Sue's Invitation
What a year! Gosh have we ever experienced quite such turbulence in the state of world. Although having said that I have been watching some of the video footage of the war years and we have had it lightly by comparison. Nevertheless I imagine many of you have experienced far reaching change.
So now is the time to be inspired and to up your game in the way that you inspire others. And what better place to explore that than with some very inspiring people who achieve against the odds in all contexts of work and life. You will be challenged, supported, listened to and given time for just you in a way that will make a difference for you wherever you are… Join us…
And for me…
If you ask me where I live now, my answer is France even though I do spend time in the UK. And India has rapidly and intoxicatingly become our second home. We have been there for 3 months this winter having also run a training in the Himalayas in June last year. Our programmes in France are a huge success with me training and Spence cooking. Just take a sneak look at his menus …
And a huge part of last year was the final preparation of the 3rd edition of NLP at Work – my book launch was on November 10th 2009.
There has been sad news too with illnesses and deaths of close friends and colleagues.
And I think that it is key that we celebrate and learn to connect and reconnect with the way that we celebrate talent and success. I have run similar days before and they are wonderful events that showcase just some of the amazing talents of the people in our community of NLPers.
So I am holding an Inspire Day on July 15th 2010. A full day party at Bix Manor in Henley on Thames. The charge for the day is £95 plus VAT.
What will the day include?
Meet up for breakfast of croissants and coffee, fruit
A rousing introduction
An update from me
A keynote session from Cheryl Sklan (stroke recoverer)
A palate of sessions to choose from including...
-
Esteemed and illuminated alumni - lend me your evidently effective eyes for a mere moment of your time, to read about what good speaking sounds like.
I simply cannot fathom why public speaking is so feared, when it is so intrinsic to our evolution as a species. Surely chainsaw accidents and undead clowns should be feared more than the opportunity to have your voice heard. But no, the act which defines whether you're a shepherd or a sheeple is more feared than the event which ends your life. Well listen well: You're going to die, and you're probably going to have to speak to people a few times before that happens.
Your Voice Coach
For most people, voice goes far beyond the surface structure of 'how you sound' right down to what you are. If effective speaking (publicly and privately) doesn't interest you, then perhaps you ought go live with the Bonobo monkey, they can write symbols and use sign language and they get plenty of sex without the pesky intrusion of spoken words in their lives.
Unlike the Bonobo, I enjoy sharing my ideas vocally from time to time - for purposes that go beyond (but do not exclude) finding a sexual partner or twelve.
Some people enjoy sharing their thoughts, but seem to just run out of steam at the end of their sentences, gradually losing confidence in their own ideas, and end up making their long, rambling thought seem like a question, with an upward inflection, know what I mean?
Sure, perhaps some people do have ideas that need validation and should sound interrogative - maybe if you're suggesting no-underwear-Mondays you really ought run that by the legal team and HR before mailing out the newsletter.
But some people (and this may not be you) have original thoughts and engaging arguments and appealing ideas that really do deserve to be heard. Many of those people use the same voice for their 'no-underwear-Monday' ideas as they do when giving a presentation on the virtues of their agenda for corporate social responsibility. As a result they just sound like a confused hippie that can't afford underwear. I never sound like a hippie, they're too quiet unless they're whacked on Ketamine.
Some people even go further, and can sound authoritative, original and righteous on any topic, even when they're completely out of their depth and ought be drowning in their own bullshit. Some people are just like that. It's probably a genetic thing.
If you'd like to find that voice that suits you, that gets you whatever you want, whether that be crazy Bonobo sex, respect, love, understanding, a call to action, enlightenment or just have the waitress bring you that damn glass of water you keep asking for (Ashok); perhaps you should work on it.
You could talk to yourself in the shower - but I think that feedback helps steer you away from sounding like the dude that introduces boxers, and gears you up for the invigorating experience of standing in front of a group of people to find that you will actually enjoy speaking to them, and they'll actually enjoy listening to your crazy ideas.
I'm a Bollywood actor, voice artist and provocative voice coach, and I'm coming to Sue's Alumni to entertain myself at your expense. The courses I run do little more than titillate me mildly, and I assure you that you will get nothing from them. Don't let this writing fool you, I had a room full of monkeys type it for me; I'm not funny and nor are my courses. See you somewhere else!
- African drumming—Sewabeats
Drumming with Sewabeats
- Story Telling, An NLP Discovery—Susan Adams
“With the pressures of daily life we take so much for granted such that we
overlook the things that are so readily available to us –
we have all the resources we need! On my NLP journey I was
challenged to take stock and really explore the benefits of my
experience. I had lots of ideas, but my early thoughts fell aside
when I discovered something so close to home that is so powerful
that I could use it to my advantage. Not only that, I could pass
on this discovery to so many others. What I found was the art of
Story Telling.Our everyday conversations are full of stories. Our dialogues and discussions feature little vignettes; we highlight our ideas by illustrating our points with stories. Here’s the exciting bit - if this is something we do already, how good would it be if we could do this in such a way that we immediately get the attention and engagement of those around us? The applications are endless; we can use these skills in social conversations, promoting our business ideas, bringing a presentation to life, or just being able to enjoy telling a tale. I am happy and excited to share my discoveries about story telling at the Alumni event and to find out more about how you tell your stories too.” -
How NLP Set People Free To Deliver Great Results at Cougar Automation
Real people at Cougar Automation
“When I was introduced to Sue’s book ‘NLP at Work’ back in 2004 I had no idea of the dramatic difference that Sue would come to have on my life and my work. At the time I was running a struggling engineering business. Now, some 5 years later that same engineering business, Cougar Automation, wins national awards for customer service and being a great place to work. What changed? It is clear to me that my NLP journey with Sue was an essential part of this transformation. In this session I will share how my NLP experiences have completely changed my approach to business and how I now see my role as a leader.”Clive Hutchinson - Throw me a Frickin’
Bone—Martin Jones
You might have seen Martin's great article in the last newsletter Easy on a Sunday morning. He will be talking about Hypothetical NLP and taking the opportunity to launch his book HNLP‑at‑Work‑Rather‑Than‑That‑Stuff‑The‑Old‑Scouse‑Bird‑is‑Re‑hashing‑Yet‑Again.
- Web design – How to Communicate
Effectively Online—Graham Bower
“Take a look at one of your favourite
websites. Are the links mostly
blue and underlined? If they are, then it's a safe bet that the
company is run by techies. If the links are not blue, and not
underlined, then the company is probably run by marketing people.
Take a look at the navigation on a business site that you
regularly use. Does it reflect the structure of the company, or
the applications and benefits of the products? The former tells
us that it's an inwardly focused organisation, whilst the latter
tells us that it is customer focussed. The decisions that we make
in commissioning or designing a website say a lot about how we
think, and how our organisations are structured. As NLP raises
our awareness of the richness of non-verbal communication, so
good web design is not only about what you say online, but also
about the way that you say it. Graham Bower offers a personal
perspective on how to commission and design effective websites,
that draws on his 15 year experience in the digital industry,
running a successful web design and marketing
business.” - The Power of Thought in Cancer
Recovery—Graham Bower
“Two years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery and chemotherapy. In ways that I couldn't possibly have anticipated at the time, this experience set me on a journey that would fundamentally change my life for the better. It forced me to focus on my thinking, and take responsibility for my own state of mind. As a result, I explored new approaches to my life, like NLP, meditation and fitness. This journey was so key to my new found happiness, that I'm actually glad I had cancer. It has made me a better person. The power of positive thought is an essential tool for any cancer survivor. In this talk, I'd like to share the strategies for maintaining a positive mindset that I learnt from many wise and brave people as I underwent treatment.”
- A Life in an
Hour—Steve Hedley
Steve Hedley will be talking about the work he does with Trinity Homeless Projects
Sam came into the room looking very depressed; head down, slouching in the chair, she communicated in single begrudging words. This was Sam’s appeal against an Eviction Notice served two weeks earlier for rent arrears and missing her Keywork appointments, and she didn’t want to be there.
Sam is 17 years old and has already been evicted from two hostels. She is in debt to drug dealers and is at risk of abuse and prostitution.
It was obvious to me that the issues were not rent and missing appointments, and I determined for myself an outcome for Sam in the space and time we had.
“Why are we here?”
“Are you going to kick me out?”
“I don’t know, this is what we are going to discuss”
“Just tell me if I’m getting kicked out”
“I can’t, I don’t know”
“How did you come to be at the hostel?”
Sam only wanted to know one thing, but I was convinced I needed to hold her in this space, I had a need to try as hard as I could to help Sam as the consequences of Sam’s choices were extremely grave. I mirrored her body language, took notice of her entire state. I paced her speech and tone and used clean questions to move the conversation along, all in an effort to build rapport. As we spoke about her family and experiences, her emotions flowed and I used humour and light provocative coaching to ease the experience. After a time Sam had lifted her head and, through tears, was making sustained eye contact with me. Sam had begun to engage and to be in the moment. After a short break (for Sam to smoke a cigarette), I invited Sam to take part in an activity called Time Line. At this stage, through the rapport being built, I felt Sam trusted me. She agreed willingly.
The eviction appeal was upheld with a review in a month. I have met with Sam twice since then. Her repayment plan is up to date, she is meeting with her Keyworker, she has removed herself from people who were not helping her and she has enrolled in college to study flower arranging to become a florist.
Let me tell you about John, Tony, …
You may or may not know anyone who is homeless but there will nevertheless be a 'Sam' in your life. How do you deal with them in a way that makes a difference in the world? Come along and explore. -
Transformational Breathing—Doug Manuel
Doug Manuel
Most of us use just 20% of our breathing capacity. Our breath is life force (esoteric and spiritual practices have for years recognized this fact), so if we breathe fully using our entire respiratory system, we gain access to physical, mental and spiritual dimensions that we are quite simply born to experience. The benefits of Transformational Breathing are many: it increases oxygenation throughout the body, improves energy levels, stimulates circulation, clears past traumas and dramas, reduces anxiety and worry, and improves well being for many conditions and ailments such as stress reduction, respiratory ailments, headaches, low energy, psychosomatic illnesses, anaerobic diseases, and many others. Transformational Breathing uses a conscious relaxed breath to help access layers of our subconscious and facilitate improved well-being, inner peace and greater joy in life. Come and experience this for yourself! - And…
-
Esteemed and illuminated alumni - lend me your evidently effective eyes for a mere moment of your time, to read about what good speaking sounds like.
I simply cannot fathom why public speaking is so feared, when it is so intrinsic to our evolution as a species. Surely chainsaw accidents and undead clowns should be feared more than the opportunity to have your voice heard. But no, the act which defines whether you're a shepherd or a sheeple is more feared than the event which ends your life. Well listen well: You're going to die, and you're probably going to have to speak to people a few times before that happens.
Your Voice Coach
For most people, voice goes far beyond the surface structure of 'how you sound' right down to what you are. If effective speaking (publicly and privately) doesn't interest you, then perhaps you ought go live with the Bonobo monkey, they can write symbols and use sign language and they get plenty of sex without the pesky intrusion of spoken words in their lives.
Unlike the Bonobo, I enjoy sharing my ideas vocally from time to time - for purposes that go beyond (but do not exclude) finding a sexual partner or twelve.
Some people enjoy sharing their thoughts, but seem to just run out of steam at the end of their sentences, gradually losing confidence in their own ideas, and end up making their long, rambling thought seem like a question, with an upward inflection, know what I mean?
Sure, perhaps some people do have ideas that need validation and should sound interrogative - maybe if you're suggesting no-underwear-Mondays you really ought run that by the legal team and HR before mailing out the newsletter.
But some people (and this may not be you) have original thoughts and engaging arguments and appealing ideas that really do deserve to be heard. Many of those people use the same voice for their 'no-underwear-Monday' ideas as they do when giving a presentation on the virtues of their agenda for corporate social responsibility. As a result they just sound like a confused hippie that can't afford underwear. I never sound like a hippie, they're too quiet unless they're whacked on Ketamine.
Some people even go further, and can sound authoritative, original and righteous on any topic, even when they're completely out of their depth and ought be drowning in their own bullshit. Some people are just like that. It's probably a genetic thing.
If you'd like to find that voice that suits you, that gets you whatever you want, whether that be crazy Bonobo sex, respect, love, understanding, a call to action, enlightenment or just have the waitress bring you that damn glass of water you keep asking for (Ashok); perhaps you should work on it.
You could talk to yourself in the shower - but I think that feedback helps steer you away from sounding like the dude that introduces boxers, and gears you up for the invigorating experience of standing in front of a group of people to find that you will actually enjoy speaking to them, and they'll actually enjoy listening to your crazy ideas.
I'm a Bollywood actor, voice artist and provocative voice coach, and I'm coming to Sue's Alumni to entertain myself at your expense. The courses I run do little more than titillate me mildly, and I assure you that you will get nothing from them. Don't let this writing fool you, I had a room full of monkeys type it for me; I'm not funny and nor are my courses. See you somewhere else!
Plus, of course, a great Bix lunch and the opportunity to meet for dinner later in one of the local Hostelleries.
We have always had more applicants than places for these events so we are taking bookings on a first come first served basis. If you are in time to get a place we will ask for a £50 deposit (plus VAT will be £57.50) to confirm your booking.
I hope to see you there.
Love, Sue