Elizabeth Whitworth, Author at Shortform Books

How to Build Confidence in Speaking: 4 Tips From Dale Carnegie

Does even just the idea of speaking in public make you nervous? What if you could build confidence, not just in your speaking abilities, but in your general abilities? Most people fear speaking in public. Dale Carnegie’s time-tested lessons help you overcome that fear, take the stage, and speak with assurance and poise. He shares four tactics that will give you the courage to speak and, in turn, provide you with the confidence to do just about anything. Keep reading for Carnegie’s fourfold advice on how to build confidence in speaking.

3 Benefits of Failure You Can Use as a Springboard to Success

How to Deal With Failure at Work and Build Resilience

Why isn’t comedian and actor Patton Oswalt afraid to take risks? What gives filmmaker David Lynch creative freedom? All of the world’s most successful people have this in common: They’ve failed. Regardless of who you are, failure happens. But, those who find success have first found a way to leverage failure. Tim Ferriss shares the advice he got from several people about how to use failure as a springboard to success. Read more to learn three benefits of failure that successful people recognize.

When to Say No: Freeing Up Time to Say Yes to What Matters Most

Do you find it hard to say no to requests and opportunities? What if you were more free to pick and choose how you commit yourself? You’re not limitless. Neither is your time. So, knowing how and when to say no is a highly valuable skill to have. When Tim Ferriss solicited life and career advice from experts in various fields, several of them stressed the importance of establishing and sticking to boundaries in order to protect your priorities. Read more for insights that will help you know where to draw the line and when to say no.

The 4 Main Objectives of Public Speaking (Dale Carnegie)

What are the various ways that public speaking can be used? How can you get clarity on what your next speech aims to accomplish? Public speaking has the power to affect audiences in different ways. A presentation can provoke thought, motivate action, or elicit a lot of laughs. In Public Speaking for Success, Dale Carnegie identifies four main objectives of public speaking. Keep reading to learn about these public speaking objectives and how each one wields its own kind of power.

What Is Zen Buddhism? Its Origins & Distinctions (Alan Watts)

What is Zen Buddhism? What does it share with other traditions? How is it unique? In The Way of Zen, Alan Watts explores the ins and outs of Zen Buddhism. He explains where Zen came from, considers the most important ideas that Zen adopted from the ancient philosophies and religions that preceded it, and points out which ideas differentiate Zen from other schools of thought. Read more to learn about the history and philosophy of Zen Buddhism.

Sam Harris: Mindfulness & Meditation Without Religion

Do you practice mindfulness and meditation? Can it be done outside of the context of religion? According to Sam Harris, mindfulness and meditation are the way to contentment. In his book Waking Up, he starts from a simple foundation—everybody just wants to be happy. While many people look to religion to find happiness, Harris says that you don’t need to go there. Read on to understand Harris’s secular take on mindfulness and meditation.

How to Recenter Yourself: 4 Simple Tips From a Tribe of Mentors

What do you do when you find it hard to focus? How successful are you at changing your attitude when you should? Sometimes, you feel too tired or scattered to focus and do what you need to do or even want to do. This happens to everyone. Tim Ferriss, in his book Tribe of Mentors, shares how several successful people put themselves back into a positive, productive frame of mind when they get off track. Read on for advice on how to recenter yourself and return to the task at hand.

How to Structure a Speech: 3 Templates From Dale Carnegie

What are the various ways a speech can be organized? How does Dale Carnegie recommend you end a talk, regardless of its structure? Once you have a topic and some excellent ideas around it, you need to organize your ideas in a way that will reach your audience effectively. In Public Speaking for Success, Dale Carnegie provides three templates and shares some general guidelines that apply to any speech structure. Continue reading to learn how to structure a speech with classic advice from Carnegie.

Is Zen Buddhism Mahayana? How Ideas From India Influenced Zen

Is Zen Buddhism Mahayana? How did ideas from India shape a philosophy that emerged in China? Alan Watts discusses the origins of Zen Buddhism in his book The Way of Zen. He explains that Zen ideas came largely out of three different traditions. One of these is Mahayana Buddhism, and Watts outlines two concepts that the two philosophies share. Keep reading to learn how Mahayana Buddhism helped shape Zen Buddhism.

Sam Harris: Buddhism Has the Roadmap to Secular Spirituality

Which Buddhist teachings does secularist Sam Harris follow? Why? Sam Harris isn’t religious, but he’s spiritual. In his book Waking Up, he discusses how to separate spirituality from the confines of religion, and why, out of all the major faiths, Buddhism provides the most practical roadmap to having spiritual experiences without the baggage of superstition and dogma. Continue reading to understand why, for Sam Harris, Buddhism has something to offer.