“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.”
— Decouvertes
A designer knows he has achieved perfection, not when there is nothing left to add,
but when there is nothing left to take away.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Can you whittle your speech or presentation down to that level of perfection?
“Life is a narrative that you have a hand in writing.”
— Henriette Anne Klauser
A designer knows he has achieved perfection, not when there is nothing left to add,
but when there is nothing left to take away.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
The virtue of all achievement is victory over oneself. Those who know this can never know defeat.
A. J. Cronin
It’s been a long time since I read A.J. Cronin. Nice to see this quote just in memory of enjoying his books. Regarding this particular piece – I certainly believe it applies to achieving mastery and certainly mastery of public speaking. We overcome nerves, we develop “muscle memory” through rehearsal, we learn to interact with an audience rather than just speak at them, and so much more. What has been your greatest victory over yourself in becoming a speaker?
“Vague and mysterious forms of speech, and abuse of language, have so long passed for mysteries of science; and hard or misapplied words with little or no meaning have, by prescription, such a right to be mistaken for deep learning and height of specu”
John Locke
“The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.”
Pearl S. Buck
… and it applies as well to public speaking as it does to any other kind of “work”. I like to call it mastery and it’s a great feeling.
“Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones tend to take care of themselves.”
Dale Carnegie
The will to win is important. But the will to prepare is vital.
— Joe Paterno
I saw this quote somewhere else and thought it was good. I’m not American or into sport here in my own country, let alone in other countries, so didn’t realise who I was quoting. Thanks for the comment, Richard. In no way do I support Joe, the man, but I have to leave the quote there because it is so true. As I said … “And sometimes, in public speaking, (as, no doubt, in sport, we need to be reminded of the vital connection!!)”
“Here is a thought that is eccentric and divine, and that one day might save your life: happiness needs no reason!”
– Robert Holden, Ph.D.
