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Language builds our world.
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Our ideas make us who we are.
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And speakers who have figured out how
to spread their ideas into othersβ minds
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have the power to make
an incredible impact.
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Now ask yourself: do you have ideas
that deserve a wider audience?
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That can be a difficult
question to answer.
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Many people don't realize just
how many valuable ideas they have.
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You are the only you that's existed
in all of human history.
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Your experiences are yours
and yours alone.
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Some of those experiences have taught
you things
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that are absolutely worth sharing
with an audience.
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You just have to figure out
which experiences those are.
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You may feel that you haven't
done anything exciting enough
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to give a talk about.
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Maybe you tell yourself, βIβm not
very creativeβ or, βIβm not very smart.β
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Maybe you can't think of anything
you feel passionate about right now.
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Well, that's a tricky place to start.
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But you donβt need to worry.
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Because, the truth is, everyone
has a great talk idea inside of them.
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Sometimes it just takes
a little digging to find it.
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One reason you may not
recognize your great ideas
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is that you have always been you.
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You only see yourself from the inside.
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You may not notice the things that other
people find remarkable about you.
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Thatβs why one good way to uncover
your talk-worthy ideas
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is to have conversations
with the people who know you best.
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They might be able to see
things about you
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that you arenβt able to see
about yourselfβ
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things that would be worth sharing
with an audience.
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There is one thing you have
that no one else in the world has,
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and that is your experience.
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So another way to uncover
your great ideas
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is to ask yourself questions
about your life.
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What was the last thing you were
really excited by? Or angered by?
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What are some of the things
that bring you joy?
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What annoys you?
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What's something you're proud of?
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Is there something you know
a lot about?
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A subject you could talk about for hours?
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Is there anything your community
could teach other communities?
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What's a change you would like
to see in the world?
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If you could wave a magic wand,
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what's the one idea you'd most love
to spread to other people's minds?
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Spend some time walking around
open to the possibility
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that some part of your unique journey
could be interesting and helpful
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for an audience to learn about.
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Many wonderful talks are based
on a personal story
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and a simple lesson the speaker
took away from it.
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Your idea could even be a question
you're curious about.
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The search for an answer to your question
could be the basis for your talk.
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What are the issues that matter
most to you?
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What are the riddles that people
don't yet have good answers for?
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If you have a subject
youβd like to talk about,
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but aren't sure you
really know enough yet,
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why not use your public speaking
opportunity as a way to find out more?
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In other words, you donβt need
to have the perfect knowledge
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in your head today.
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You could use your talk as the reason
to discover more
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about something that interests you.
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The only thing that truly matters
in public speaking is not confidence,
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stage presence, or smooth talking.
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It's having something worth saying.