“Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.” – Thomas Wayne I have enjoyed the following two pastimes for a number of years: Stand-up comedy. Running. If I ever had a bad gig as a stand-up comic (it happened), I was desperate to get the next gig under my belt, […]

About a year after I started doing stand-up comedy, while doing a 5 minute spot, I achieved flow, (or as it’s also known, ‘the zone’). Here’s how wikipedia describes flow:‘Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and

Control. It’s probably the most important thing that you’ll learn in your life, particularly control over your fear and your anger. And yes, controlling your fear is essential for good public speaking. But don’t try to control the events that happen around you. You’ll achieve control with rehearsal and experience, through which you’ll start to gain a

Here’s how to be brilliant: try hanging out with some other people, brilliant or otherwise. Richard Hall, in his excellent (or perhaps that should be brilliant) book ‘Brilliant Presentation: What the Best Presenters Know, Say and Do’ writes: ‘Brilliance lies in pubs and shops, not desks. This is a serious point. People working with other people

Watch this TED talk by Ken Robinson if you have the time (it’s 19 and a half minutes). It’s informative, entertaining and inspiring, and is the kind of thing I aspire to deliver. Here’s what I think are the most important aspects that you can learn from it: He knows the subject. He’s passionate about