Question: Based On Experience, Who Should Be The Most Effective Public Speaker?
Not sure how I came across this speech. Nevertheless, after listening to him, I decided to listen to him speak at other venues!
He is a remarkable public speaker which may be more identified with and recognized by the secular world than the religious community.
He really is not only a remarkable speaker, but apparently, he has a personal relationship with the Lord — didn’t know that. Probably because I am not into the movie world.
Video Link Put God First – Denzel Washington’s commencement speech at Dillard University
Number One . . . . Put God first!
Put God first in everything you do.
everything that you think you see in me
everything that I’ve accomplished
everything that you think I have
and I have a few things
everything that I have is by the grace of God
understand that — it’s a gift
40 years ago
March 27 1975
It was 40 years ago
just this past March
I was flunking out of college
I had a 1.7 grade point average
I hope none of you can relate
I had a 1.7 grade point average
I was sitting in my mother’s beauty shop
they still call it beauty shops now
what they call it — yeah I’ll sit in the beauty parlor
I was sitting in my mother’s beauty parlor
and I’m looking in the mirror and I see behind me this woman under the dryer and every time she looked up she
every time I looked up
she was looking at me — looking at me in the eye
I don’t know who she was and I said you know
she said somebody give me a pen
give me a pencil — I have a prophecy
March 27 1975 — she said
boy you were gonna travel the world
and speak to millions of people
now mind you
I flunked out of college
I’m thinking about joining the army
I didn’t know what I was gonna do
She’s telling me I’m gonna travel the world and speak to millions of people
well I have traveled the world
and I have spoke to millions of people
but that’s not the most important thing — the success that I had
the most important thing is that — what she taught me and what she told me that day has stayed with me since
I’ve been protected
I’ve been directed
I’ve been corrected
I’ve kept God in my life and has kept me humble
I didn’t always stick with him
but he always stuck with me
so stick with Him in everything you do
If you think you want to do
what you think I’ve done
then do what I’ve done
and stick with God
Number Two . . . . Fail Big
That’s right — fail big
today is the beginning of the rest of your life
and it can be a very frightening
it — it’s a new world out there
it’s a mean world out there
and you only live once
so do what you feel passionate about — passionate about take chances — professionally
don’t be afraid to fail
This IQ test was nine dots and you had to draw five lines with a pencil within these nine dots without lifting the pencil the only way to do it was to go outside the box
so it’ll be afraid to go outside the box
don’t be afraid to think outside the box
don’t be afraid to fail big to dream big
but remember
dreams without goals are just dreams
and they ultimately fuel disappointment
so have dreams but have goals —
life goals
yearly goals
monthly goals
daily goals
I try to give myself a goal every day
sometimes — just did not curse somebody out — simple goals
but have goals
and understand that to achieve these goals
you must apply discipline and consistency
in order to achieve your goals you must apply discipline
which you’ve already done —
and consistency
every day
not Tuesday — and miss a few days
you have to work at it
every day you have to plan
every day
you’ve heard the saying
we don’t plan to fail – we failed to plan
hard work – works
working really hard is what successful people do
and in this text tweet twirlk world — that you’ve grown up in — just remember
just because you’re doing a lot more doesn’t mean you’re getting a lot more done
remember that
just because you’re doing a lot more doesn’t mean you’re
getting a lot more done
don’t confuse movement with progress
my mother told me — so yeah yeah cuz — you can run a place all the time and never get anywhere
so
continue to strive
continue to have goals
continue to progress
Number Three . . . . You’ll never see a U-haul behind a hearse
I’ll say it again
you’ll never see a U-haul behind a hearse
I don’t care how much money you make
you can’t take it with you
and it’s not how much you have – it’s what you do with what you have
we all have different talents
some of you will
be doctors
some lawyers
some scientists
some educators
some nurses
some teachers
yeah okay
some preachers
the most selfish thing you can do in this world — is help someone else
why is it selfish?
because
the gratification
the goodness that comes to you
the good feeling
the good feeling that I get from helping others
nothing’s better than that
not jewelry
not big house I have
not the cars
but the it’s the joy
that’s where the joy is in helping others
that’s where the success is
Finally . . . . I pray that you put your slippers way under the bed tonight
so that when you wake up in the morning
you have to get on your knees to reach them.
and while – while you’re down there say
thank you for grace
thank you for mercy
thank you for understanding
thank you for wisdom
thank you for parents
thank you for love
thank you for kindness
thank you for humility
thank you for peace
thank you for prosperity
say thank you in advance for what’s already yours
how I live my life
that’s where I am
one of the reasons why I am today
say thank you in advance for what is already yours
true desire in the heart for anything good is God’s proof to you sent beforehand to indicate that it’s yours already
I’ll say it again
true desire in the heart — that itch that you have — whatever it is you want to do
that thing that you want to do
to help others and
to grow and
to make money
that desire
that itch
that’s God’s proof to you beforehand already to indicate that it’s yours
and anything you want good
you can have
so claim it
work hard to get it
when you get it — reach back — pull someone else up
each one — teach one
Don’t just aspire to make a living — aspire to make a difference.
What made it . . . .
° one of those good-to-great speeches
° an easy speech to listen to
° a speech which kept the audience’s attention and focus
° worth using as an example
° worth providing the whole transcript
Yes, his personal “ethos” made a difference, but more than that there were several reproducible rhetorical techniques which Denzel Washington understands, or . . . .
maybe taught him by a “speaker’s bureau,” or
learned through his professional acting education, or
acquired because of his career, or
learned because of his upbringing in the church*.
Simplicity: The points were simple. They were not long, over-worded, complex truths or principles.
Clarity: Each point was clear and clearly stated and succinctly worded. His three points may be more remembered than the many power-pointed main /sub / subsub and/or the alliterated main / sub/ subsub points of a sermon!
Repeating / Restating / Expanding: I have tried to highlight the “stacking of comments” in the transcript by indenting the stacks. To grasp the rhetorical value of this go back and check out this previous article. This also adds to clarity because it slows down the flow of words by expanding a concept, and/or restating and repeating the same idea.
Unmistakable Points & Progression: The “three” — really four even though the fourth was stated as “finally” — points were verbally indicated — one, two, three, finally. While there was a lack of “transitions” which moved you from point to point, it works.
Number One . . . . Put God first!
Number Two . . . . Fail Big
Number Three . . . . You’ll never see a U-haul behind a hearse
Finally . . . . I pray that you put your slippers way under the bed tonight
I often say to the university students I teach here in Florida . . . .
Minimally — worse case — not the best way to move from point to point — but if nothing else at least say, “Point Number Two.” At least we know that we have moved from the previous point and know where you and we are.”
Creating Tension & Resolution: Washington was able to keep the audience listening by creating some tension and resolution of that tension. Three examples of that are . . . .
The story of the woman looking at him in the Barber Shop
and
Selfishness is helping someone else (what??? That is self-less! No?)
and
Put your slippers way under the bed tonight (what??? What is he talking about?).
Perhaps the most valuable lesson which can be learned from this speech by Denzel Washington is this . . . .
Focused: He said a lot — in less than 9 minutes! His ability, effectiveness, and ability to succinctly drive home points should challenge if not rebuke may other public speakers, including pastors.
Please Note: The point is not — “Preach for under 10 minutes.”** “Serial Public Speakers,” such as pastors, who speak to “serial audiences,” such as congregations, can and should work at being as effective in communicators! Public Speaking abilities can be learned and developed! The most effective communicators should be those who do it the most, and that would be preachers!
Denzel Washington is a study in contrast!
Can I suggest, his speech may have said more than many a message spoken this past Sunday.
Many a sermon takes far more time to say far less!
* “Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. was born on December 28, 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. He is the middle of three children of a beautician mother, Lennis, from Georgia, and a Pentecostal minister father.”
Want to listen to another great speech by Denzel Washington’s commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania — it is under seven minutes!
**The point is not — “Preach for under 10 minutes,” but it is not a bad idea to say more in less time — It is called “focus.”
Thank you for another great example Pastor Ted, keep preaching!!
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