Tag: Yogi Berra

Manner Of Speaking Blog

Manner of Speaking WordPress blog.  It’s a good one.  Click here to check it out.

If you have no interest in Public Speaking, that’s ok.  May I offer this different perspective for still paying attention to this jungle jeff blog post?

As a Professional Speaker, sometimes a “sports story” is appropriate. There are people however, that will immediately turn off and tune out.  Why?  Well for starters, they’ll say things like:

  • “I don’t like sports”.
  • “I never played sports”.
  • “I don’t watch sports”.
  • “I hate sports”.

So let me just say this, when I tell a “sports story”, it’s not about sports, it’s about excellence.  When I blog about public speaking, it’s not about public speaking as much as it is about passion, and the pursuit of excellence – in any endeavor.

That’s why you should pay attention.  “You can observe a lot by watching”. – Yogi Berra

Paying Attention Pays

Yogi Berra, the baseball player who is also famous for saying, “Ninety percent of it is half mental”, and, “When you come to the fork in the road, take it”, also coined one of my all-time favorite sayings:

“You can observe a lot by watching”.

Walt Disney has taught me to watch and listen for what is done, and for what is not done.  And try to learn why.

And now I’m teaching our son.  Most of life’s secrets are pretty simple.

What’s challenging for most of us, myself included, is that we are easily distracted.  Easily swayed by peer pressure and society’s norms.

Walt Disney was a man who challenged the status quo, in virtually everything he did professionally.

Look where that got him.  One of the most creative minds in modern times.

Why?

Because he watched what wasn’t being done, and then did it.  Soon after, everyone else tried to catch him.

In a very humble sort of way, I can totally relate to Walt Disney.

Our son, at eight years old understands this, while many adults do not. Crazy. But true.  Carpe diem, jungle jeff 🙂