Speak From Your Heart

When you think back to a conversation, presentation or performance that was truly memorable, chances are it also touched your heart.  And it touched your heart because the speaker was willing to speak from theirs.

It takes courage to show up and share your authentic self with others, whether you’re having a conversation with one person, or speaking to an assembled group.  But it’s this willingness to be courageous that separates good speakers from great speakers.

The word “Courage,” interestingly enough, comes from the French word, “coeur,” which means “heart.”  A typical definition of courage, taken from the Macmillan Dictionary, is “the ability to do something that you know is right or good, even though it is dangerous, frightening, or very difficult.”    Now add to that new definition this, more archaic one: Courage is the act of speaking from your heart.

Speaking from your heart– saying what you feel, mean, or know is right even though it’s risky or scary– is vital to meaningful, memorable conversations and presentations. Some people do it regularly.  Some people avoid it like the plague.  How about you? Do you have the courage to speak from your heart?  How willing are you to look someone in the eye and say what you really mean?  How willing are you to connect with another being, with your eyes and with your heart, and say the thing you know is right, or the thing you know is difficult, or the thing that makes you more vulnerable and therefore more human and accessible?

Speaking from your heart requires you to be genuine, and utterly present. It requires that you be in a relaxed, breathing body, free of emotional or physical armor.  It requires that you share a part of yourself that means something to you… a personal story, perhaps, that allows the listener to step closer, to understand you on a deeper level.

Why settle for tickling the surface of your words and your presentations when you can speak from your heart and create a moment that goes deep and makes a difference?  Remember, when you speak from your heart, it encourages others to do the same in return, catalyzing real, lasting connection.

SOURCE: http://abecssbr.com/ann-arbor/ann-arbor-2011/guest-columns-ann-arbor-201...