enthusiasm, on the other hand, is infectious - it will be hard for audiences to resist your passion.
2. Get to the core of your message.
If you're an information architect, you'll know how important it is to present the most important points clearly and simply, only introducing details when people have grasped the big picture and are ready for more. If organizing information is new to you, then here's the quick version:
Boil your presentation down to three key points your audience must understand. This forces you to hone your message to its essence, and helps you remember the structure of your presentation (even if the worst happens and the projector fails). It will also make the message more memorable for your audience. For more detailed advice on structuring presentations, read Cliff Atkinson's book Beyond Bullet Points.
3. Tell a captivating story.
Next time you hear a presenter say "I'll begin by telling you a story..." watch the audience - you'll see them relax into their chairs. They are re-entering the pleasant "storytime trance" they knew and loved as kids. Their critical guard is down, and the speaker has a golden opportunity to engage them emotionally, by telling a powerful story that is relevant to her theme.
You have the same opportunity. Consider the message you are trying to get across. What problem does it solve? What's the human dimension? Who does it remind you of? Once you have the seeds of a story, practice telling and retelling it until you it makes you laugh, cringe, groan, flinch or grin as you speak. When it affects you like this, it will move your audience too.
Nancy Duarte's new book, Resonate, will show you how to entrance audiences with storytelling.
4. Wow them with words.
You should never try to get your presentation word perfect, by memorizing every single word - that will only make for stilted delivery. But it does pay to sprinkle it with a few choice phrases and add the odd rhetorical flourish.
It's true that "statistics can be misleading," but saying it like that won't get people to sit up straight. Try injecting a little more originality:
"There are three kinds of lies. Lies, damned lies, and statistics." -Benjamin Disraeli
For a concise guide to emulating the verbal eloquence of great speakers, read chapter 4 of Max Atkinson's book Speech-making and Presentation Made Easy.
5. Create stunning slides.
Slides are optional, but if you're going to use them, make them great. Even if you're not a graphic designer, it's relatively easy to stand out from the crowd of bullet points and PowerPoint templates, by licensing high-quality images from stock sites like istockphoto and Veer, or searching for Creative Commons-licensed photos from Flickr using Compfight (just make sure you read the licensing terms carefully, especially for commercial use!). And Garr Reynolds' book Presentation Zen Design will introduce you to basic design principles for creating slides from the images.
And if you are a graphic designer, check out Nancy Duarte's beautiful book Slide:ology, for a stimulating guide to the creative possibilities of slide design. Nancy and her team designed the slides for Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" presentation and feature film, so she knows a thing or two about creating slides with impact.
6. Keep it simple.
Simplicity - focusing on core themes and eliminating fluff - is the key to a lot of great design, great writing, great music, great dance, and great art of many kinds. It's also one of the things that makes presentations powerful and memorable.
This is all you need for a truly great presentation:
Now, you may not consider yourself a natural presenter. Maybe, like many creatives, you are slightly shy by nature, at your most comfortable when seated at your desk or alone in the studio with your work. As an introverted poet, I can relate.
But I managed to transform myself from someone who was terrified of standing up in front of an audience to an in-demand public speaker and workshop leader. Not only that, preparing and delivering presentations is now one of the things I enjoy most about my work. Here's how I did it - and how you can do the same:
Treat the presentation as a creative project in its own right.
Don't think about "presenting your work," as if the creative part were limited to the work and the presentation were tacked on afterwards. Apply the same level of imagination and passion to your presentations as you do the rest of your creative work. Once you do that, you'll start discovering all kinds of interesting ways to get your message across in a persuasive fashion. Here are some tips to help you get started - and to illustrate why your creative talents are the perfect ingredients for a killer presentation.
1. Tap your enthusiasm.
Everyone I've ever coached on presentation skills has told me they want to be more confident - but I tell them to forget about confidence and focus on enthusiasm. Confidence can be impressive, but it can still leave an audience cold. Enthusiasm, on the other hand, is infectious - it will be hard for audiences to resist your passion.
2. Get to the core of your message.
If you're an information architect, you'll know how important it is to present the most important points clearly and simply, only introducing details when people have grasped the big picture and are ready for more. If organizing information is new to you, then here's the quick version:
Boil your presentation down to three key points your audience must understand. This forces you to hone your message to its essence, and helps you remember the structure of your presentation (even if the worst happens and the projector fails). It will also make the message more memorable for your audience. For more detailed advice on structuring presentations, read Cliff Atkinson's book Beyond Bullet Points.
3. Tell a captivating story.
Next time you hear a presenter say "I'll begin by telling you a story..." watch the audience - you'll see them relax into their chairs. They are re-entering the pleasant "storytime trance" they knew and loved as kids. Their critical guard is down, and the speaker has a golden opportunity to engage them emotionally, by telling a powerful story that is relevant to her theme.
You have the same opportunity. Consider the message you are trying to get across. What problem does it solve? What's the human dimension? Who does it remind you of? Once you have the seeds of a story, practice telling and retelling it until you it makes you laugh, cringe, groan, flinch or grin as you speak. When it affects you like this, it will move your audience too.
Nancy Duarte's new book, Resonate, will show you how to entrance audiences with storytelling.
4. Wow them with words.
You should never try to get your presentation word perfect, by memorizing every single word - that will only make for stilted delivery. But it does pay to sprinkle it with a few choice phrases and add the odd rhetorical flourish.
It's true that "statistics can be misleading," but saying it like that won't get people to sit up straight. Try injecting a little more originality:
"There are three kinds of lies. Lies, damned lies, and statistics." -Benjamin Disraeli
For a concise guide to emulating the verbal eloquence of great speakers, read chapter 4 of Max Atkinson's book Speech-making and Presentation Made Easy.
5. Create stunning slides.
Slides are optional, but if you're going to use them, make them great. Even if you're not a graphic designer, it's relatively easy to stand out from the crowd of bullet points and PowerPoint templates, by licensing high-quality images from stock sites like istockphoto and Veer, or searching for Creative Commons-licensed photos from Flickr using Compfight (just make sure you read the licensing terms carefully, especially for commercial use!). And Garr Reynolds' book Presentation Zen Design will introduce you to basic design principles for creating slides from the images.
And if you are a graphic designer, check out Nancy Duarte's beautiful book Slide:ology, for a stimulating guide to the creative possibilities of slide design. Nancy and her team designed the slides for Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" presentation and feature film, so she knows a thing or two about creating slides with impact.
6. Keep it simple.
Simplicity - focusing on core themes and eliminating fluff - is the key to a lot of great design, great writing, great music, great dance, and great art of many kinds. It's also one of the things that makes presentations powerful and memorable.
This is all you need for a truly great presentation:
- One big idea
- Three key points
- One compelling story
- One idea per slide (and no more than six words)
- One clear call to action
As with any other creative project you've executed, the challenge is to pare it down to the essentials, using your critical thinking skills.
Looking at the list, you can see it's made up of the core skills of creative professionals: crafting messages; organizing information; telling stories; choosing words carefully; and creating striking visuals. You probably don't have all of these skills, but I'm sure you have at least one or two. Start with these, then work to acquire the others using the resources I've listed.
For example, I'm pretty good with words, and telling stories is second nature to me, but I had to study to learn how to develop visually striking slides. But if you're a designer, you can give yourself a head start on other presenters by creating a remarkable slide deck, which will boost your confidence - then start working on your verbal delivery and storytelling.
The ultimate test will be your audience's response. But a sure sign that you're on the right track will be when you start looking forward to creating your next presentation...
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Captivating Attractive Women - Hints For Single Men
Most men I know are not really just interested in learning how to
attract women. Alternatively, they are more likely to desire to learn
what they can do to start seducing attractive girls. After all, what
happens to you when you spot a gorgeous girl walk by? For many men, they
usually end up freezing up, not knowing what to say and do. Or, they
try to make an have a shot at to entice her, only to get shot down
pretty miserably. This is pretty common.
Here are some dating hints for men that will help you to begin attracting BEAUTIFUL women:
1. Freshen yourself up.
You don't have to suddenly become one of those men that are more
concerned with clothes and shoes than a female is. After all, you ARE a
male. But, you do have to appear as yourself as a man that is clean cut.
and seems to possess matters in order. A clean appearance gives off
this impression pretty nicely.
2. Begin by on breaking the tension by making a woman feel good.
When you walk to women, she has a few questions running around in her
thoughts. One, she may think of if you are yet a random dude trying to get her to bed. And two, she wants to know if you are a creep, or a
man that she can feel comfortable being in company of. So, she is
feeling just as much tension as you are. Ease this tension by making her
laugh.
3. Don't come right out and try to score with her.
As I mentioned before, a pretty female is used to being approached by
men that have the one intention of being deceptive to entice her. So, if
you come across as being just more of the usual men, she is more than
likely going to shoot you down.
Monday, June 25, 2012
4 Things to Keep in Mind When Captivating a Man
Four Things to Remember When Trying To Captivate a Man
First and foremost, clingy doesn't work. Second on the list (and could be interchanged with first) is needy. Clinging to a man's coat tail is a reflection of insecurity. You're scared that if you leave him alone too long, he will find someone else. Well, the truth is, if you don't give him the space to breathe, you will have the exact same result you were trying to avoid. He will find someone else.
Sex does not mean love. If you have sex with him too soon or the only interaction you have with him is sexual then there's no challenge for him. He doesn't have to put forth any effort into a relationship because he can have you whenever he calls (even at 3 a.m. when he's sloppy drunk). Men want a challenge. They want to chase, acquire and conquer their aspirations. If it's handed to them on a plate, he will clean the plate and throw it in the sink until he wants another feeding.
Remember that friendship doesn't always lead to relationship. You want to be a best friend to him and solve all his problems. You think that doing this will make him love you for the rest of his life. While you absolutely should be friendly, don't try to be his best friend. In the role of best friend, he will share all his thoughts with you including thoughts of other women that interest him. The painful part is you won't be one of those women you hear about.
So what is it that captivates him? It's just four little words: confident, emotionally secure women. Rejoice in the fact that you are an amazing woman. Be a woman that knows what she wants from life and actively pursues to achieve it. Keep your emotions in check. Be reasonable and rational on a level that he can relate. Remember that you are human; thus you are imperfect.
Recognize your shortcomings and make a plan to correct them. Allow him to recognize his own shortcomings and let him fix them. Know that you are an asset to any man and appreciate that he is lucky if you choose him to be in your life. Make the man a part of your life, not the entirety of your life. Live life with a sense of excitement and watch him seek your time.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Captivating. What a word. It means to attract and hold by charm,
beauty or excellence. To hold the attention of by fascinating; enchant.
An archaic definition is “to capture.” Tony Blair used the word. He
said he found Princess Diana captivating. Quite a compliment from the
former Prime Minister. It got me wondering. What makes a woman
captivating? It certainly means the woman has a “special something”
about them. I was always a Princess Diana fan. No doubt she captured
the imagination of us all. She certainly was beautiful and glamorous.
Is that all it takes to be captivating?
I think it surely must be more. Of course we all notice the outward appearance first. Yet no one could deny that Mother Theresa was also captivating, and she had no external beauty. I think to be captivating you must have internal fire. That spark of passion that runs deep. You also have to have heart, courage and a driving purpose. I suppose there are many individual characteristics that captivate. Some things I find captivating are strong moral character, intellect, imagination, curiosity, humor, passion, ambition, compassion, courage, heart, empathy, being well read, being a great conversationalist, being adventurous, liking to have fun, being glamorous. Is it acceptable to say beautiful eyes, a nice smile and being a good kisser are captivating too?
Do you know a captivating woman? If so count yourself lucky. They are a rare breed.
I think it surely must be more. Of course we all notice the outward appearance first. Yet no one could deny that Mother Theresa was also captivating, and she had no external beauty. I think to be captivating you must have internal fire. That spark of passion that runs deep. You also have to have heart, courage and a driving purpose. I suppose there are many individual characteristics that captivate. Some things I find captivating are strong moral character, intellect, imagination, curiosity, humor, passion, ambition, compassion, courage, heart, empathy, being well read, being a great conversationalist, being adventurous, liking to have fun, being glamorous. Is it acceptable to say beautiful eyes, a nice smile and being a good kisser are captivating too?
Do you know a captivating woman? If so count yourself lucky. They are a rare breed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)