The education system does not prepare us for the challenges life presents. In fact it teaches us a very backward set of expectations.

At school we all sat through weeks, months or even years of lessons. Then we sat a test – to find out if we had learned the lesson. In life, however, it happens the other way around.

At school we learn the lesson, then sit the test. In life, we take the test then learn the lesson.

This truth is the key to discovering your unique story that illuminates your presentation. The lesson that you learned from the unexpected test that life dropped in your lap is your unique story.

Each of us has faced many tests – from financial struggles to relationship breakdowns; health scares to business buy-outs; mountain climbing to parenting. It almost doesn’t matter what the test was – the key is to identify the lesson we learned and then how to share it.

During the COVID19 lockdown, there are more than enough tests to go-around; we see them on the news every night. The heartbreak of unexpected deaths, the bravery and courage of frontline workers or the challenge of leading nations through a reality that feels more like a Sci-Fi movie than real life.

There are millions of tests – and there are millions of lessons- however very few people will notice their lesson or learn it.

On my Speak with Confidence course I teach that personal stories are one of the essential ingredients to an engaging and influential presentation. The key to a great personal story is to identify a lesson you learned from one of life’s tests – and then to share it so others can learn too.

Find your Unique Story

All great speakers have a unique story.

It is the heart of every presentation and talk that they give. It is the big idea that shapes their life - their defining moment.

We're on a mission to identify a 1000 voices that the world needs to hear.

And you can join in by finding your unique story in our 5 day challenge.

If you want to become a professional speaker, paid motivational speaker or life coach then finding your unique story is the essential first step.

Join the 1000 Voices 5 day challenge and by this time next week you will have found your unique story that the world needs to hear.