November 24, 2010

Passion, courage, and speaking from the heart



Just in case you haven't heard the story or watched the video of 14-year-old Graeme Taylor speaking out against a teachers' suspension, here it is. This is the kind of presentation or speech we all strive for: our message spoken from the heart, with passion and eloquence, clarity, courage and confidence.

I'm purposely leaving out the bigger story, because regardless of our positions on the teacher and his suspension, this speech stands alone as something we can learn from as speakers.


 
The only aspect of this speech I would question are the statistics; I always recommend validating statistics before you repeat them, as our credibility can easily sink when we repeat incorrect stats.

But this speech is about passionately speaking out for what one believes in, and articulating a message clearly and concisely, and as a model for speeches, I find it inspiring.


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2 comments. Please add yours! :

Calla Gold said...

That is one articulate young man. Who wouldn't be proud to have him speak for them.
Thanks for sharing this video. He was compelling without yelling. Compelling without bludgeoning us with facts or dogma.
It's a good public speaking lesson.

Lisa Braithwaite said...

Thanks for your comment, Calla. Great observation. Sometimes speaking from the heart can actually make people uncomfortable. That can be a good thing, when done carefully and thoughtfully. Sometimes it's good to get out of our comfort zone. But Graeme speaks without making us uncomfortable, without preaching or yelling, as you say. So well done.

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