Chapter 15 Chapter 2 Successful Challenges——Good eloquence wins with a good mentality

I got down on my knees—and this is not an exaggeration—begging my students to come out of their shy turtle shells and see for themselves.As long as they are willing to come out, the world will warmly welcome them.I admit it takes time, but it's worth it. Believe it or not, there are only four ways we interact with the world.We evaluate, categorize, in terms of these four contacts: what we do, what we look like, what we say, and how we say it.This chapter is about the last item: how we say it. At the beginning of my public speaking courses, I spent a considerable amount of time training vocal exercises, teaching students how to use resonance, training them to increase their volume, and to increase the lightness and livelyness of the end.However, it was soon discovered that it is completely useless to teach adults how to adjust their pitch and how to form a "transparent" voice.These exercises are indeed a good way for those who can spend three or four years to improve their vocal expression skills.But I know that my students can only use their natural voices. If the time and energy used to assist students in practicing "diaphragmatic breathing" are spent on a more important goal-helping them die Freed from the self-imprisonment I do, I get amazing results very fast and long lasting.Thank God I was so smart to do this!

There are several courses in my curriculum designed to relieve the formality and nervousness of adults.I got down on my knees—and this is not an exaggeration—begging my students to come out of their shy turtle shells and see for themselves.As long as they are willing to come out, the world will warmly welcome them.I admit it takes time, but it's worth it.As French Marshal Foch said about the art of war: "The concept is extremely simple. Unfortunately, the execution is very complicated and difficult." Rigidity is the biggest stumbling block, not only physically, but also psychologically.It becomes more stubborn with age.

It takes repeated practice to speak naturally and fluently in front of the audience, which is not easy, and the actors can understand it best.But when you're a kid, let's say 4 years old, you might be able to get on the podium and speak brilliantly!But what happens when you turn 24, or 45?Can you still have the unknowing naturalness of 4 years old?It is possible, but most likely it will be reserved, reserved, and rigid, and like a turtle, it will quickly withdraw into its shell. The point of instructing adults to make speeches is not to add any characteristics to them, but to help them remove obstacles and achieve instinct like conditioned reflex.

I don't know how many times I have had to interrupt their speeches to ask them to "speak like a human being".I don't know how many nights I've tried to train my students to speak naturally, and I've come home mentally and nervously exhausted.Believe me, this job is easier said than done. I had students act out parts of the dialogue, and some of them were terrified that they looked like idiots, but while they were acting, they felt fine.And I was amazed at the acting ability shown by others.I mean, once you're comfortable in front of a crowd, there's no going back.Can express their opinions in a normal way, whether to superiors or in front of the general public.

You suddenly find that this kind of freedom is like a bird coming out of a cage and soaring high.You know why people flock to the theater, to the cinema?Because there they can see their companions perform freely, and there they can see people frankly expressing their true feelings.