Melva Gifford

This was a presentation at toastmasters.

– When you meet someone for the first time, what is the body part that you notice first? Legs, eyes, hands, hair?
– Research tells us that there is only one body part that we focus on.
– There are many times that we may need to speak first.
– Ladies and Gentlemen, let your body speak.
– Last two years Vanessa van Ewards researched all of the TED talks. The average talk has 124,000 views and 272 hand gestures. Most views 7.4 views and 465 hand gestures.
– Why is this? Body language strongly influences the impact we have.
– 5 Common Body Language Mistakes:
– Visual distractions
– Some will be pacing, no eye contact, playing with their hair. They do it subconsciously. They should record themselves and view it over and over again. Videotape your speech next time.
– Pointing. It is a very aggressive hand gesture. When she points to someone in the audience and says to come and sit here while pointing vs. using open hand gestures. One is inviting and the other is aggressive. For example, last year a speaker was pointing at someone that was a little large in size and it made her feel subconscious of herself.
– Keep objects out of your hands
– The object was so distracting, the speaker was not understood.
– Avoid eye contact. When you have eye contact, the unknown becomes known.
– Keep it real
– Some speakers use huge hand gestures. Your hand gestures should match your content. Your hand gestures should engage the audience.
– 5 main body languages
– Posture When someone doesn’t have good posture, you won’t know the power of the speech. When you are relaxed tilt your head. When you want a powerful statement, use power poses. Use a wonder woman pose. Try this for two minutes before your speech. Your testosterone will increase by 20% and cortisol will decrease 25%. That is the stress hormone.
– Body language. When you want to make a point take a step forward. When finished take a step back
– Facial expressions: Guess these facial expressions. Happy, Anger, Surprise, Fear, Contempt, Sad
– Body gestures. Eye Contact. Make sure you have eye contact with all of the audience. Otherwise, they will feel neglected.
– How to rock your next presentation. 5 different gestures
– Steeple shows wisdom and experts. Don’t use it all of the time. We want to learn about you. Use occasionally. Eye-brow raise – It means you have something important to say.
– Open Palm Gesture – The body part we look at first is the hands. In caveman days when someone meets with hands behind their back, they have something to hide. Open palm gestures shown by Oprah show nothing to hide.
– Dual – If you have two different things to talk about, you can use open hand gestures. It makes your audience understand your story better.
– Emotional – put your hand on your heart and say, it means a lot to me. Make an emotional statement.
– Listing – Any numbers less than 5 use your hand to count.
– Grown – Show size with hands. You – Don’t use pointing when referring to others. Use a clasped hand. Small, Medium, Large – Your gestures should emphasize your point, but not distract from your speech.

If you have something to add, please do so in the comment section of this blog.

These are notes from a church talk. Any Inaccuracies are the fault of the note taker.

– D&C 78: he who receives all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious.
– D&C 59:7 thanks the lord god in all things.
– Even in most difficult times, you can find much to be grateful. Doing so will strength and bless you.
– Begin your prayers by thanking God.
– Review song did you think to pray: when we are having difficult things we face.
– The sharp tooth of chisel gives marble beauty (paraphrase)
– Do nice things for others is another way to show gratitude.
– They who give to the poor lend it to the Lord.
– There is nothing wrong with saying thank you.
– Remember: I am a child of God:

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A Presentation by Tanner Ainge. Notes for Caucus Corner.

My device I use burped and I lost about half of my notes but I still have some of them. Any misinformation is the fault of the note taker. Meeting took place on Dec. 3rd.

– A public hearing on tax increase will be Dec 11th. It in the building across the street where we pay our taxes. county health and justice building 151 S university Ave, Provo Utah room 1600/1601.
– I think Tanner said that we have not increased taxes for about over 20 years
– The country has been working in the red for several years.
– Commissioners have been working on how to cuts expenses. Such as no longer sponsoring Miss Utah country and also removing ourselves from the membership of multiple agencies.
– The departments have not been properly audited for their expenses for many years to see how money can be more effectively managed. The increase will address the insufficient of the auditors’ department. Most departments asking for money have been denied what they have asked.
– The district attorney department did get 12 or 13 additional attorneys as requested.
– Average assessed home value $334K
– Homeowners tax exemption 45%
– Home value taxed on $183,700
– In the past several years Utah county taxes have been going down.
– Truth in taxation groups ensures citizens were notified that taxes will be going up. The law said the county has access to the same dollar rate as the last yr.
– Utah taxpayers association is our tax watchdog. It is one of the most physical conservative groups in the state. They said Utah count’s tax rate has dropped
– Tax rate was .001305 in 1886 to .000370 today. This is not sustainable.
– There is a $2,000,000 budget deficit for 2018.
– No money was set aside for rainy fund, in 2018. No money set side increase in assigned reserved, No capital project funding, Set aside for risk management.
– In 2019 budget is 12,000.000 in the red.
– 2020 expected budget deficit is expected to be 27,000,000.
– With building needs and expansions 36,000,000.
– 3rd party analysis did an assessment. Out of space (I don’t know what I meant by this note)
– County has not set funds aside for expected expansion.
– Approved the 3rd of budget needs. We didn’t have finances set aside for fire and flood damage.
– We can only afford essentials.
– When there is a deficit, the country will need to sell something or get a loan.
– Two of three commissioners need to approve a budget increase.
– Some offices are using student interns to help staff the needs of a department
– $82 a year increase by family.
Do you have something to add? If so, please do so in the comment section of this blog.

Good: Legislative
Bad: legletive

Apparently I have not learned this word yet. We as voters may feel that the Legislative branch is late on creating good laws, thus LEG IS LATE or Legislative. We’ll see if that will remind me.

Do you have a better idea of how to spell this word? If yes, please share in the comment section of this blog.

This was a speech offered at toastmasters.

Until you spread wings, you will have no idea how far you’ll fly.
In 7 months unemployed, got to spend time traveling. 60% of the time spent on the road. All of the choices we make based on calculated risk.
Things we can do to help minimize outcomes. In the last speech, she talked about confidence in leaving the last job. That was only one part of the equation. Had to think about the realities. How was she going to manage finances? Risk assessment. She had known she had a severance package and filed for unemployment.
Where would she go? She was 25. Embarrassing or shameful to move back with parents, but her family was welcoming. Why pay rent if traveling. Taking risks afforded her to do great traveling. South Africa, Belize (yellow trip). Groupon to Belize within 24 hours. She still did a risk assessment.
Looked at everything in Groupon. Conflicts and how to overcome, lodging, flights, activities, figured out logistics. Based on a budget, it was a feasible trip. Great experience.
Knew the fun had to end and had to be serious about what to do next. For her, she wanted to do something that helped other people. Volunteer or career change? Go back to school for physical therapy? Engineering? Turned $575 cost of a trip into $60 dollars with help from friends and frequent flyer miles.
With taking risks, some things don’t go your way. Before South Africa trip, a recruiter tried to talk to her. By the time she got back, the job was filled. 2 days into the trip with parents to Saudi Arabia, she found out a cousin diagnosed with cancer. When she came back, she wanted to spend more time with her.
Three additional months of unemployment was valuable time spent with her. In December, she still didn’t’ have a job. Luck. Somehow found a job before moving out here. Risks she took worked out.

Here are some notes from a church talk. Any misinformation is the fault of the note taker.

– Hope: a desire, expectation or wish.
– It usually has uncertain.
– True to the faith: hope is unwavering.
– Prophets speak of having a firm and lively hope.
– Elder Urdorf talk on hope:
– Hope is not knowledge but the adding trust that the Lord will fulfill his promises to us.
– If we live God’s laws we will receive desired blessings in the future.
– It’s believing our prayers will be answered.
– With hope comes joy and happiness.
– With hope, we can have patience and bear our afflictions.
– Despair is the opposite of hope.
– Hope pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn.
– Talk Sunday will come: Christ crucified on a Friday and resurrected on a Sunday.
– We can ask the Lord for strength.
– Packer: Mercy and grace of Christ are offered to those who committed sin. Everlasting patience is for all who follow him. We need the strength of convictions that are found in the heart of every disciple of Christ.
– Elder Urdorf: hope is a principal of promise as well as a command. We have a responsibility to take an active part in our life.
– Spiritual hope is powerful .it can be the sure anchor for us. We should nurture it.

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Good: attorney
Bad: atterny

People’s lives are TORN apart by criminals. People hire an attorney to defend themselves. Thus you see the word TORN in atTORNey.

Do you have a better idea of how to spell this word? If yes, please share in the comment section of this blog.