FNB, Fordsburg. The DDCT Tour, Part 31 - What Makes for a Great Atmosphere?

   What creates a good vibe during a speaking engagement, in other words.

This is a question  I have been grappling with since I started doing the DREAMS DO COME TRUE( DDCT) talks. It is a question I am sure a lot of people who do public speaking ask themselves.

   But what do we mean by a great atmosphere?

Among other things, it is an instance where the speaker is flowing easily as they give their talk. An instance where the members of the audience are completely with you. Where you expect them to nod in agreement with a certain point, they do; where you expect them to see a funny side, they do. Most importantly, during such a talk there will be one incident which happens that the speaker did not anticipate, but which will serve to add to the talk's positive energy( Hello Roger).

   There are many things that contribute to making a talk work, no doubt. But I think one of the main factors is the simple matter of how the audience members are seated. This, plus your proximity to them.

   At this FNB branch the staff members were seated in a horseshoe formation, with me standing at the open end. And they were very close to me. With a stretched hand, I could have touched some of them. From this set up the energy during this talk was palpable. The saying that a performer/speaker feeds off the energy of their audience was so true in Fordsburg's case. It all felt really good from the speaker's side.

                                                  SOME THANK YOU's

- Ausi Waheda and Bra Ben( the respective Managers) - For your 'go ahead'.

- FNB staff - For the embrace.

- Bra Roger( the Financial Planner) - For the conversation after the talk.

- Eric - For buying a copy of our book(Feeling Good).

- Errol - For purchasing our book as well. And for that selfie. Do pass my regards to Anto.

                                                 ====================

Our FEEL GOOD quote of the week:

"...by working to develop more of your right

brain(the seat of intuition, imagination, rhythm etc) - together

with managing your stress, becoming more positive, and

learning to set goals - you will sense a dramatic change in

how you experience life."

JACK BLACK( from the book - MINDSTORE)

                                           ===================== 

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                             ===================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU 

FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK?    

          

     
   
         

FNB, Protea Gardens mall. The DDCT Tour, Part 30 - Other Voices on Succeeding

   Here at Protea Gardens there were other speakers who gave us some notable tips on how to succeed in life.

   Ausi Grace Mathibe( from the FNB Smart House division) said that she has her goals written up in her diary. This diary she carries with her all the time. She is therefore able to read her goals every day wherever she is.

   In my view, one of the benefits of saturating your mind with your goals is that you may start off not knowing how to achieve some of your more ambitious ones, but with this regular reading of them you will then start getting ideas on how to achieve them. The challenge will then be for you not to be afraid of trying these ideas out as they come to you. Sure some of these ideas won't work out, but one of them will definitely take you closer to you goal or even help you to achieve it.

   Next up was Bra Sipho Moorosi( the branch's Financial Planner). He started by asking us, "How do you know if you are a child of God?"

When God looks at you and sees his image in you, then you are a child of God. This state of reflecting the image of God you attain by being virtuous in all aspects of the word. It means you are fair, you are generous, you are patient, you don't harm you fellow human being...so on and so forth. Our quest in life, Bra Sipho seemed to be saying, is to try get to this state of moral excellence where we reflect God with every fibre of our being.

                                         SOME THANK YOU's

- Ausi Karabo and Ausi Noleen( the respective Managers) - For giving us the platform. And for the cake and the juice thereafter.

- FNB staff( bo-Thabo, Lunga, Mpho, et al) - For lending me your ears, AGAIN.

- Tshepo - For the interesting chat after the talk.

- Ausi Grace - For the invitation.

                                             ================

Our FEEL GOOD quote of the week:

"..if these were the 1970s I could say with all the confidence
that we were probably using 20 per cent of the brain. If it
were the 1980s I would say 10 per cent. In the 1990s we were
using a fraction of 1 percent. In other words, we are only scratching 
the surface; we are nowhere near fulfilling our potential."

Tony Buzan( as quoted in the book - MINDSTORE)

                                                   =================== 

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                                   ===================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU 

FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK?    

     
  

FNB, Gandhi Square. The DDCT Tour, Part 29 - All 'Thank You's' Welcomed

   The hosts show their appreciation for our motivational talk in many ways.

Some are full of smiles at the end of it all. Others will come out and say it in words, "That was very good, Thapelo."Others still, show it through the warm and lingering hugs.

   In a few cases we have been offered breakfast( Hello Yvonne. Hello Katiso). In some instances the hosts have offered material support in the form of buying copies of our book(Feeling Good). This latter gesture was the case at this FNB branch. After the Manager( Ausi Tyron) suggested it at the end of the talk, everybody willingly chipped in to purchase a copy of the book.

   Whatever method is preferred by my hosts, I am always grateful. Doing the talks by itself is a reward for me. It is something that I have come to adore as much as the writing process. In addition to this passion I have developed for public speaking( of the motivational kind), it is an honour to be in this position where I am given a chance to motivate and inspire people in my own small way.

                                                      SOME THANK YOU's

- Ausi Tyron( the Manager) - For the authorization. Given at the right time too.

- FNB staff - For your material support. Much appreciated ladies and 1 gentleman.

- The lady staff member who walked in when the talk was in progress already. An act which later gave us one of the funniest moments of this talk.

                                                       =================

Our FEEL GOOD quote of the week:

"Without imagining bright futures and solutions to our

challenges there is no future, only grinding continuation

of present reality. We need dreamers in this world."

JACK BLACK( from the book - MINDSTORE)

                                         ====================

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                             ===================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU 

FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK?    

                                    

                                                                   
          

ABSA, Carlton Centre. The DDCT Tour, Part 28 - Humour is Essential

   This past Tuesday( 21st Jan) I got a taste of what it feels like to do a stand-up comedy show.

Most of my attempts at humour during this talk were very well received by the ABSA staff members. And for this I am eternally grateful to Bra Terrence and his staff.

   Indeed I am learning, as I go along, that humour is an important element when giving a public talk( be it motivational or otherwise). Right at the beginning of the talk humour is an excellent tool for breaking the proverbial ice. To stand in front of a new audience with everyone wondering if this guy really has anything new or fresh to tell us, can put one under immense pressure. But once they laugh at your first attempt to make them laugh, you are suddenly able to relax. Immediately, you feel welcomed. Hereafter it is then up to the quality of your talk content, and your delivery of it, to carry you home.

                                             SOME THANK YOU's

- Bra Terrence Hlungwane( the Manager) - for the go ahead, and for bearing with my momentary shortcoming as a human being.

- ABSA staff - for being such good sport, and therefore seriously tempting me to switch to stand-up comedy.

                                            ==================

Our FEEL GOOD quote of the week:

"Einstein, perhaps the greatest scientist of the 20th century,

actually failed mathematics at school. Clearly he must have

broken out of the limiting belief that he was unsuited for 

mathematical pursuits."

JACK BLACK ( from the book - MINDSTORE)

                                             ====================

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                             ===================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU 

FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK?    

       

FNB, Eloff Street. The DDCT Tour, Part 27 - Feeling Good is All That Matters

   Such a high interest in the F-G clap I have not seen.

It was done repeatedly. And it was done at a high speed. If you snoozed you were left behind. And Elana( my chomma) with her requests for encores of the clap did not help matters. At times it felt like all I was there for was the F-G clap.

   But who am I to complain? The people had spoken. They liked the clap and therefore wanted to do it more often. And I think the Eloff Street branch staff warmed easily to the F-G clap because it made them feel good. Feeling good is the start of all achievement.

   Even if you think the whole Law of Attraction thing is woo woo stuff, you cannot argue with the fact that feeling good( through the F-G clap or by other means) is good for one's self-confidence. From feeling good on a regular basis one's self-image is boosted. I know this from experience.

   I used have a dread for public speaking. I feared even more reading in public. But these days I do these two activities with ease. And it all started with my own 'feel good' tool - the 'feel good moments' journal.

                                                 SOME THANK YOU's

-Ausi Elana( the Branch Admin Manager, and a friend.) - for giving me the platform to do my thing.

- Eloff Street branch staff - for reminding me how good the F-G clap makes one feel.

                                                 ==================

Our FEEL GOOD quote of the week:

"...it is interesting that when you confront Valley People( those
who don't have ambition ) with the idea that we must have
goals or we stand still and decay, many of them will 
aggressively deny it and insist that those who do succeed are 
either lucky or they are cheats."

JACK BLACK( from the book - MINDSTORE)

                                          =======================    

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                                ===================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU 

FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK?    

       

NEDBANK, Gandhi Square. The DDCT Tour, Part 26 - The Year(2014) To Let Go of Our Fears

   As the year begins we are all hopeful. We are all wishing that this is the year that we will finally achieve our long cherished dreams; the year in which we will break free from our shackles( read comfort zones) to grow and attain our goals.
   With this very first motivational talk that I have given in 2014, I hope that in some small way I managed to help the Nedbank staff at this branch to start the journey to their dreams.
   As I often say during the talk, the biggest challenge to realizing our dreams is fear. This fear is indicated by our resistance to let go of the familiar even if it makes us unhappy; by our unwillingness to take a risk in order to go for our dreams. But isn't this what life is all about really - to stretch ourselves to the best of our abilities and talents.
   The year 2014 is "Two Thousand For Dreams", as they popular say here in Mzansi.

                                              SOME THANK YOU's 
- Bra Chris Motsisi( the Manager) - For the permission. And for buying a copy of our 
book( Feeling Good).                                                 
- Nedbank staff( ausi Betty, ausi Nontokozo, ausi Portia et al) - For being very welcoming. 

                                           =======================

Our FEEL GOOD quote of the week:

"...those people who actually do set goals also face the difficult 
challenge of confronting the effects of breaking out of a 
Comfort Zone. Others may well laugh and ridicule them for 
daring to think they can achieve more...Others will probably
resist and may even resent you setting your goals.
YOU JUST HAVE TO GET ON WITH IT. The consequences of
not having a vision( or dream)  are ageing, decay and even 
earthly death."

Jack Black ( from the book - MINDSTORE)

                                         =====================

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                                ===================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU 

FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK?