Your Favourite Subject

OK, in five minutes time you have to get up and talk to an audience for twenty minutes. That's all you know. Some will be terrified; others will take to it like a stroll in a park.

What you gonna talk about?

I thought about this yesterday when a newly ordained acquaintance put on Facebook that he had to preach his second sermon in his new parish this coming weekend and he could choose any subject he liked and what did we think he should choose? I repent of my slightly graceless answer which was not to ask everyone on Facebook until he had a harder question.

But it is interesting how many people, be they in Defence Procurement, Horticulture or Nursing, in professions that do not require the regular delivery of stand-up anything, stumble at the problem of what to speak about if asked to speak.

You see there is one subject in which you, whoever you are, are the world's leading expert. One topic about which you can speak without fear of contradiction. One diatribe that will be the best it could possibly be.

Yet many people miss it.

I thought about this again just now when I was looking through a book of new children's songs and found the old children's song I Am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made.

The topic? It's you. If asked to speak about anything talk about you. If you need help get interviewed. If you have no interviewer available give out pieces of paper and ask the audience to state something they would be interested to know about you.

You are the best you there is. Tell people about that.