Pat Gacutan

Making YOU the star of your show is critical. Taking care of your needs and wants helps your mental and physical health. Celebrate YOU throughout the year. Make a plan to prioritize YOU into your life!

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Creativity expression!

Learn the value and impact of adding speaking techniques to your skill set.

Speaking from the heart. Tips and techniques to successfully deliver your presentations.

I used to think that meditation was just a silly thing to do and didn’t really help until I actually gave meditation a try. It was a big adjustment at first because I found my thoughts distracted, and I was unable to just focus. The key came when I just decided to sit quietly with my eyes closed and just breathed. I gave myself 10 slow deep breaths and blowing the air out slowly as a starter. I figured if I couldn’t just take time to take 10 breaths I was too busy. What I discovered was even just taking the time to breathe deeply in quiet solitude was very beneficial. Here are the benefits I personally received by just allowing myself to sit and take 10 deep breaths. • A sense of relaxation • Calm • Refocus • Reduced stress It takes just a short amount of time to take 10 deep breaths. Trust me you are worth it. If you can’t take the time to go through a guided meditation don’t punish yourself. Give yourself the gift of 10 deep breaths and you will experience a great benefit personally and physically.

“It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” Mark Twain Being called to speak on demand is very scary for most people. Whether it is for work, in a meeting, or faced with just introducing yourself to others there are ways you can prepare for these situations and turn them into opportunities rather than a death sentence. An unprepared speaker will generally be faced with the following symptoms: • Your brain freezes • You begin to mumble or ramble • You appear as a deer-in-the-headlights • You are unable to speak in full logical sentences Trust me I have been there, however, I soon realized the value of the impromptu speech aka: • Speaking off the cuff • Spur of the moment speaking • Extemporaneous speaking With a lot of work and practice I learned the following tips that will definitely benefit your impromptu speaking. If you are surprisingly asked to speak at the last moment, here are a few tips to get you through: • Speak confidently – you will not die • Focus on your audience • Remember less is more – avoid the ramble • Have a structure to what you are delivering: o Past/present/future o Cause/effect/remedy o Before/during/after o A story that you have that is relatable and has great impact • Talk conversationally, slowly and with purpose If you can get any communication training that includes impromptu speaking definitely go for it. The value of this talent will set you a level above the rest, will instill confidence, and make you a better communicator and leader. #speaking

I experienced a successful presentation recently that made me realize how great it feels to be recognized for your efforts in demonstrating good communication techniques. I felt like I had done a good job but it wasn’t until after the event when I realized that I had an impact on others. I was approached by numerous individuals who told me they were really moved by my presentation. Wow, what a compliment. Exactly what I was hoping to achieve was realized. The power in words and how they are delivered is a skill set that needs to constantly nurtured. Sadly I have been asked to speak at several Celebrations of Life for some dear friends that I have lost. I was anxious about the presentations because it wasn’t a typical speech presentation. I was more than emotionally involved. Because of that, I found it more than difficult to prepare. My main concern was getting overly emotional during my presentation and being unable to continue. As I was preparing my notes I had a revelation. The presentations were not about me, these presentations were being prepared to do the following: • Honor a dear friend • Share treasured memories • Give legacy to a life well lived Once I came to this reality I surged forward with my preparation. I got excited about what I was going to share and couldn’t wait to let others know of their lives well lived. My presentations was on point, from the heart, and had great impact. This was exactly what I was aiming for. The accolades that followed were unexpected but richly appreciated. Celebrating my success is so rewarding. I felt like a winner and will definitely use my lessons learned from this experience again. #speaking

Wouldn’t it be great if we could just plant a seed and it would grow our sense of humor? Well since that is not available yet let me provide you with some tips on how to grow your personal funny farm. Let’s take the word LAUGH and break it down into easy digestible parts. • L ighten the load - create YOUR environment/garden of happiness o Laughter is the best medicine o Log your laughs that make you belly laugh • A cquire what seeds/needs necessary to make yourself happy o Add laughter to your daily life o Always look for things that make you happy and smile • U tilize whatever it takes to cultivate the garden o Use your positivity to make others smile o Up your game by spreading your happiness • G row those areas that will continually provide positivity in your life o Gather what you need to stay happy and positive o Get your fun file that you fill with happy, fun/funny thoughts • H arvest what you need to keep growing in a positive and fun direction o Have a plan to collect fun/funny things o Harmonize your life by always keeping a positive attitude and spreading your fun, laughter and humor with others.