Inexperienced speakers HATE the idea of “dead air” when they have command of an audience.  Why are so many of us so afraid of silence? Perhaps we fear the audience will consider us inept, or not in control of our material.  Perhaps we  think silence will reveal our little secret–that butterflies are skydiving in our stomachs and that we would rather be any place […]

For many, many people, the prospect of writing a thank-you note is a chore to be approached with dread. Why is this particular form of social grace considered so difficult a job to accomplish? I suspect because, just as in speech writing, you are required to actually apply butt to chair and examine your feelings. […]

I recently moved house. For some people, not a big deal. Especially when you are young and starting out, transferring from rental to rental, maybe increasing your space, and perhaps eventually settling on being a home or condo or townhouse owner. For me….huge deal! Thirty-four years in one place. The home where my husband and […]