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There are 3 basic reasons we do not enjoy the present and these brain machinations keep us from enjoying the present and then potentially the future as well.

• We are living too in the past [memory]
• We are living too much in the future [dreaming of what is ahead]
• We have a fear of change

Now for you and me it may not be that hard to reach our dreams,
But that magic feeling never seems to last.

And while the future’s there for anyone to change,

Don’t you know it seems

It would be easier sometimes to change the past.

[Jackson Browne; Fountain of Sorrow]

Too many of us fail to live in the present because it seems to be the nature of the human brain or mind to skip over what is happening and to dwell on the what-ifs of the past and/or the I-wills of the future.

If we could change the past as the lyrics say – would we? Would we make different choices? It’s an idea to ponder but in reality we can only change the future by changing the present choices – not actually undoing previous ones.

The past is easy to think about precisely because it already happened! We do not need to invent that reality. We replay events wondering what if we had acted differently or had not done a specific action or had done an action.

We can easily depress ourselves via this course of thinking because there is nothing we can do and we feel helpless.

Or we can think about the future and what we will do “when”

• When we have enough money
• When we are married
• When we are happy
• When we feel like doing [whatever it is]

Thinking ahead about “whens” is different than making actual plans for those “whens” or actually moving toward them.

And there are some “whens” that are too vague or too distant or too unrealistic to get us moving toward them.

Many of our “whens” are actually thoughts we use to protect ourselves from any real or imagined failures.

Which leads to the 3rd barrier – fear of change. We as humans like inertia – even if it is an inertia that keeps us stuck in an uncomfortable place. It is one of the odd conditions of being human that this happens.

So we remain rehashing the past or putting up future “whens” to keep us feeling safe rather than getting outside of our own minds and creating that change for our own futures.

With Christmas decorations in place we turn our thoughts to presents to give to others. If someone has a fancy for cooking a wheel of cheese will be a thoughtful gift. We can give cheese of many flavors to them before the Christmas celebrations and it can be used to cut up with fruit to make a nice appetizer platter.

There are many kinds of cheeses with specialties made worldwide. One cheese is made with buffalo milk to give it a different flavor. The base for other cheeses can be found to be made with goat and sheep milk. For a special someone there are cheeses shaped like pears and dipped in wax to keep it pretty. Some are made with portabella mushrooms and some mellow with wine, this would be special for Christmas. If the cheese you give them is from another country make sure you give the companies time to receive it for your holiday giving.

There is the traditional colby or cheddar cheese that you can use in your recipe for cheese balls. Cheese balls are easy to make using cream cheese with onions and spices of your preference. Mixing them up together to let all the flavors meld together.

You can place your homemade cheese balls in a wooden bowl, or wrap it up and set it on a cutting board. When you get someone a cheese block you can include a cutting board made out of marble keeping the cheese cool til you have the job complete.

This is a perfect Christmas present for anyone that loves to eat. They can use it to make their own grilled cheese or nachos. They will remember you long after the holidays. Most of the cheeses included are easy to keep and some will freeze.

Are you creating a “slideument” for your presentations and wondering why you’re not getting the impact you want? What is a “slideument” you ask? Well, you create a great value proposition for your product and then launch right into a PowerPoint presentation that includes lots of text slides to support your message. The merger of a document and a slide presentation is what Garr Reynolds, author of Presentation Zen calls this a “slideument”.

I’m sure you’ve been the victim of one of these presentations where the room is darkened and despite efforts to the contrary, everyone is nodding off to sleep. This is definitely not an effective way to capture the attention of the audience, especially today when everyone is so into pictures and video on their tablets and smart phones. Yet, you think, “What am I to do? This is business, I must show facts, storytelling is for children, for the movies and for social occasions. I must show ROI information and sales forecasts to be effective.”

Not so! Storytelling has been an effective means of communication for over 2,000 years. And it’s becoming more and more important in business. We think in pictures, video, and stories – so to make your presentations more memorable, you must learn to make these elements central to your presentation. Yes, you must include facts, but there are ways that are more effective than a slideument to communicate and support your message. A simple chart can convey the main message. A takeaway document with the details or a website link can provide more depth if necessary.

We’re learning from experts like Steve Jobs, Nancy Duarte, Garr Reynolds, Bo Eason and others that telling a great story makes a message stick. That’s exactly what Chip and Dan Heath tell us in their book Made to Stick and what Gary Klein relates in the chapter titled “The Power of Stories” his book Sources of Power. So how can you make your next presentation more memorable?

Here’s a few tips to get you started:

1. Start with paper and pencil – don’t start in PowerPoint or Keynote

2. Note why you’re speaking and what is your main point

3. Structure your message with an attention-grabbing beginning, a middle with supporting information, and an ending that tells your audience what you want them to do when you’re done speaking.

4. Start by describing the current situation and make sure your audience resonates with it. Then tell them what the future could be by painting a compelling picture and getting them to imagine having a role in the picture. The key to remembering and taking action is to envision participating in the action. The unconscious mind records it and remembers it as if it were real. Visualization is how many sports stars improve their game.

5. Once they have the picture, tell them what action they should take. End on a high note with the audience knowing what they should do and feeling compelled to take that action. Be sure to include a description of the reward they will receive for taking action. Also, tell them that it is not always easy but the reward is worth the effort.

6. Once you’ve outlined your story, select pictures and short video segments to support your message. Use full screen photos and video for the majority of the presentation. The fewer the words, the better. Some key messages or quotes should be sufficient.

7. As you write the details of your script, be conversational. Your audience will pay more attention if you’re conversational. They will also feel more a part of the story or presentation.

8. Study the experts. Visit YouTube and view presentations by the people mentioned in this article. Buy their books and make notes.

Continue to practice and refine your skills using these tips. You will find that you get more attention and interaction from your audience.