Shawn's Leadership Journey

http://www.powerpoetry.org/actions/5-tips-spoken-word Spoken word is written on a page but performed for an audience. It relies on a heavy use of rhythm, improvisation, rhymes, word play, and slang.  Spoken Word is writing that is meant to be read out loud. Some examples of spoken word you might be familiar with are stories, poems, monologues, slam poetry , rap and even stand-up comedy . When writing a spoken word piece use words and phrases that project onto the minds of the listeners like vivid images, sounds, actions and other sensations. If your poem is rich with imagery, your listeners will see, smell, feel and maybe even taste what you’re telling them. Here are some spoken word poems from our Power Poets. Choose a subject and have attitude . No attitude, no poem! Feelings and opinions give poetry its “richness.” Each poet has a unique perspective and view of the world that no one else has. It is important that a spoken word poem embodies the courage necessary to ...

(Mostly speeches, but for other times too!!) 1.     Address the room and always the Speaker individually ; 2.     Always indicate your evaluation is your personal opinion 3.     Face the person you are evaluating frequently during the evaluation, especially when you are emphasizing a point. 4.     If you have some special connection to the topic of the speech you are evaluating, do mention it BRIEFLY and comment BRIEFLY why it is important to you ... “I really enjoyed hearing about your trip to Ireland...my family and I went there last year , it brought back some great memories.” STOP. It is important to build rapport, but evaluators can sometime start telling their own story, especially if they don’t think the objectives of the speech were really met. They can take cover behind giving a speech of their own. Remember, you are evaluating against a set of objectives. Do it. 5.     Don’t c...

Set a goal that you have  50% likelihood of achieving.  That way, you are challenged, but it is still within your abilities. For most people, 3-5 goals are manageable. An attitude that I want to embrace is whoever has the most stories and adventures at the end of their life wins.  Live full, die empty. "Here’s the great seduction of a human life: we postpone doing what matters most until some time in the future when we hope it will all be easier." Robin Sharma My new year's resolution was to do more push-ups.  I have been keeping up with 50 push-ups per day.  Ultimately, my motivation is a stronger core and upper body, and to improve my posture.  It's also a catalyst to do something physical every day.  I often tack it on the start or end of a workout. While I'm on physical goals, I've been working on an ergometer goal (indoor rowing machine) of 3 x 500m under 1:40, with 1 min rest between each 50...

http://www.lifehack.org/638451/the-danger-of-saying-be-careful-to-children Be careful” is just too vague.  Kids need more information.  I'm guilty of this. Here are some ways to foster awareness: - Notice how ... these rocks are slippery, that branch is strong - Do you see ... the poison ivy, your friends nearby? - Try moving ... your feet carefully, quickly, strongly - Try using your hands, arms - Can you hear.. the rushing water, the singing birds? - Do you feel ... stable on that rock, the heat from the fire? - Are you feeling... scared, excited, tired, safe? Help them problem solve: - What's your plan ... if you climb that boulder, cross that log? - What can you use .. to get across, for your adventure? - Where will you ... put that rock, dig that hole? - How will you.. get down, get across? - Who will ... be with you, go with you, help you if? Help them see situations from different angles and get them to focus on less negative outcomes.  We...

I would say that my best advice has been to be different .  Moving to a new place is never easy, especially when you can stay put and continue with the status quo.   When I think back to the decisions I made--going to Queen's University, taking a 16-month internship in Toronto, taking a 6-month work term in Thunder Bay--they are some of my best experiences and really shaped the course of my life.  However, I would have missed out if I continued on the same path as someone else.  Take on life with an adventurous spirit. “make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, b...

I had the privilege of hearing Chairman Wayne Emmerson speak to our Toastmasters group on Jan 24th about his experience in Politics.  What stuck with me is that he lost the first two times he ran for Mayor, but he persisted.  Also, he spoke genuinely about how public servants have the biggest impact on people's lives every day. Some other takeaways:   ·          “The hardest part of the job is getting elected.” ·          Think big picture: “I can lose a battle in council, but I’ve got to win the war.” ·          The biggest (and most challenging) part of the job is keeping Council going in the same direction (think reining in a team of thoroughbred race horses…) ·          Don’t “waffle” – make a decision and stick to it (note: this is backed up by academic research – not making a decision ...