The Six Ghosts of Fear - Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill

Mandatory reading for everyone on the planet:

This is definitely my favorite version - it has a free audio book in the back , for 99 cents!
Doesn't get better than this:
Download:
https://archive.org/details/Think_and_Grow_Rich

Second Project - "Organize Your Speech"

Thanks to all my friends at TM for the great feedback, especially the negative feedback -- that's what you really learn from:

I'm especially happy about Andie's feedback, as another English speaker to say "masterful" -- cool!

First critiques from Faris:
1. Started too early, give it time(!) from when the TM announces you.
2. Used "so" a lot.
3. Not long enough, would have liked to see it go over 6 minutes(!).

My own critique/lessons learned:
1.)Try to associate each block of your speech with a move or gesture; the "Tai Chi Technique" -- this works for me!
2.)Tell a story, like a good joke which has a beginning, body, and conclusion. I have no problems remembering jokes and telling them, if they are a good joke. If you cannot tell a story then try 1.) above.

I left a lot out! When I practiced the speech at home it was over 7 minutes... Then at TM I rushed through it in 5:50 - not even 6 damn minutes!
Write out your cheat sheet again and really hammer the words in, associate each keyword with a movement etc. -- memorize them.
Parts I left out:

Voice still way too high -- do "your speaking voice" manual ... again!
Still saying a lot of words "cute" like a child -- gotta cut that out:
list words...



More lessons learned:

1. Bring the manual next time and give it to your evaluator -- duh!
2. Call/coordinate with your evaluator beforehand.
3. Get a mentor, if not the same as your evaluator. 
4. I had over 4 weeks to do this speech and still didn't take the necessary time and preparation. Despite changing topics midstream, 4 weeks is definitely enough time to put together a really good 7 minute speech. It could have been much better -- someone even mentioned that in the feedback(!).
• As usual I did this all as a last minute preparation -- I changed the topic of my speech because the first one was so boring. Satisfied how it came out though, despite the botched parts.
5. Also don't speak out of turn, I don't know if anyone else noticed, but I don't want to be rude either.

ICEBREAKER

Thanks to all my Toastmaster friends for the great feedback.

And now a little of my own:

1. What's up with the pinky finger (4:24)? Looks totally stupid - stop that!
2. Boy talk about run-on sentences, no pause whatsoever!
3. I jerk my head around like a broken Disneyland puppet! You know those old ones that were pneumatically driven?
4. The piece of paper in hand, the cheat sheet, sucks. Gotta be able to memorize my speech well enough to work without the cheat-sheet -- it's only 7 minutes! (6 for icebreaker) Although I'm glad I had it, I changed this speech so many times I wouldn't have made it without it.
5. And what about my son! Totally rolled over that...jeez...
6. Hands behind back - check.
7. I am still saying some things 'cute' like a little kid. How can anyone take me seriously if I talk like a child???
8. Specific words/phrases to improve on:
1. Air Force
1. "R", is not clear.
2. combined with high voice everything sounds 'kiddish'.
2. 4:05 - "...radio controlled planes, build them and fly them..."
1. wtf? Too high and intonation all wrong.
3. 4:40 "America" -- The R's have it! Again intonation, inflection, pitch, "R" all wrong.
4. Before
5. 6:53 - peapuul instead of people.
6. sport and pleasure - too high, as a matter of fact I can stop here:
1. ALL R's and pitch and inflection are too high and going up towards end of word/sentence.

For next time:

1. Better Conclusion - Ending was weak - next time peg this.
2. Address first of all "Madame Toastmaster, fellow toastmasters, distinguished guests". Don't really like this - I would rather simply say "my friends..."
3. No arms behind back - let your arms speak.
4. No pointing with pinky finger.
5. PAUSE between sentences.
6. Any questions - "What questions do you have?"

"Opening and ending didn't really exist..."

right! check that one!

One feedback I find very interesting:

"I wasn't sure if I could trust everything you said or if it was story telling"

It is a method of speech writing/giving to incorporate stories, should be a good thing, however if my audience doesn't believe it?

Don't really know what to make of this feedback yet, I will keep an eye on this for sure.

v2

v1