Dear Friends,

Just do it!

We hear the slogan from Nike, from motivational speakers, sports stars, and the endless stream of self-help books. "But how?" is the question that keeps coming up. It seems like "just doing it" takes a mental giant, superhuman skills, and a will of steel. But all these things sound big and bad, like a construction site full of hard hats and torches.

First, be gentle with yourself. And second, allow your unconscious do the work.

Our unconscious is a treasure house of knowledge that is available with a bit of training. Some people can access it continuously, for others it takes some practice.

To get your unconscious primed let yourself procrastinate. Don't do the thing you think you must do right away. For example, if you don't want to write, don't. But when you're walking doing errands, or exercising, or playing with the dog, carry a little pad of paper just in case you have a thought you want to scribble down.

Another thing to do is to talk. Turn on the tape recorder, call a friend and chat about what you want to write. If you can't transcribe your conversations yourself give it to someone else to do. You'll have an article, a book, a press release, a book proposal or a screenplay started in no time.

For making that dreaded PR phone call, dial up a friend first. Keep him on the call and then conference in the big, bad beast--your possible rejector. Having that support before, during and after could be just the cushiness you need. Do a few more calls. Have your friend commiserate and/or congratulate you after each call.

What I found teaching the "Sound Bite System For Success" teleclasses is that nobody wanted to practice out loud. But once they did it in class and in-between classes with their sound bite buddy, the spell was broken. They were freed to try testing out new ways of practicing their material with a receptive audience. Once people let go of making it all perfect, the right words and phrases came out with just the right tone and feel.

Find someone who will be a listening board, and let your unconscious do the talking. Don't censor yourself, just allow the words to tumble off your tongue. This kind of free talking without engaging the judging mind will allow new ideas and thoughts to emerge. Keep doing it--or not, until you want to stop. Then do it just a little bit longer. That's typically when a breakthrough occurs. After that, give yourself a reward. The Dalai Lama say, "Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." And that goes for the way you treat yourself.

Warmly,

Susan

What "Queer Eye" Can Teach You About the Media

1. Show your passion.

The Queer Eye Boys are into what they do. You can tell. Their show has such a different feeling than the spin-off "Queer Eye for the Straight Girl" which lacks chemistry and authenticity. The synergy between the hosts and guests comes through when you connect to the host and audience through your passion. Things come alive. I hate that saying, "If you can't be sincere, fake it until you can." That's such a cop out.

It's like all this new veneered furniture with one thin layer of real wood masking pressboard or plywood. Yuk. Are you selling me you can't tell the difference between what is solid and what is fake? In "The Practician's Manual of Legerdemain" Ottawa Keyes says, "When it comes to the requirements for pleasing an audience, all the knowledge and instruction and apparatus in the world is worth less than one ounce of soul." Ain't it so?

2. Be cheeky.

When Carson, the head Queer Eye guy says, "Is it hot in here or is it just you?" and then almost licks some shirtless hottie blond boy we're right there with him. Yup, temperatures are rising. He makes us laugh and sweat at the same time. Loosen up a little and see what happens. Be playful. Say something a bit dangerous. Or better yet, DO something dangerous.

3. Give good tips.

After each segment the boys give their take-home tips. These are little gems that help you remember to properly tame your tangles, manage your manners, or bolt your belt at just the right angle. Provide your audience with saucy sound bites that linger so they can keep enjoying you. Give them solid ideas that they can implement asap. I've come to think that it's not the big idea but the minutiae that is most important. Take your ideas down to the smallest level of detail so they are easy for people to implement.

4. Show tangible visible results.

Visible transformations make audiences swoon. Can you do a before and after? In one show the "boys" helped a balding man who was married to his toupee give it up. His wife and his kids hadn't seen his head without the fake hair for many years. His willingness to finally be "seen" was dramatic. His transformation was both inner and outer. These kinds of transformations keep audiences spellbound. Think about how you can devise one for a show you want to be on.

5. Have fun.

What makes Queer Eye so great is that everyone has such a grand time. What good is all the publicity in the world if you dread it? M. Scott Peck says "The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." If you can let go of the outcome (no matter how important--because those are the hardest ones to let go of), you will free yourself to have a good time, anytime, anywhere, with anyone. What could be better?

Free Sound Bite Teleclass

Did you miss the "How to Become a 60 Second Sound Bite Genius" teleseminar a few weeks ago with me and personal coach Nancy Gerber?

If so, I've posted the audio of the entire 60-minute call (a gift to you) at this web page:

Get ready for a presentation, meeting or media interview.

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Submit your articles for all types of topics here. Increase your online presence quickly by sending your articles to other super sites like this one. http://www.articlesfactory.com/

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QUOTE

Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.

~ Benjamin Franklin