MEN: What to get HER for Valentine’s Day!
Valentine's Day| No Comments »MEN: What to get HER for Valentine’s Day!
Time to start PLANNING AHEAD this year!
As your wallet may be a little thinner than in the past, you want to think it through earlier this season, invest wisely in special gifts that won’t go to her HIPS, but to her HEART.
Whether getting something for your sweetheart, dear Mother, or hard-working colleague, boss, or valued client…. people are looking for something with SIGNIFICANCE today… things with meaning and greater VALUE than ever before.
As much as I will admit my love of chocolate…. the indulgence is short-lived… and straight past the lips and on to the hips… no thanks! Women want things that LAST. Give her something she will always cherish — and think of YOU when she sees it! And get this — it doesn’t have to cost much!
GIFT SUGGESTIONS:
For your Sweetheart, Daughter, Sister, Mother:
Heart of a Woman… an inspirational gift book of original short stories, quotations and poems that rekindle her spirit, tickle her funny bone, and touch her soul.
What a wonderful way to say I love you to that special woman in your life.
—Greg Godek
Author of 1001 Ways To Be Romantic
Heart of a Woman celebrates the strength, humor, love and intuition–of women of all ages. She will delight in cherished classics, personal favorites and recent writings from Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil, Maya Angelou, Bill Cosby, Louise Hay, Marianne Williamson and more. Chapters include: Ageless Living, Art, A Woman’s Intuition, Challenges, Chocolate, Daughters, Faith, Falling in Love, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Gratitude, Health, Learning to Love Yourself, Love, Marriage, Men!, Military Relationships, Mothers, Music, Nature, Parenting, Passion, Patriotism, Pets, Prayer, Prosperity, Sisters, Teenagers, Women in History, Worthiness…
As women, we live very busy and complicated lives and this book has a way of making everything in our lives, and hearts, make sense. I have laughed and cried while reading it! I imagine when I’m done reading it, I will read it all over again. I love it so much that I am ordering another one for my mother-in-law, just because. Thank you for putting together this wonderful collection of stories, quotes, etc.; it has touched my heart! —Brook H., Amazon.com review
Heart of a Woman is now eloquently available in Spanish: Corazon de Mujer.
For your Mother, Wife, Grandmother, Mother-in-Law:
Heart of a Mother... a gift book filled with touching tributes to Mothers and Grandmothers, inspirational short stories, poems, proverbs and quotations.
As a child, my Aunt Della was like a mother to me who nourished me with her chocolate chip cookies. I remember the warm feelings when I smelled a batch of her fresh baked cookies. In Heart of A Mother, Sheryl Roush and her contributors have captured those same kinds of feelings, feelings that will warm your heart and bring your mother close again. It’s a great read. –Wally Amos, The Cookie Man & Author
Heart of a Mother is an exquisite tapestry of stories, quotations, songs, and poems that will pull on your heartstrings. A must read and an incredible gift for all the mothers of the world!!!
–Lisa R. Delman, Author of Dear Mom, I’ve Always Wanted You to Know
Sections on Mothers Day, Grandmothers, Daughters, Sons, Adoption and Foster Children, Mothers of Military, Four-legged Children, Pregnancy, Babies, When Your Mother Passes, Being a Mother.
For your Co-Workers, Colleagues, Boss, Clients:
Heart of a Woman in Business... Stories, Strategies and Skills for Business Success
WOW! This is BOTH a desktop ready reference AND a curl up and be inspired book – all in ONE! The women I know are going to soak into this one. I expect books in the Heart Book series to be compelling, evocative, inspirational and useful. Heart of a Woman in Business is even more. Tightly edited, each story has its own punch and vitality. It’s women speaking with, and to, women in both a very personal way and as kindred professionals. It’s worth reading and worth keeping close as a ready reference for those moments when...
–John Reddish, CMC, Business & Management Consultant
Ideal for any woman in the workplace–or self-employed today.
How to: Bolster your career, celebrate your talents, trust your intuition, polish your business skills, recognize opportunities placed before you, pursue your talents and gifts, and connect with your creativity and use it to your advantage.
This “here’s how” book combines sisters-sharing-with-sisters insight with guidance, ideas, stories and “I am doing it, you can too!” encouragement. Advice from: Mary Kay Ash, Debbie Fields, Steve Forbes, Michael Gerber, Louise Hay, Kathy Ireland, Andrea Jung, Avon, Anthony Robbins, Martha Stewart, Donald Trump, Madam C.J. Walker, first black female millionaire; Marianne Williamson; plus the Founders/CEOs of Amazon.com, Apple, Craig’s List, Dell Computer, Google, McDonalds, Microsoft, Starbucks; The Body Shop, Virgin Airlines, and Wal-Mart. Chapters address: leadership and ambition; humor in the workplace; change, stress and time management; inner guidance and intuition; business promotion; hiring and firing; ways to rejuvenate and recharge; fitness tips at your desk; mid-life career transitions; and being a working mother.
AVAILABLE AT:
Borders stores, Borders.com, Amazon.com, www.SparklePresentations.com
FOR YOUR AUTOGRAPHED COPIES:
Order directly at www.sparklepresentations.com/store_books.asp
Then email inscription details to: Sheryl@SparklePresentations.com
Your gifts may be shipped either to you, or your recipients, in time for the special day!
AUTHOR:
Sheryl Roush is an internationally top-rated speaker, and 8-time business entrepreneur since the age of 16. As a conference speaker she has presented on programs alongside Olivia Newton-John, Geena Davis, Jane Seymour, Joan Lunden, Marcus Buckingham, Mark Victor Hansen, Howard Putnam, Robert G. Allen and Suze Orman. She has authored 12 books, including Heart of the Holidays, and business publications.
www.HeartBookSeries.com
www.SparklePresentations.com
“Heart of a Woman” Book Review by Kirsti A. Dyer
Heart of a Woman| 2 Comments »“Heart of a Woman”
Book Review
by Kirsti A. Dyer, MD, MS, FT
Type-A Mom Gift Guide – Gifts for Moms
November 6, 2008
Posted here.
According to the book cover, "Heart of a Woman
In Heart of a Woman Roush includes cherished classics, personal favorites, and more recent original writings from inspirational people such as Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil, Maya Angelou, Bill Cosby, Louise Hay, Barbara De Angelis and Marianne Williamson. I had been excited to discover that two of my quotes were featured in the "Death & Grieving" section (which are also posted on my site, Journey of Hearts).
Heart of a Woman is part of a series of inspirational books written by international speaker and author Sheryl L. Roush. In addition to Heart of a Woman as part of her Heart Book Series, Roush has also published, 
Almost A to Z’s on Topics – Roush has divided the collection into nearly 90 topics from "Ageless Living" to "Worthiness." In the 288 pages she shares poems, stories and quotes on a variety of topics. You can sit down, sift through the pages or read it from cover to cover and find something that will inspire you, "rekindle your spirit and touch your soul." She offers poems, stories and quotes on topics such as "A Woman’s Intuition,""Chocolate," "Estrogen," "Fulfill Your Heart’s Desires," "Husbands," "Living with Joy," "Making a Difference," "Military Relationships," "Pets," "Raising Fearless Women," "Sisters," "Stay at Home Moms" and "Women in History."
Gift Size – At 6.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches Heart of a Woman is a good size as a ‘thinking of you,’ inspiration or house-warming gift.
Cost – You can purchase Heart of a Woman for under $15.00.
About the Author – Sheryl L. Roush, Sparkle Presentations
Sheryl Roush is an internationally top-rated presenter, known for her high-energy, high-content, how-to presentations. Her audiences are involved, engaged and energized!
Sheryl has spoken on programs alongside celebrities including: Olivia Newton-John, Geena Davis, Deborah Norville, Jane Seymour, Good Morning America’s Joan Lunden, Erin Brockovich, Thurl Bailey, and Art Linkletter… and business giants including: Robert G. Allen, Jim Cathcart, Mark Victor Hansen, Southwest Airlines’ CEO Howard Putnam, Suze Orman, and the Gallup Organization’s Marcus Buckingham.
What Amazon Reviewers are Saying about Heart of a Woman
Amazon reviewers have given Heart of a Woman five stars out of five. This is what two reviewers had to say:
In the ongoing quest to understand myself and others, I often look for insight. Heart of a Woman is a treasure trove of inspirational insights into the hearts of women as they, and as men who love them, tell it. Sheryl Roush has compiled a wonderful resource that just makes you feel good for having picked it up and read an entry or two. — John Reddish
As women, we live very busy and complicated lives and this book has a way of making everything in our lives, and hearts, make sense. I have laughed and cried while reading it! I imagine when I’m done reading it, I will read it all over again. I love it so much that I am ordering another one for my mother-in-law, just because.
Thank you Sheryl Roush for putting together this wonderful collection of stories, quotes, etc.; it has touched my heart! — Brook H.
This collection of inspirations and insights on the strength and wisdom of women would be a welcome gift for someone who needs a bit of inspiration.
You can find Heart of a Woman on Amazon in book
Kirsti A. Dyer, MD, MS, FT is a respected physician, an expert in life challenges, loss, grief and bereavement, professional health educator, professor, lecturer, writer and author. Dr. Dyer is trained in Internal Medicine or an Adult Medicine specialty. She is the mother of two young energetic daughters. Dr. Dyer created and has maintained Journey of Hearts, a website for anyone who has ever experienced a loss. She is also the Parent of a very healthy NICU Survivor. She is the author of For Those Who Hold the Littlest Hands, an eBook written to provide information, encouragement and support for NICU parents.
VIEW OTHER BOOKS –AND MUSIC IN THIS SERIES:
Click on title to view each book.
Heart of a Woman (printed)
Heart of a Military Woman (printed) ….. and on Kindle
Heart of a Mother (printed)
Heart of a Mother (printed with Bonus Music CD)
Heart of a Mother … Music CD
Heart of the Holidays (printed) ….. and on Kindle
Heart of the Holidays … Music CD
Heart of a Woman in Business (printed)
Corazon de Mujer (printed) (Heart of a Woman in Spanish)
How to Bring Eloquence to your Presentation Skills
Heart of a Woman in Business, Tips & Trivia| 1 Comment »Published in Heart of a Woman in Business, releasing October 1, 2008
Which Words?
How to Bring Eloquence to your Presentation Skills
Eloquence is lean. But, I didn’t know that when I started speaking 7 years ago. I used weighty language, and for the wrong reasons. In retrospect I can see innocence in the mistake. I was a woman and often younger than my mostly male clients. My expertise had been acquired through an eclectic route and bore no degrees or designations to fortify surety in myself. So I used three-dollar words to sound credible, content-ful and smart. The more nervous I got, the more tiles disappeared from my scrabble bag.
A breakthrough came while a consultant was preparing me for a radio interview on parenting, the topic of which was to be a concept I call “The Trophy Child.” In our practice session, I kept saying the problem of using our children to gain status was systemic, and she kept saying the word systemic was inaccessible and preventing me from connecting with the audience. She was right and this “a-ha” lead to the development of a mental filter. A little bell began to go off when the wrong motive was behind a lavish word. Now I work to make impact without pomp. I have found simplicity and brevity are harder.
The tendency to be verbose can come from other roots. Many industry and business experts are so familiar with their own jargon, they cannot see how thick and impenetrable it is to the listener. Professorial trivia buffs have trouble with arcane references that create separation and leave folks behind (seen any Dennis Miller lately?).
Does this mean that we should shy away from using colorful or interesting words? Au contraire! But, we must be sure our selections are mindful, and strive to elevate the message, not ourselves.
Each of us have some verbal shortcomings and big words may not be your issue. You may have trouble putting your thoughts together in a clear way; you may be a 20/30 something for whom “like”, “you know” and “totally” have infected your delivery; you may have a hard time feeling confidant in front of any size group and find that this internal experience corrupts your ability to speak well. Let’s face it, we can all turn up the heat on purposeful word choice. There is work to do. The first task is to reflect.
Step one is external. We must have truth reflected back at us, as in a mirror. Seek feedback on your presentations through video, coaching, honest words of colleagues, and evaluations. Now take these numerous and thorough points of view and see how they reflect your eloquence. Are you hearing “to the point”, ”articulate” or “really kept my attention?” How many said “seemed a bit long” or “couldn’t quite follow.”
Step two is internal. Usually a critical mass of data is building around us to help reveal blind spots, and if we are quiet we will begin to notice themes in our own professional flaws. Become a watcher to your own play and try to actually listen to yourself while you speak. This will take some time but soon you will actually be pulled out of your own presenter trance when your words sound over-the-top, meandering or dull. You will notice when you drone on during your A to a short Q. Speaking of Q’s…asking yourself reflection questions can help. “Am I saying exactly what I mean?” “What portions of this presentation don’t really add anything relevant?” “What would it look like to be in complete command of this room?”
Step three is eternal. As our presentation careers progress our word choice becomes more perfect and more natural. Eventually we move from Thermometer to Thermostat. A thermometer constantly checks to see what the room feels like. A thermostat hovers at the right mark by making constant adjustments automatically.
And after all of this reflection; Redesign! Here are a few tips to get you started…
12 Stops on the Road to Eloquence
Upgrade your Source: Don’t stop at your computer thesaurus. Purchase The Synonym Finder by J.I. Rodale and Nancy LaRoche. This juicy tome is the difference between the spatula aisle at Vons and William Sonoma.
Off your Offspring: Writers fall in love with their own words. But, when it comes to editing the common thought is, you must “kill your children.” Go through your presentations and edit listening for overkill, showing off, repetition and repeating.
WWMAD: What would Maya Angelou do? If I were one of the great masters of clarity blended with poetry, how would I say it?
Practice Makes Perfect: Don’t feel strange about rehearsing what you are going to say whether it is to an audience of 1, 3 or 1000. Nerves can hijack your eloquence in a heartbeat unless they are tamed by practice. Use this discipline especially when speaking in front of anyone that is particularly intimidating to you or who presses that Daddy/ Big Brother/ Hot-Guy-Who-Rejected-You button.
Go Low: Ladies, be aware of when you are chattering away in your high register. To empathize with the male perspective on this sound, try calling to mind the last time your children were whining. Use your low tones. Then give yourself positive and affirming self-talk to add the confidence to back them up.
Follow Through: You know how to follow through in sports. Do the same in speaking. Once the perfect eloquent words are in your speech infuse them with good full breaths. Let your weight drift forward to the balls of your feet. Linnnger slightly on the right consonants and exlooore your vowels.
Cut That Out: When striving for eloquence on paper try to cut out the word “that” whenever you can. It is unnecessary 90% of the time.
Write It- Edit It: You have 100 words to make a point to a man. Any more and you venture into the territory I like to call “The Avalanche;” pouring tons and tons of info into their very action-oriented minds. Try this- write out everything you want to say and then edit it down to 100 words. When you read it back you will get the felling of the brevity and directness that makes men listen.
Go Easy on Quotes: If you crave more splash in your words, don’t borrow them too liberally to meet this need. Too many quotes in a presentation smacks of amateurishness. They came to hear you.
Drop the Cookbook: I love to bake because it is an opportunity for instinct and nuance. A good recipe partway through is abandoned, like a guidebook that at some point is tossed to the tour-bus floor so one can run off and explore. The point is…Improvise a bit; even through content you have already written.
Identify your Recipe: One more baking analogy and then I am going to have to go whip up a lemon bundt cake so I can get back to concentrating. There are different flavors of eloquence. Ask yourself, what is your eloquence recipe? A spoon of wisdom? A pinch of sweetness or sarcasm? Just a dash of subtlety?
Warm Up: Why write it if your lips can’t say it? The most beautiful words need a warm and flexible vocal instrument to be heard. You can sing scales. You can hum a note, sliding up and down. Don’t forget the tongue twisters. My favorite; “She stood on the balcony inimitably mimicking him, hicupping and amicably welcoming him in.”
Welcome to today’s words. “Punked” is a verb and Paris Hilton a role model. We need every well-spoken syllable we can find. So don’t give up the fight. Carrying the torch of moving and relevant language is, as it always has been, up to you, to me and the occasional odd guy on a box in a public square.
-Juliet Funt, Speaker, Author
Juliet Funt is the owner of Talking on Purpose, Inc. Her hilarious, lively and idea-packed presentations may just be the most fun thing about your next meeting or training day. Check out www.julietfunt.com for more info or contact Juliet at 323 854 8855 or Juliet@julietfunt.com
