 |
||
|
The Passionate Speaker
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."
- Marcel ProustA Newsletter for Speakers By Michael Landrum September 23, 2002 – Number 42 Soft Eyes We had to put our dog down last week. Lulu was seventeen, nearly blind, incontinent, disoriented much of the time. She was a sweet little mutt with a lot of spaniel in her gene pool – mostly black with strawberry-blonde eyebrows to match the feathery, trailing edges of her legs and tail. Lulu was a glutton for affection, and the best listener of any animal with four legs – or two. Dogs are here to teach us lessons, I believe, and Lulu was a zen master. If you want to know what it means to be receptive to communication, get yourself a dog. Never mind the cats – who make their living on aloofness and a studied indifference. Dogs got to be “Man’s best friend” by paying attention. I brought Lulu home from the pound as company for the pup named Bo that my sister made me get to keep the deer out of our vegetable garden. They became pals and loved each other as much as veterinary medicine would allow. They both paid a lot of attention to me, especially around dinner time. The deer got no attention whatever, so I wound up with a high fence around the garden. Amazingly, I found that the dogs were a great audience to practice with. They would listen as I rehearsed my lines, and if I was not really speaking to them, they would yawn and put their bored faces on the floor between their paws and look up at me with large, pathetic eyes. It’s an exercise I’m tempted to try with some of my clients. I’m reminded of the Speaking Circle I recently attended lead by my friend and colleague, Jeremy Nash. He stressed the importance of listening with “soft eyes.” The eyes are a listening organ. Communication is full of visual metaphor – you see? We can soften our eyes and by doing so, become more open, receptive, willing to listen to the other. Jeremy urged those in the class who were listening to the speaker to be a good and generous, ‘soft eyed’ audience. But the idea is just as important for the speaker – it makes the difference between speaking with someone and talking at them. Actors often look for some simple physical action to provide a key to the character’s point of view. This soft eyes idea is an excellent key thought for speakers who want to find a warm, receptive audience for their message. You get what you give. Pay attention to your audience and they will reflect back whatever your eyes send them. We buried Lulu near the garden and will look for a new puppy around Christmas time. A Thought to Ponder "Dream is not a revelation. If a dream affords the dreamer some light on himself, it is not the person with closed eyes who makes the discovery but the person with open eyes lucid enough to fit thoughts together. Dream -- a scintillating mirage surrounded by shadows -- is essentially poetry." - Michael Leiris ©2001-2003 Michael F. Landrum |
|
|||||||||||||||
No part of this site may be reproduced without prior written consent. Site designed and maintained by: A&E Advertising and Web Design | Hosted by: A&E Web Hosting |
||||||||||||||||
