Energy is everything!

Monday, November 2nd, 2020 - Sunday, November 8th, 2020

Energy is said to be neither created nor destroyed, which can be applied to more than just science. In my Quick Trip presentation this week, I noticed that something was missing when I was preparing. You guessed it, energy! When thinking back to the speeches that we looked at in class, the main thing that the speakers did was bring the audience into their speech, captivating them through their active and energetic voice. No matter what it is they were talking about, their energy and presence could be felt throughout the room. This was how I tried to approach my speech, looking where I could add energy and emphasis to keep my audience interested in my speech throughout. In my actual speech, I felt very confident as I had prepared well and ensured that my energy was there. Furthermore, I was already very passionate about what I was talking about and was able to bring spirit to my presentation from start to finish. I can already feel the skills that I have learned through ISM taking hold in my presentations, as I was able to slow down when I spoke and put an emphasis on pauses and inflection.

Besides this speech, I was also to speak with psychologist Dr. Judy Rambur of Blank Slate Therapy. My conversation with her was very informative and I got to learn more about the daily activities of someone who runs a private practice. I was interested in the work schedule Dr. Rambur maintained, with 3 busy workdays and the other 4 days of the week to herself. This showed me the flexibility that is allowed in this profession and the freedom that can come with having a private practice. I have gotten more confident with my interviews as well, trying to go off-script by building off the answers that I receive from the professional I am interviewing instead of just running straight through the questions that I had ready for the interview.

My takeaways for this week would be to focus on maintaining energy when I speak, even if it is just talking with friends or family. I tend to talk in a monotone, uninterested way, which can rub off on people the wrong way. By trying to instill this idea of expressing more passion when I speak in my daily life, I will get better at speaking this way when I give speeches and try to keep the audience engaged. I also have a greater interest in getting into private practice by talking to Dr. Rambur, as it truly is a dream to be able to control my own schedule and essentially be my own boss. For next week, I am looking forward to scheduling more interviews and possible follow-up interviews to gauge the interest levels that professionals have for possibly becoming my mentor.