Archive for September 29th, 2010

The Speechless Speech at InRule

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010 by annemarie

This Friday I had the priviledge of presenting a Speechless Speech at a Client conference for InRule Technology,Inc. Paul Hessinger the CEO, had contacted me after the WGN spot aired this summer and set me up as a suprise for his employees and Client guests. The theme of the day was communication, so I dusted off the Speech on Powerful Speaking and Happiness and customized the acknowledgment exercise for his key client services staff. Early in the morning…as luck would have it- a rainy morning and even though I left myself plenty of time …the lack of cab service made me late…I HATE being late, in fact I make a big point of it in my speech ~ about how your credibility is damaged when you are late… Yeah well I was set back on my heels a bit by being late- not late for the speech mind you- just late as to when I had promised to be there 90 mins before. Blech.

However I felt on the inside it apparently had no impact on the presentation, as the feedback was great and again I am certain this format of a Speechless Speech touches something profound in people. They remember what I “said” their reaction is more than it would be if I clearly spoke the same words as I stood before them. I think it has something to do with ” well if she’s not complaining about THAT, then why am I complaining about THIS…” type of comparison. Whatever the hook is I’ll take it! Here’s some of the feedback:

I have to say I was moved by your message, you definitely got my attention. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m going to embrace your tips on not only communication, but on my goals and in what I want to help me further. The only problem for me is that I’m stubborn in my ways so I’ll have to review your advice repeatedly to ingrain it my spontaneous conduct.

Finally, I overheard from some clients that they were similarly affected by your presentation like I was. I’m sure that Friday’s meeting will change the habits and patterns of quite a few people. Thank you again for being a part of our meeting.
Sincerely,
Jeff Enzinger

Afterglow still abounds from your contribution -SO many people were touched, beyond words.
Paul R Hessinger
Chief Executive Officer
InRule Technology, Inc.

Anne Marie,-I very much appreciated your presentation today at InRule’s meeting. Congratulations; you have certainly found your voice. I was transfixed by your words. I wish you all the best. Know that you have touched my life and I am better for it. Thank you. Best regards
John R. Rymer | VP, Principal Analyst
Forrester Research, Inc.

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Thursday night I fell…now I’m standing on shaky ground

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010 by annemarie

I haven’t fallen in over 6 months, mostly due to how I manage my rest and avoid over extending myself. Unfortunately I had a few more appointments than usual this week, including one that I showed up for that didn’t happen…and I was just pissed at myself for not reconfirming ahead of time! And I was feeling a bit overextended. Couple that with a schedule shift on Thursday and a speech early on friday…and I was POOPED after my thurdays massage. So I walked into my home and with in 5 minutes did a faceplant into the carpet! Complete with rug burns on my face, under my left eye. UGH.

I felt my neck crack as I hit the ground …I hit the floor with my right knee and left cheekbone and temple and for the 1st time thought “I wonder if it’s time for life alert?” I had had my phone in my hand so it was near me, and as I did a mental checklist feeling my body from the inside out to see if there was a serious injury…all I can think of is “If I have to go to the emergency room I’m gonna have a helluva time getting up and ready for my speech tomorrow morning”. After I realized I was shaken but not broken, I calmed down and rested on the couch before going to bed early. I put my thoughts and concerns aside to be dealt with after my speech on friday.

As I’ll blog about later the speech went great ( other than being late due to rain and a dirth of cabs at 7:30 am), however my mindset took a nose dive into the abyss over the weekend. I found myself being lethargic and completely stopped regarding my productivity as well as hyper-emotional. I slept a good portion of the weekend and my ability to focus has been disrupted by a concern and mourning the death of my independence. The emotional impact of not feeling safe at home in my sanctuary drained me. “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up…” almost happened to me. BLECH.

It’s time for a shower chair, a further abbreviated schedule and seriously curbing the number of meetings I’m taking. So- I combined a training class with another course in session to free up Mondays again. I’m back to a sacred 3 day weekend. I feel like I’m a yo-yo: one step forward 2 steps back…and pushing myself is getting me no where. I’ve been faking it til I make it all week. It’s time to re group to re-re-re-prioritize. It’s odd to be talking to others about expanding their capacities and structuring their lives to handle more activity while experiencing a shrinking world myself. This constant retreat is a pain in my attitude.

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