Preparing a group Presentation: Entry 18

A good presentation should:

• Always start with a gripping Introduction, it should entice the class attention and have them anticipating what will come next.
• Each member of the presentation should play an active part to show community.
• The elements of fun, clarity, interest, fact and fiction must be appropriately displayed.
• There should have been enough meetings to facilitate the who's and when's; who is doing what, and when it is their turn.
• Things should be put in place for assistance if necessary so as not to take away from the members of the presentation e.g. if food is involved or music Ect.
• The use of instruments such as posters, pictures, white boards, writing pads,and even power point presentations can be an asset once it can be executed properly.

Once these basic instructions are followed all should go well and a good presentation can be accomplished.

My perception of Life: Entry 17

Life ... What is life.

There are many different perspective or definitions as to how we perceive life.

Is it something we live?

Is  it living as being, is it the physical flesh and blood as we read in our bible in genesis where God took dirt and breathed the breath of life into us and we became a living creature?  Or is it something tangible? Something we can touch or feel.

How often do we hear people use the term ''life stinks'' as though life has a smell or '' that's the life''  as though life has  a specific criteria.

No life is what you make it, no one could or should be responsible for your life, in essence life is a decision .. life can be good or not good , the decision is yours. ...

It is up to us to experience the best life possible while we have the breath of life in us.

Who is to determine what is best for you or me.

A good life to one person may mean status to another it may mean wealth to another it may mean peace of mind , what may be good for one person may be excellent for another and not good at all in someone elses opinion, who is to say no one but you..

Enjoy  your life live your dreams reach for your goals do not be influenced by what others may want for you, you could end up in the shadows , living someone elses life and  miserable . life is what you make it, be sure and make it your own and more importantly be sure and make it. 

Overcoming Speech Apprehension: Entry 16

Before I began this communication  skills class,my biggest problems was nervousness when I had to speak in a public setting.

I now take every opportunity I can to speak not just in this class but in all my classes.

I have since realized that my speech apprehension has improved drastically, I also realized that self esteem played a big part in this problem, but, practicing what I was taught with regards to self perception and introspection I have dug deep  and changed, rearranged and aligned myself  with the tools and people necessary to make me a better public speaker.

My Culture: Entry 15

Culture how would you define your culture, as a Trini we are told our culture is carnival, party, lime, food we said to be  friendly people with good hearts and a  huge sense of humor, but does everything I have  mention describes you as a person and if not then does that mean that you have no culture; or not a cultured person, so then who are you? Is it that we must agree to be all of the above to be a trini?

Truly food for thought, because I do not like carnival, not even when I was a partaker of the world, there is 1.4 million people in Trinidad but only a about .4 million really partake in it. 

I believe I am a trini, I am not big on liming, Yes I like food but I am not a lover of food, and sad but true, my friends and family call me at times a stick in the mud, I am said to to serious, but all in all I am a trini and proud.

So my perception of culture is who you are, and not the environment around you, your beliefs, your likes or dislikes, your morals , your values because you may have been taught one thing and not follow that pattern; your culture is you.

There are subtle things that we all do as a people, but it can not be said to be the sum total of the whole.

The importance of communication in life: Entry 14

Communication is a very important part of life, and to be effective communicators we must first be able to critique ourselves. Self perception should be just as if not more relevant than how we perceive others. Once  we able to look at our behavior and attitude and truthfully access where we need to improve we are on our way to be good communicators.
A good communicator learns from there mistakes and also the mistakes of others, and with proper redress we can also become good counselors, motivators and even just a good listener.
How we communicate with others will set the path for our destiny. It will determine who we are and how far we will go. Respect of others, race, ethnicity, culture or even background will reveal o the world who we are as a people or as a person.  

Event Response: Entry 13

I had to be part of a presentation for finals in an Anthropology class. I had just finished being part of presentation in a communication skills class a couple of days before which was a total disaster and it had me very discouraged.

After a meeting with the anthropology group where only 5 turned up out of 12 , I started to feel 'dejavu' all over again and could not bear to go down that road not just twice but twice in one week.

I did not know what to do, or who to turn too, I had already spoken to the lecturer about another group and changed from that group, so to go back to him would look as though the problem was me.

After stressing and complaining I decided to pray about the situation and make a decision after, whether to skip out on the presentation or call sick..yep it was that bad. 

I finally decided to take matters into my own hands, I did all the research , distributed parts accordingly, got all the language translations, put the skit together and gave everyone instructions for their specific part. I was not he leader but I had to step in to save our face or should I say my face.

The end result was "excellent" according to the lecturer, out of 7 groups we were the only group who got full points 20/20.

I learned to be part of the solution and not a part of the problem, had the group not been so nonchalant I would not have seen the potential I had, I will definitely look at life and the struggles around me different and in stead of feeling sorry for myself I will make it happen, whatever it takes, how hard it may seem, I will fight the good fight of faith, knowing "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me".

Challenges: Entry 12

In life we face challenges everyday, some are a lot more difficult than others and at time we feel overwhelmed and discouraged.
I have come to realize over the past 4 months that we are really never given more than we can bear and every challenge is there for a purpose.
If things were to flow everyday and life was a walk in the park how would we know our strengths? How would we come into the purpose that God has designed us for, sometimes we have to be pulled out of our comfort zone, so we can see what we are capable of.
I have seen myself pulled out of being comfortable to become in control of and taking initiation where there seemed to be no way, but to run, but because of the challenge I had to make the ultimate choice, leave and fail or take the situation make it my own and everyone pass, of course I chose the latter and saw my capabilities and have thus become a better person, and enjoyed success in the process. 

Communication:Entry 11

Communication, it is a very complicated word to understand by most.
To some communication means being able to talk or so it would seem, no one wants to listen even when they are asked too, and when they do, it is for less than a second, they show blatant disregard for your wishes or feelings by, either facial expressions or just simply not paying attention, and when everything goes wrong because they did not listen or follow instructions or even hear the instruction, it is always someone else's fault.. not their own.
A major part of communication is listening, if we do not listen we cannot truly understand any circumstance, situation, incident, accident,  or emotion.
I believe if we practice to listen more, the world can become a better place, after all remember God did give us two ears and one mouth.