http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/tigoree/23394 Watch this entire 25 minute long video! Three points to be made about this video - 1 - Nervousness and other problems with speaking in public can (and will) be overcome by passion for the subject and telling a personal story.&nbsp; It doesn't matter what your problems with speaking are, you can engage people in any setting through passionate story telling!&nbsp; This concept is SO important because public speaking is SO important.&nbsp; Public speaking is NOT a talent that only a few possess, but a skill that is necessarily learned to communicate concepts that you are passionate about. I have been told that I am a good public speaker, so take my advice - speak about what you know and what you love.&nbsp; Allow yourself to be vulnerable during the process. Do these things and you will be considered a good public speaker.&nbsp; If you are a good public speaker, incredible doors to influence others are open to you. 2 - Read point number 1 again, but this time, replace the word (and its forms) &quot;speak&quot; with the word &quot;write&quot;. 3 - Find your way as a community member and talented individual to make an impact on students at your local school.&nbsp; Be inspired by this video and take action with others. Follow up Website - http://onceuponaschool.org/ Watch this entire 25 minute long video! Three points to be made about this video - 1 - Nervousness and other problems with speaking in public can (and will) be overcome by passion for the subject and telling a personal story.&nbsp; It doesn't matter what your problems with speaking are, you can engage people in any setting through passionate story telling!&nbsp; This concept is SO important because public speaking is SO important.&nbsp; Public speaking is NOT a talent that only a few possess, but a skill that is necessarily learned to communicate concepts that you are passionate about. I have been told that I am a good public speaker, so take my advice - speak about what you know and what you love.&nbsp; Allow yourself to be vulnerable during the process. Do these things and you will be considered a good public speaker.&nbsp; If you are a good public speaker, incredible doors to influence others are open to you. 2 - Read point number 1 again, but this time, replace the word (and its forms) &quot;speak&quot; with the word &quot;write&quot;. 3 - Find your way as a community member and talented individual to make an impact on students at your local school.&nbsp; Be inspired by this video and take action with others. Follow up Website - http://onceuponaschool.org/ en-us <p>I haven't watched the video yet, but wow... you make some excellent points.</p> <p>As a longtime writer, who has taken a course or two in creative writing, one of my best lessons was to &quot;write what I know.&quot;&nbsp; As an adopted child, I wrote a story once describing what it is like being an adopted person (and having natural children of my own). I also described what it was like to find the people who gave me up for adoption (I won a contest with it!). The point is that it is uniquely MY story, and thus, no one can tell it better than ME.&nbsp; THAT'S WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT CITIZEN JOURNALISM!&nbsp; </p> <p><i>The Northwest Voice</i> is a citizen/community journalism newspaper that gives people a place to tell THEIR own stories and share what is important to them.&nbsp; No one tells it better than the person it happened to, and we are just the medium that helps people share their stories.</p> <p>Excellent post, Tim.&nbsp; I just continue to love my job more and more.</p> <p>~d.</p> http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/tigoree/23394/#c_215986 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/tigoree/23394/#c_215986 <p>I haven't watched the video yet, but wow... you make some excellent points.</p> <p>As a longtime writer, who has taken a course or two in creative writing, one of my best lessons was to &quot;write what I know.&quot;&nbsp; As an adopted child, I wrote a story once describing what it is like being an adopted person (and having natural children of my own). I also described what it was like to find the people who gave me up for adoption (I won a contest with it!). The point is that it is uniquely MY story, and thus, no one can tell it better than ME.&nbsp; THAT'S WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT CITIZEN JOURNALISM!&nbsp; </p> <p><i>The Northwest Voice</i> is a citizen/community journalism newspaper that gives people a place to tell THEIR own stories and share what is important to them.&nbsp; No one tells it better than the person it happened to, and we are just the medium that helps people share their stories.</p> <p>Excellent post, Tim.&nbsp; I just continue to love my job more and more.</p> <p>~d.</p> <p>&nbsp;<span style="font-size: larger"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS">WOW!&nbsp; What an amazing concept!&nbsp; He is a&nbsp;<b><i>GREAT </i></b>speaker without acutally being a&nbsp;&quot;great&quot; speaker!&nbsp; Passion clearly drove his story and I was teary when he was done.&nbsp; It left me wondering one thing...Would I rather go and be a pirate in S.F. or a super hero in N.Y.???&nbsp; Either way, I'm very motivated by his words, wisdom, ideas, and his passion.&nbsp; Thanks Tim for sharing this and bringing it to my attention. </span><span style="color: #ff0000"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS">Tara</span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/tigoree/23394/#c_217844 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/tigoree/23394/#c_217844 <p>&nbsp;<span style="font-size: larger"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS">WOW!&nbsp; What an amazing concept!&nbsp; He is a&nbsp;<b><i>GREAT </i></b>speaker without acutally being a&nbsp;&quot;great&quot; speaker!&nbsp; Passion clearly drove his story and I was teary when he was done.&nbsp; It left me wondering one thing...Would I rather go and be a pirate in S.F. or a super hero in N.Y.???&nbsp; Either way, I'm very motivated by his words, wisdom, ideas, and his passion.&nbsp; Thanks Tim for sharing this and bringing it to my attention. </span><span style="color: #ff0000"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS">Tara</span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;I know that there are two BIG barriers to actually watching the video that I linked to - you have to click on the link, and you have to spend 25 minutes of your time.&nbsp; Let me encourage ALL who read this blog - click the link and take the time.</p> <p>There are two important things that are missing in schools that are not achieving to their fullest today - parent involvment and community involvment.&nbsp; This video speaks directly to these things and inspires the community to act.</p> <p>PLEASE watch the video - you won't be sorry - you will be inspired!</p> <p>-Tim</p> http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/tigoree/23394/#c_218033 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/tigoree/23394/#c_218033 <p>&nbsp;I know that there are two BIG barriers to actually watching the video that I linked to - you have to click on the link, and you have to spend 25 minutes of your time.&nbsp; Let me encourage ALL who read this blog - click the link and take the time.</p> <p>There are two important things that are missing in schools that are not achieving to their fullest today - parent involvment and community involvment.&nbsp; This video speaks directly to these things and inspires the community to act.</p> <p>PLEASE watch the video - you won't be sorry - you will be inspired!</p> <p>-Tim</p>