GREAT COMMUNICATION QUOTES
“I determined to be so clear that no honest man could misunderstand me and no dishonest one could successfully misrepresent me.” –Abraham Lincoln
“The most important conversation you will ever have is the conversation you have with yourself.” –author unknown
“…None of us can ever express the exact measure of our needs, or our ideas, or our sorrows, and human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we beat our tunes for bears to dance to, when we long to move the starts to pity.”
—Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, from a new translation from the French by Lydia Davis
“A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day.”–Emily Dickinson, (American poet, 1830-1886)
“To be wise is to foresee the consequences of our words.”
–Gene Griessman
FEATURED ARTICLES
THE POWER OF WORDS
(Below is an excerpt from the performance “Lincoln Live” by Gene Griessman. If you’d like a printable version, go to http://www.presidentlincoln.com/new_page_1.htm.)
Words can reveal thoughts, conceal pain, paint dreams, correct errors, and pass along dearly bought lessons to the latest generation.
Words can transport knowledge from the past, interpret the present, and speak to the future. Words can build walls between people, or bridges. Words can tear down or build up, wound or heal, tarnish or cleanse.
Words can endear you to your fellows, win them to your side, and enable you to rise to heights you may now only dream of.
Pursuing the mastery of words is worth all the time, money, and energy that you can muster. And what you invest will be repaid with interest compounded.
Build up your knowledge so that your words are true. Nurture your spirit so that your words are kind, strong, and wise.
The world may little note nor long remember what you say here.
And yet it may.
For words, once they are released, take on a life of their own, and find lodging in places and hearts you may never know. But after many days, they may return to haunt you, or bless you.
COMMUNICATION COACHING: NOT THE OLDEST PROFESSION, BUT CLOSE
When a citizen in ancient Athens was accused of a crime, the usual procedure was for the accused as well as the prosecutor were expected to speak for themselves.
This custom which goes back at least twenty-five hundred years meant that ordinary citizens usually were at a disadvantage because they spent their time working at a job, not giving speeches. Yet this speech could be a matter of life or death. The penalty for a crime was generally a fine, exile, or death. There were no long jail sentences.
Good coaches who could teach clients how to speak and conduct themselves in court were much sought after.
Gene Griessman is an internationally known keynote speaker, actor, and communication strategist. His book “TheWords Lincoln Lived By” is in its 23rd printing and “Time Tactics of Very Successful People” is in its 43rd printing. His training video “Lincoln on Communication” is owned by thousands of corporations, libraries, and government organizations. He has spoken at conventions and annual meetings all over the world. To learn more about his presentations, call 404-435-2225. Learn more at Atlanta Speakers Bureau or at his website. His latest book “Lincoln and Obama” has just been released by Audible.