Jay Snelson says that the first thing to do is to have clear definitions.

His definition of wisdom is:

The extent to which one’s actions are congruent with one’s knowledge, experience, goals and values.

I agree with that statement.

The black economist Thomas Sowell says that: “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”.

However, he also says that it is necessary to accept that we live in an imperfect world.

My synthesis of wisdom would be to integrate these two great thinkers.

It does not tell us the path, but it is a start.

Howard Hinman
DTM #3079, ATM-Silver, AC-B, CL

Here are a few words to pick up your spirits. Who broadens the broad and whitens the white?

Who heartens the lot and mightens the might?

When demure is the self like bonnie is the child,

Who makes me laugh?  Who makes me smile?

You do.  Get well. Written by Daniel Cossack

Written by Mary Berg

Written by Barbara Barrientos

The material was there. It just needed some creative editing. Here are the before and after versions of one story in “The Simple Wedding.” The talk was a hit.

The Ring Bearer – Before

The wedding took place outdoors in the late afternoon of a hot July day in the central coast of California. Fifteen minutes after the wedding was to start, the guests were seated in the hot sun and fanning themselves. Finally the wedding party lined up and the guitarist began to play. The bridesmaids and groomsmen took their places on either side of a gazebo garlanded with roses. The ring bearer had had enough of waiting and he stomped his way down the red carpet. Then he ran to his mother, one of the bridesmaids.

The Ring Bearer – After

The after version shows the setup lines (S and S-2) and punch lines (P-1 and P-2), as described below.

S: It was an outdoor wedding on the hottest day in 10 years on the central California coast. Wood chairs were lined up in front of a large gazebo decorated with pink and white roses. The guests took their chairs and fanned themselves.

S: Fifteen minutes after the appointed time, the guitarist signaled the start of the wedding. The bridesmaids strode gracefully to the altar on the arms of the groomsmen. The minister and groom moved into their positions. Just like rehearsal.

S: The ring bearer, our 6-year-old grandson, wore a tuxedo and a scowl. His job was to ring a bell to announce the bride, but he was fed up from waiting.

S: He sulked and stomped all the way down the red carpet to the altar

P-1: Where he tripped over a bridesmaid.

S-2 : Fortunately, we didn’t have to worry about losing the rings.

P-2 : The bride and groom had tattoos.

My technique is to write down a story or a few lines from an event to capture it on paper, letting everything flow onto the paper without worrying about grammar, punctuation or spelling. I capture visual elements that bring the scene to life: weather (guests fanning themselves), location (central California coast) and mood (graceful bridesmaids, grumpy grandson). I save this version as source material and then “Save As” the spoken version.

I write out the spoken version in the setup and punch line format shown above, a technique I learned from professional comedian Steve Roye at www.killerstandup.com. It’s easy to read and memorize.

Next I concentrate on what will get laughs. It took several rewrites before the ring bearer tripped over the bridesmaid. When I had that image, I knew it was right.

And sometimes you don’t need to change a thing:

S: At the reception, it was time for the toast.

S: The Father of the Bride raised his glass and began: As we were preparing for this wedding, I asked a friend of mine – who had married off 5 daughters – for his advice.

P: He said: Show up, shut up and pay up!

©2010 Lanie Adamson. All rights reserved.

“The parade started promptly at 10:00 a.m. and ran smoothly,” said Varma. “There were some gaps in the procession – enough time for a few family-friendly Fourth of July trivia, jokes and riddles.”

Q: Did you hear the one about the Liberty Bell?

A: Yeah, it cracked me up!

Q: What did one flag say to the other flag?

A: Nothing. It just waved!

An estimated 7,000 residents lined the 1.5-mile parade route.  The parade, whose theme was “All American Spirit,” featured more than 100 entries including marching bands and drill teams, girl and boy scouts, little league champions, senior citizens’ groups, history buffs, car clubs, civic leaders, horses, clowns, fire engines, Sherriff’s teams, and military service units. More than 10,000 viewers tuned in to the Cox Cable TV broadcast of the event.

“I really enjoyed the parade,” said Wiedeman.  “Everyone – participants and spectators alike – embraced the parade theme and showed their American spirit.”

The Rough Drafts meet the 2nd and 4th Saturdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Atria Woodbridge, 3rd Floor Conference Room, 1 Witherspooon Drive, Irvine CA 92604. For more information email info@roughdraftstm.com.

About Toastmasters

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches communication and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. The organization currently has more than 252,000 members in 12,500 clubs in 106 countries. Since its founding 85 years ago, the organization has helped more than four million men and women give presentations with poise and confidence. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org.

A surefire way to have your email misinterpreted or downright deleted is to bury your request in a mountain of unnecessary background information. When you lead with the meat - the purpose, request, and deadlines – you’re engaging in a fun, effective technique called BLUFing your boss. BLUF stands for Bottom Line Up Front a technique that puts everything the reader needs to know at the top of the email.

We write hundreds of email every week (for some of us, it’s everyday). These emails may include announcements that your employees need to know, an update to your boss about a roadblock on your current project, or a request for your resume to be read by a recruiter. Needless to say, the emails you write are important. Too bad your readers may not share this same viewpoint.

To them, every second they spend reading your email is time taken away from them doing real work. The faster you let your readers get on with their work, the more courteous, professional, and effective you will be.

Before you write anything in your email, state in as few sentences as possible (one being optimal) what it is you need the reader to do. This ensures your recipient can immediately absorb and act on your message without overextending your grip on their time. If someone can determine what you need by only reading the first sentence, then you’re on the way to becoming a full fledge BLUF master. Here are some examples:

Subject: Progress Report

Boss,

I am currently at an impasse on project X because the production line is down. I’ve developed three proposals to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Please let me know what proposal would work best.

Subject: Mid Year Reviews

To all employees,

Please read the training article below before submitting your mid year reviews. Please have all reviews submitted to me by Friday.

Subject: Help on Career Change

Dear Management Consultant,

What is the best way to change from one career track to another? The specifics of my situation are provided below.

Notice that in the examples above, the purpose, request, and any needed deadlines are addressed at the beginning of the email. You’re letting the reader decide if they need to read more of the background, rather than dumping it all in the beginning. The more willing you are to respect their time, the more willing they are to give you the response you’re after.

Once you’ve gotten comfortable BLUFing, don’t be surprised if people start reacting more favorably to your email requests. It’s a small change that can bring dramatic results.