My Speech- First Draft- Love

Envy Draft

Anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness, disgust, disappointment, shame… Have you ever felt any one of those emotions running through you like a stream of hot lava? Think about it, if you had, then you have committed one of the seven deadly sins: Envy. Envy has been, is, and always shall be, the destruction of many. But will it be the destruction or the downfall of you? Will you be able to stop yourself from committing any more sins?

First we need to understand envy? Now I have to clearly state to you in case you think of the “jealousy.” "Envy" and "jealousy" are often used interchangeably in common usage, but strictly speaking, the words stand for two distinct emotions. Jealousy is the result or fear of losing someone or something that one is attached to or possesses to another person. For example in the last book of the Harry Potter series, Ron was jealous of Harry’s fame and powers because it might be the reason Hermione leaving him for his best friend Harry. Envy on the other hand is the resentment caused by another person having something that one does not have, but desires for oneself. For example, in Romeo's speech in Act II, Sc. 2 of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo says, "See how she leans her cheek against her hand, o the I were a glove upon that hand that I might touch that cheek." Here, Romeo is envious of the glove that Juliet was wearing because that glove got to touch her cheeks while Romeo cannot.

It is agreed that envy involves an envier: the subject; and a party who is envied: the rival. Like an employer and an employee relationship. The rival may be a person, a group of people, some possession, capacity or trait that the subject supposes the rival to have: the good. The good might be something that only one party could possibly possess (the crown jewels, or being the world's best go player), or it might be something easily duplicated. It is sometimes held that the good may even be utility, happiness, or some psychological state that Subject, the envier, could attribute to Rival, the one who is being envied by, even if there were no material difference in their possessions or capacities.  Most people in the world, including you, you and everyone else, have been in both of those two positions at least once in their life. I can sure tell you that I have been in both of these positions. But trust me; it isn’t fun at either ends of the stick.

So why isn’t it fun to envy others? If you are the envier, desiring to possess something another person, object, or animal have, you are being controlled by your own desires; and when you are being controlled by your desires for whatever you may want, you will be blinded from the reality, and the sense of moral and good. For when the envy is strong, you will want to fulfill it so you feel satisfaction for possessing something you wanted. Being envious indicates that the you are not satisfied with what life has given to you, and not satisfied that life gave you a chance to live. Focusing on provoking and envying others may only lose the valuable that you already have. Why? Because you fed the envious part of you so much that you couldn’t care for the precious things you already have.

It can be said that not envy someone or something else is impossible for we are all humans. But you should know that it is because we are humans, we strive for perfection and better. So I ask you today, to find out what or who, and why you are feeling envious, after, remember to thank and be grateful. That is the solution of not committing one of the seven deadly sins: Envy.

Speech - Rough Draft

 Hello ! :) 
This is my speech on the health benefits of chocolate! Keep in mind, this is a draft and it still needs to some revising! 

 What’s delicious, rich, and creamy, derived from cacao beans, and is utter perfection? The answer is simple, it’s chocolate. Chocolate, we all know what it is, we've all tasted its sweet and creamy flavour before, but here’s a twist. Did you know that chocolate is in fact considered a super food?! Good afternoon Ms. Lees and fellow classmates. Yes, you heard right, I did indeed say that chocolate is a super food, no it does not give you superpowers but it does have amazing health benefits that aid you in staying in tip top shape.

   Is it possible you say? This sweet, sugary treat full of calories is good for you?! Yes, recent scientific studies have proven it to be packed full of good stuff..The secret behind chocolate being a super food is the one and only cacao bean. That little bean is a disease-killer, the only problem is on its own it tastes nasty, and bitter, and chalky. Bleh.

  Now enter milk, butter and a ton of sugar and it’s suddenly more pleasurable to taste, but it dilutes the superpower of the cacao bean. The more ingredients you add to the chocolate the less power the cacao bean has,which is why dark chocolate is a popular choice because of its high content of the bean compared to its lighter colored brother.
    Study after studies prove that dark chocolate – rich, sweet, and delicious is good for more than curing a broken heart. A long term study in Germany this year found out that eating about a square of dark chocolate a day lowered blood pressure, and reduced the risk of a heart attack or stroke by 39 percent! Most of the credit goes to something called flavonoids. Flavonoids are an antioxidant compound that increases the flexibility of veins and arteries.

  As if improving cardiovascular health wasn't enough, dark chocolate can also aid in weight loss. Ironic isn't it? Something that you think would help you gain pounds actually makes you lose them. Researchers from Copenhagen discovered that dark chocolate is far more filling that any other type of chocolate. It lessens your cravings for sweet, salty, fatty foods helping to avoid unnecessary snacking. So ladies, don’t be scared to indulge in a little bit of dark chocolate even if you are trying to lose weight.

 Increasing heart health, aids in weight loss, I mean what else can it do? Ah yes, for all you people out there that don’t feel smart or want to boost your intelligence, have I got good news for you. A University of Nottingham researcher found that drinking cocoa rich in flavanols boosts blood flow to key parts of the brain for 2 to 3 hours, which could improve performance and alertness in the short term. Other researchers from Oxford University and Norway looked at chocolate's long-term effects on the brain by studying the diets of more than 2,000 people over age 70. They found that those who consumed flavanol-rich chocolate scored significantly higher on cognitive tests than compared to those who didn’t. Yup, it’s that simple, eat some chocolate and you could boost your intelligence.

Chocolate isn't only good for physical health, it also aids in mental health. Have you ever eaten some chocolate before and just felt happy? Chocolate contains many chemicals that can affect our moods.These natural chemicals raise serotonin and endorphins levels. Which are the natural hormones that make us feel good or have a calming effect on the brain, because of this chocolate is used as a natural defense against depression. When stressed it is proven that many people dig in to their chocolate stash more than they usually would, and this is because chocolate contains anandamide, also known as the “bliss chemical” It works towards binding some specific receptors inside the brain to promote relaxation. Next time you’re stressed grab a bit of chocolate, trust me it’ll do wonders.

With its ability to help you physically and mentally combined with its sweet taste, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the world’s most enjoyable foods. As Charles M Shulz once said “They say all you need is love, but a little chocolate now and then wouldn't hurt. “

Glossophobia Draft Final

Have you ever stood up in front of many people watching your every move? And you have something to tell them, but you mouth dries instantly in seconds. You start to feel anxiety and tension build up in your muscles. You start to shake , and you face gets embarrassingly red. Yes, a handful of us, including myself, feel these intense symptoms when presenting a speech in front of many people. All these are symptoms belong to the fear of public speaking, also know as glossophobia. 

This word isn't very familiar with everyone, but the word glosso means tongue in Greek and phobia means fear; this makes sense because most people with this fear don't want to speak or can barely speak at all in public. These people avoid situations where they would have to speak in public. Sadly, a high majority of people suffer from glossophobia.

You may be wondering what causes glossophobia. When someone constantly over thinks about succeeding on presenting the topic and having to be perfect at speaking; this causes you to get stressed out which makes you have a loss of words and breath because your worrying about what your doing. Also, thinking that the audience will criticize what you are saying will make you think of the worst scenarios possible, which keeps you off focus on what your saying. This can also be from low self-esteem and the lack of encouragement you give yourself. Without encouragement and confidence you won't be able to deliver the speech successfully. Some people might have had traumatic events from early childhood that may have left them to be afraid to speak publicly in front of many people, it could be too overwhelming or others might have not had some real experience talking in front of many people before.

It's unfortunate as it sounds that most people would rather die than give a speech! I've had my bad experiences before and they were horrible! It would start with a loss of breath and then some shaking in my voice. Now, I always try doing the best I can to practice and feel confident. On the bright side there are ways to move past this fear to give out a successful speech.

Here are some tips...

• Make yourself feel that the audience needs to hear what you are going to tell them. You are giving your time to educate a group of people what you have learned to share your knowledge with them.
• Always be prepared and practice, it's always best to prepare and rehearse before delivering your actual speech, and this gives you a chance to get to know your topic better.
• Remember to be relaxed! Take deep breaths and don't forget to breathe!

Therefore, never feel that you can't deliver a speech or talk in front of a group of people; because might say can change someone's, thoughts, beliefs, and even help them because you have educated them with your advice or information. Even though people can do well at public speaking, it doesn't have to stop you from sharing your knowledge with the world; you're stopping yourself from learning and experiencing the risks you could easily make. Generally, all you need is some time to practice to enhance your speech to continue to improve. So don't let a little fear hold you back, it's your time to shine!

Public speaking tips

1. Know your material. Pick a topic you are interested in. Know more about it than you include in your speech. Use humor, personal stories and conversational language – that way you won’t easily forget what to say.

2. Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary. Work to control filler words; Practice, pause and breathe. Practice with a timer and allow time for the unexpected.

3. Know the audience. Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. It’s easier to speak to a group of friends than to strangers.

4. Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.

5. Relax. Begin by addressing the audience. It buys you time and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before saying anything. ("One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand. Pause. Begin.) Transform nervous energy into enthusiasm.

6. Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear and confident. Visualize the audience clapping – it will boost your confidence.

7. Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They’re rooting for you.

8. Don’t apologize for any nervousness or problem – the audience probably never noticed it.

9. Concentrate on the message – not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience.

10. Gain experience. Mainly, your speech should represent you — as an authority and as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need in a safe and friendly environment.

Blog is coming along

Most of you have posted and the blog is looking good.  This week we will be working on the commenting aspect.