Books by Chuck Wall
Speaking with Spark
53 spiral-bound pages packed with speaking hints to make your speech sparkle!
Why This Booklet
So you need to give a speech and you’re just not quite sure how to make your presentation a success. This booklet has the tips you need to make you feel good about yourself and leave your audience pleased with your presentation.
For many people, giving a speech is something to be avoided. It causes shaky knees, a quavering voice and an upset stomach at the very least. Here you will find essential information to make giving that speech much less stressful. After reading this booklet, you will see that public speaking need not be feared, but rather embraced as an opportunity to discuss your interests with others who may share your passion for that subject.
This booklet is the result of many years of speaking to audiences – small and large – throughout the world. Benefit from my experiences as a speech professor, motivational speaker and workshop leader and build your own skills without making the mistakes I made. Being “on your soapbox” can actually be great fun, so follow the tips I offer and hone those speaking skills – whether your goal is a successful career or just an occasional presentation.
Cost: $5.95 + $1.75 shipping
Purchase here
THE BOOKSHELF NEWSLETTER
A series of excerpts from Speaking with Spark appear in author Delia Latham's monthly newsletter, The Bookshelf, starting in January 2008. You'll find the current month's excerpt on her website, but be sure to check out the newsletter archives for past postings.
U.S. News & World Report
Look for mention of Dr. Chuck Wall in the January 2008 issue of U.S. News and World Report cover story about ways to improve your life.
The Power of Everyday Kindness
Interview with Senseless Acts of Kindness Creator Dr. Chuck Wall
by Beryl Meyer
Better Life Media News
When was the last time you thanked someone for doing a good job ... gave a compliment ... held open the door for a stranger? If you can't remember, consider this: Any one of these simple acts can improve the quality of your life instantly.
Dr. Chuck Wall, Ph.D., Educational Administration and Marketing Management, was looking for an assignment to give his Human Relations class at Bakersfield College in California when he heard a local radio announcer talking about yet another random act of senseless violence.
"I remember thinking, 'Is this the new definition of the news?'" he recalls. "A group of kids doing wonderful things ... sadly, that isn't news."
That phrase - "random act of senseless violence" - intrigued Wall, who imagined turning the negative message into a positive one just by changing one word. When he returned to the classroom the next day, he shared with his students their next project: Commit one random act of senseless kindness.
At the time, Wall had no idea what the efforts of his class would bring. Nor could he know that his minor change in verbiage would result in a catchphrase that would spread across the country - and the world - like wildfire.
"You would have thought we discovered human kindness - that no one had ever come up with the concept of being kind to another," he says.
The fact is, however, that social mores have changed, and even the simplest gestures, such as holding open a door or helping someone with their bundles, have taken a backseat to a more guarded - and more isolated - way of being.
The beauty of Wall's concept is that it has a ripple effect. Like a tiny pebble cast into a lake, that initial 'ping' fans out far and wide.
"One person can make a difference," says Wall, now President of his worldwide organization, Kindness, Inc., Random Acts of Senseless Kindness. "I'm the living proof."
Take a cup of kindness ...
How to effect change and improve the quality of your life by demonstrating kindness? The most important way you can have an impact is through the people you come in contact with every day, advises Wall.
"That group becomes your focus. If tens of thousands of people do that, we can really make a difference."
The possibilities are as infinite as your imagination. Niceties such as offering your seat on the bus to a pregnant woman or helping an elderly person across the street are certainly gestures from the heart. You might consider paying a utility bill for a relative who may be short on funds, or visiting a convalescent home and offering words of encouragement, as two of Wall's students did.
Look, too, to those people in your life whom Wall calls 'silent servants,' including your local school custodians, community groundskeepers, neighborhood mail carriers and hospital food service workers.
"We never think of them as people; we think of them in the results of their work. Many times, we don't even realize they exist," says Wall. "Seek them out, thank them and tell them what a fantastic job they're doing."
Reaching out and touching someone - on an emotional level - brings its own rewards. Wall believes getting more involved with children who are lacking a sense of nurturing in their lives will help to sustain them - and you, in turn, as well. The interest you show in a child in need sows seeds that last a lifetime.
It costs nothing but a minute of your time - and two willing arms - to make an emotional connection even more meaningful.
"I'm a firm believer in a hug a day," says Wall. "Adults need it as much as children."
... and share it readily -- and randomly
Another random act of kindness that ranks high with Wall: a show of appreciation, whether it's a simple handwritten note (or a thank-you card email) telling that person they've made your day.
"When someone has done something particularly nice to you, it's important to let them know how much you appreciate them."
Wall created a Kindness Coin for just that purpose. On one side it reads, "Today I will commit one random act of senseless kindness ... Will you?" On the flip side it reads, "You've made my day. Now pass this coin onto someone else who has made your day."
