To be natural practice incessantly

To be natural, practice incessantly.

“Just act naturally,” you think before taking the stage. “Be yourself,” your mentor told you last week. Doesn’t that sound simple, common sense even? What does preparation have to do with acting natural?

Gallo points out, “authenticity doesn’t happen naturally ((Gallo, pg. 76)).” Not just a couple tries in front of a bathroom mirror beforehand; his illustrative story is from a woman who spent four months in preparation and received feedback from over one hundred people, all for an eighteen minute speech ( (Gallo, pg. 76)).

The problem is, we cannot represent our deepest passion or inspire our audience to action on a whim. We must unearth the ruby forged in our hearts by the fire of passion, polish the gem with accurate and descriptive words, and set it in gold-lace stories that shine with authenticity. And that’s just the message itself.

Today you may have seen a white apple sticker. You or a close relative checked their Facebook page on an iSomething. I’m writing this post on an Apple laptop. Why the ubiquity? Apple products are generally simple to use, sleek in form and function, and well advertised. But how much of the brand’s success stems from Job’s launch presentations?

Steve Jobs spent countless hours preparing for each year’s product launch. He brainstormed shocking and memorable ways to introduce new features and products. He developed an engaging stage presence. He poured a sizable chunk of his creativity into a single presentation. Why? Because the splash made by his unveiling rippled through the entire market. The waves drew in new customers and the riptide kept existing customers loyal. He practiced incessantly because it was critical to the success of Apple ((Gallo, pg. 80,145)).

Across several books, the subject that continues to emerge is practice. McGowan and Gallo both point to incessant practice as the key to mastery of their subject, whether it be sales or speeches ((McGowan)).

What stands out in Gallo’s book is the influence of passion on one’s practice. Each TED speaker is on the stage, not because they majored in public speaking at a prestigious university, but because of their passion for the subject that drove them to practice incessantly to give their passionate message the highest chance of success. Therefore, although my insight relates to practice, my response is to pursue my passion, knowing that supporting skills-like public speaking-will be honed in the desire to communicate what most engages my soul.

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