BLOG ARTICLES BY AMY
5 Bits of Advice to Avoid If You Want to Overcome Public Speaking Anxiety
Some people say that public speaking is one of the top things people fear. In fact, these same people say that most of us would rather get root canal or be audited by the IRS than to have to give a speech. I don’t know if I agree people would rather face an IRS audit, […]
5 Ways to Stop Being Your Own Worst Critic
Let’s face it, the world is a critical place. Television shows’ “humor” is based on personal attacks and put-downs. Most reality television is based on people being rejected on every level from love to singing talent. Even in our homes and workplaces, the ratio of negative feedback we receive from others (and give to others) to positive feedback is incredibly disproportionate. […]
A Little Enthusiasm Please: 10 Reasons Why You Should Be More Enthusiastic
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. — Ralph Waldo Emerson On the morning of the presidential inauguration, as I was getting my first cup of coffee, my phone rang. It was my daughter. The first thing I noticed was that she was awfully chipper for a college student who was up at 7:30 a.m. […]
How to Start a Conversation: 5 Easy Techniques That Will Work In Any Situation
In last week’s post concerning office holiday party behavior, one of the recommendations was to engage at the party– to put yourself out there and get to know some new people. However, many people hesitate to do this because they just don’t know how to start a conversation. Here are some tips for striking up a conversation with […]
25 Things I’m Thankful For This Thanksgiving… In Two Minutes
This isn’t going to be one of those well-thought-out lists of profound things for which we all should be grateful. I wanted to find out, when put under time pressure, what really comes to my mind when I ask myself, “What am I thankful for?” So here goes… 1. Friends I can count on 2. […]
Three Steps to Prioritizing Your Daily Activities
Any time management article will suggest that you “prioritize,” but many of us don’t really know how to do that. It seems everything is a priority. We try the “A,B,C,1,2,3,” method, but everything seems to be A1, leaving us right back where we started. Here are three simple steps to prioritize your daily activities (your […]
10 Lessons for Living Life NOW
My best friend’s mother, Mary Joy Brooks, died on October 4th after a more than 11 year battle with stage four metastatic breast cancer. It was a miracle really that she survived as long as she did. However, I think she outlived the grim statistics because of the way she viewed her illness and how […]
Do People Resist Your Requests? Here’s Why
When it comes to things they don’t want to do, people generally don’t go quietly. They passively or actively resist, question, argue, and sometimes get angry. Even if they never open their mouths, they’re likely thinking, “I don’t have to do anything! Just watch me!” Whether speaking to a customer, an employee, or to a child, beginning with, “You’ll […]
The Practical Communication Blog is On Vacation
If you’re shocked, appalled, or offended, please read last week’s blog post… again. We’ll be back next week!