Karen Friedman

I was stressing over an upcoming keynote when my husband asked me why I was so worked up about it. There will be over 1,000 people there I told him. So what, he wondered out loud. When you were on TV, you used to speak to millions of people and it never bothered you.

Well, that’s different, I informed him. I didn’t have to look at them!

That’s when the light bulb went off. Yes, I make my living teaching people how to become better communicators and for the most part, I’m a confident speaker. But his remarks sparked a new level of understanding regarding our clients. It’s far easier to present to people when you don’t have to look them in the eye. And it’s far less nerve-wracking when people are not staring back at you. [Read more…] about Too many people mistake public speaking with performing

The taxi driver who took me to the airport was retired, perhaps pushing 80. So when he told me he had three jobs and I inquired why, he said: “Purpose.” He said “I love to work.” Every day I wake up with a purpose, he explained. For him, that’s driving to the airport or helping with luggage at the airport carousels. Purpose.

Each and every one of us has a purpose. Perhaps it’s caring for an aging parent, a child or a spouse. Perhaps it’s the work we do. Maybe it’s a charity we support. For a friend of mine who was laid off, it actually took breast cancer to bring purpose back to her life.

Thought breast cancer is hardly a coveted purpose, after being laid off years earlier, my friend lost energy and self-esteem. She checked out of many daily activities and struggled to get out of bed every day. She had no purpose. [Read more…] about What’s your purpose? You may not know it, but you have one