Author |
Message |
Spygirl
Member
04-23-2001
| Friday, April 16, 2004 - 10:20 pm
I have been invited to be the guest speaker on Sunday for an honor society induction ceremony. I don't mind speaking in front of groups at all, but I'm lost...words of inspiration? Motivation??? I'm terrible at this stuff. I only need to talk for about 10 minutes and I want to entertain while being inspiring (whatever that looks like)...any suggestions?
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Friday, April 16, 2004 - 10:21 pm
"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal. " - Unknown
|
Eliz87
Member
07-30-2001
| Friday, April 16, 2004 - 10:52 pm
Here are a couple of good quotes. This one may be overused but I like it anyway... "Work like you don't need the money, Love like you've never been hurt, And dance like no one is watching." -- Unknown Also... "Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible." -- T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) I love that one. Maybe these quotes will provide the inspiration that you need to write a successful speech. Good luck and let us know how it goes! :-)
|
Spygirl
Member
04-23-2001
| Saturday, April 17, 2004 - 7:10 am
Lady and Eliz - thank you!! Eliz, so are you sharing quotes hoping to inspire me to write? 
|
Mware
Member
09-14-2001
| Saturday, April 17, 2004 - 9:53 am
Spy, are you a member of this honor society? If so, maybe you can talk about what it means to you to have been inducted. What type of honor society is it? Maybe there are facts you can research about this honor society that others may not know which would be interesting. (Other members who have achieved fame, fortune, or notoriety, for example.)
|
Spygirl
Member
04-23-2001
| Saturday, April 17, 2004 - 11:32 am
The honor society is Psi Chi (for psychology and social sciences) and I was inducted as an undergrad Psych major - even served as president for a year of my chapter. Great idea to look up some stuff! That reminds me that I need to hunt down my pin. It is probably in an old jewerly box somewhere. Thanks, Mware!
|
Jan
Member
08-01-2000
| Saturday, April 17, 2004 - 12:33 pm
Is it a society of teachers of Psych and Soc..maybe you can talk about your own learning experience this year when you had that problem with teaching the older group of students?
|
Heyltslori
Member
09-15-2001
| Saturday, April 17, 2004 - 12:44 pm
Ok, now this may be of no help at all...but I have this book and I think it's inspirational for "kids" of any age...and it's geared towards people embarking on a new journey. You might get a little something out of it. Oh! The Places You'll Go. By Dr. Seuss. Be sure to click "next"...it's kinda long.
|
Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Saturday, April 17, 2004 - 5:15 pm
Spygirl, the easiest speech to give is the one you know the most about. I presume you were selected as the presenter because somebody thinks you have something to share. Why not ask whoever chose you WHY they chose you? What do they think you have to say that would be of interest to others?
|
Spygirl
Member
04-23-2001
| Saturday, April 17, 2004 - 6:44 pm
Juju, that would make sense, but in reality, I was asked because I'm fresh meat - new faculty Heck, they didn't even know I was a member of Psi Chi until after they invited me to speak - lol. Jan, it isn't a society for teachers, just students studying social sciences (particularly psychology). I will talk about my experiences, though. I mean, really - what else do I know about besides my own experiences? Lori, thank you for the site! If I tried to read that whole thing, I could be mauled with cake and punch, but there are parts that are wonderful.
|
Karuuna
Member
08-31-2000
| Saturday, April 17, 2004 - 7:00 pm
Spy, maybe you should just speak from your heart. Tell 'em why you went to school. I know it hasn't been easy for you, it's taken hard work and determination and perseverance. Tell 'em why you went thru all that. Tell 'em why you do what you do, and what you aspire to, and why it brings you joy. And tell 'em they should be doing the same thing, doing the thing that their heart leads them to do, and brings them joy. Tell them how amazing they are already--to care enough about other people to be willing to dedicate their own lives to helping them. Maybe find a funny story from your own journey either about hitting stumbling blocks. Or about messing something up. Or maybe a touching story about how you thought you weren't getting anywhere with someone and then found out that you did. Really, if you just speak from your own heart, you'll find a way to touch the dreams and hopes and aspirations they have within themselves. Well, that's my best guess anyway. 
|
Tishala
Member
08-01-2000
| Saturday, April 17, 2004 - 7:09 pm
I remember my Phi Beta Kappa induction as horrifically boring. I had to get dressed up and I only stayed because they had a dinner after the induction. Oh, and I invited my favorite Professor to the event and all the Profs. got to wear their really fancy Ph.D. robes. I copuld never figure out why Princeton and Brown have such ugly ones, though. Anyhow, here is a really famous Phi Beta Kappa speech by Emerson called "The American Scholar." I'm not sure how "inspirational" it is now--it strikes me as inspirational--but it inspired Harvard men back in the 19th century. Let me paste a bit of it...to this school-boy under the bending dome of day, is suggested, that he and it proceed from one root; one is leaf and one is flower; relation, sympathy, stirring in every vein. And what is that Root? Is not that the soul of his soul? — A thought too bold, — a dream too wild. Yet when this spiritual light shall have revealed the law of more earthly natures, — when he has learned to worship the soul, and to see that the natural philosophy that now is, is only the first gropings of its gigantic hand, he shall look forward to an ever expanding knowledge as to a becoming creator. He shall see, that nature is the opposite of the soul, answering to it part for part. One is seal, and one is print. Its beauty is the beauty of his own mind. Its laws are the laws of his own mind. Nature then becomes to him the measure of his attainments. So much of nature as he is ignorant of, so much of his own mind does he not yet possess. And, in fine, the ancient precept, "Know thyself," and the modern precept, "Study nature," become at last one maxim. [...] Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst. What is the right use? What is the one end, which all means go to effect? They are for nothing but to inspire. I had better never see a book, than to be warped by its attraction clean out of my own orbit, and made a satellite instead of a system. The one thing in the world, of value, is the active soul. This every man is entitled to; this every man contains within him, although, in almost all men, obstructed, and as yet unborn. The soul active sees absolute truth; and utters truth, or creates. In this action, it is genius; not the privilege of here and there a favorite, but the sound estate of every man. In its essence, it is progressive. The book, the college, the school of art, the institution of any kind, stop with some past utterance of genius. This is good, say they, — let us hold by this. They pin me down. They look backward and not forward. But genius looks forward: the eyes of man are set in his forehead, not in his hindhead: man hopes: genius creates. Whatever talents may be, if the man create not, the pure efflux of the Deity is not his; — cinders and smoke there may be, but not yet flame. There are creative manners, there are creative actions, and creative words; manners, actions, words, that is, indicative of no custom or authority, but springing spontaneous from the mind's own sense of good and fair. Hey, I still like it! And I don't even like Emerson that much. But I'm sure you'll do well with or without Emerson, Spy. Best of luck.
|
Spygirl
Member
04-23-2001
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 8:40 pm
You guys are so great! I ended up doing a combination of things...I went mostly talking about myself and my own journey of going through school - obstacles, funny stuff, etc. I also did a little bit of my own experience in the honor society. Finally, I read the entire poem by Dr. Suess - they loved it! Thank you all for your suggestions. I greatly appreciate them! 
|
Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 10:54 pm
Damn, we are good! LOL.
|
Deesandy
Member
08-12-2003
| Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 8:35 am
Lori, we read "Oh! The Places You'll Go." By Dr. Seuss to our three year old all the time. She loves it! Everything we need to know we learn by the time we are in kindergarten, right?
|
Heyltslori
Member
09-15-2001
| Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 10:45 am
Absolutely Dee! I just love Dr. Seuss. I'm glad you read it Spy...and I'm glad they didn't throw cake and punch...lol
|
|