I need your help.

I find myself in one of those good news/bad news situations. The good news is that finally I know what it is I want to be when I grow up. The bad news is I don’t think I’m quite ready to grow up just yet.

After spending much time over the past six months examining the many different functions of my day-job and placing an arbitrary yet meaningful value to each one of them it became obvious to me that of all the many different roles I play in my company the one that gives me the most enjoyment and, where quite frankly, I think I am best able to deliver the highest level value, is as a speaker and presenter of information.

And that’s where I have decided to focus my efforts my marketing efforts over the next while.

I have come to believe that of all the many drivers in our lives – all the many influences on our lives – there are two that stand out and it’s on those two topics that I wish to build a complementary career as a professional speaker.

I believe that most controllable results in our lives begin firstly with the choices that we make and it’s these choices we make that form our beliefs –  those many things that we uniquely and individually believe to be true.

And our beliefs drive our actions – remember, as we have discussed many times over the past 180+ weeks, we only do what we believe to be important in the moment – and it is what we do repeatedly, the habits we form, that ultimately are responsible for the quality of our lives.

My first book,  Life Sinks or Soars – the Choice is Yours, was very much focused on our remarkable power of choice – that God given gift that distinguishes us from most other species.

I’m now finishing up my second, as yet unnamed, book – a book about habits that illustrates the degree to which our lives are shaped by what we do repeatedly and, as you know, I recently started a second blog on the topic of habits, called Habits Cause Have Its which I post each Wednesday.

(A quick plug: My favourite bookstore – Self Connection – will be hosting a book launch to introduce my new book on Thursday, May 30th. Hope you can be here.).

Choices, beliefs and habits constitute an enormously broad and deep topic that allows for endless discussion and the constant bringing of new ideas to the table.

I believe this topic is of extreme importance to all of us. While this conversation is, of itself, not new, I think it is necessary to expand both the breadth and depth of this topic so as to increase the understanding of the powerful rules choices, beliefs and habits play in our individual pursuit of fulfilling lives.

I would like to add my voice to those of the many others, far more qualified, who worked diligently to spread this vital message to as many people as possible.

I realize that to reach my goal I need to become a much better, more polished, more skillful and more engaging speaker than I am right now and to that end I have adopted the habit of practicing speaking at every opportunity that arises and on those many days when those opportunities do not present themselves, of practicing in front of a device that I have come to hate with extreme intensity– my video camera.

If you ever feel that your self-esteem needs to be taken down a notch or two, watch a video of yourself delivering a presentation. Before you do this I recommend scheduling a session with a really good therapist.

I have one family member who listens attentively to each of my practice talks. She gazes lovingly at me with rapt attention, intensely focused on every single word, clearly spellbound by my oratory.

That loyal and supportive family member is Malka, our adorable little shih-tzu – dachshund, and I don’t think the treat I hold in my hand while speaking has anything to do with her attentiveness.

So, back to where I started; I need your help.

I’m asking for help in getting my name “out there.” I need referrals to people who hire speakers, bring speakers into their companies or organizations or organize events and conventions. I need your help in suggesting any ideas that I might employ that will help me build this new career successfully.

I have never been strong as a networker and haven’t paid much attention to developing a network of my own so you, my long-suffering readers, are now being asked to become my network and help me spread my message.

I realize it is presumptuous of me to ask for your help – I haven’t yet earned the right to ask – but I will certainly appreciate any help or advice you can offer.

I intend to transition into this new role over the next year or so and I feel both excited and challenged at the task ahead.

With your indulgence, I will keep you informed of my progress over the coming months and invite you to contact me at rael@raelkalley.com should you have any thoughts, ideas or suggestions you would like to share with me.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Till we read again.

P.S. If you haven’t yet subscribed to, or even just checked out, my new blog called Habits Cause Have Its please click here.