America’s First Lady Michelle Obama’s speech at SXSW’s Let Girls Learn conference, is a tour de force.
Wow. How talented and polished is this lady at public speaking and presenting!
She is so inspiring. She talks from the heart looking effortlessly relaxed and elegant, womanly and sexy, with not a trace of I’m dressing like a man in order to be heard!
Using what she has, in a charming and elegant way, bare armed and bare legged, in a simple, but smart black dress, talking easily and freely, using natural and unedited movements with her hands, her free arm and hand gesturing and expressing everything she says in total congruence with her words, she comes over as if you’d just love to spend some time with her..
She allows herself to express words about her feelings as they come up thus freeing herself to be relaxed and unblocked as she moves on to the meat of the matter, explaining what and why she will miss being in the White House.
She is superbly erudite about the value of public service but grounded in reality regarding most people’s core priority to make a decent living – as she says – find a way to turn your blessings into something powerful that affects the lives of others.
This is all delivered with style and grace, because she allows herself to be human in front of the cameras and audience.
If you self edit too much you can come over as a carefully guarded politician (fine if you are!) but this could have the effect of your body language being at odds with your feelings, thus projecting a somewhat disingenuous personality.
Don’t over edit your physicality, naturally we move our hands when we speak..
And like her: use your charms. If you are a woman, enjoy it, celebrate your attributes rather than effecting a male stance or dress code. If you dress & stand at odds with who you are, it is rather like listening to a piano concerto plaid on a double bass – not only is there a lack of congruence (this word is used again because this is incredibly important) but also it is simply not the optimum performance you can give.
If you are a woman, present as a woman, use your voice as a woman, you will be speaking the sentiments of a woman (unless a male wrote your speech and/or is prompting your answers) so deliver as a woman, so that your message is powerful and not muddied by mixed messages.
The man speaking after you will do a better job of using male public speaking and presentation techniques, because he is, a man!
So if you are a woman, let yourself be one, as Michelle Obama does!
Celebrate your own natural attractiveness and let your true power of being a strong, womanly woman, shine through and radiate, thus enhancing your message and neon lighting it with your glow…
