Seeing Beyond Belief: The Power of Direct Perception in Communication

The authenticity of our stories is not determined by the tags we assign to them, but rather by their intrinsic essence.

Imagine, if you will, standing before a crowd, your hand clenched in a fist. You claim there's a precious gemstone hidden within your grasp. The audience may believe you, or they might harbour doubts.

In the absence of definitive evidence - actual reality, direct experience of seeing the gemstone or your empty open palm, all they can do is speculate. But then, you uncurl your fingers and reveal whether there's a gem or not.

Belief is merely conjecture...

Suddenly, the concept of belief recedes, replaced by undeniable proof. Just like in this scenario, public speaking relies on the same principles. The words you speak could be the truth or mere fallacies. Based on your presentation, your listeners can only form their own beliefs and assumptions.

However, when you provide evidence, empirical data, or share a real-life experience, you’re effectively opening your fist. You're granting them the opportunity to see, in this moment. The necessity of belief gives way to the clarity of direct perception, enabling your audience to base their thoughts and actions on what they now know instead of what they believed.

The same principle applies to all communication

When it comes to public speaking, as with all communication, we must strive to move beyond conjecture and ground our speaking in reality. It's critical to draw from our own experiences and direct perception or reality to convey truth in its raw, unaltered form.

It is not the labels we attach to our narratives that make them authentic but their inherent nature.

The potency of public speaking lies in its immediacy. The present moment is all we have; the power of influence lies herein. As leaders and speakers, we are not narrating tales from an elusive, mystical realm. Our presentations should be grounded in the here and now. They are about "awakening" our audience to the realities of the present moment, in all its glory and mundanity.

This concept, often called enlightenment or awakening in spiritual contexts, is not as distant or abstract as it may seem. It's readily accessible to all of us, at every moment.

This awakening is about developing the ability to fully experience and appreciate the present moment, to glean insights and truth from it.

When we stand and present, are in a meeting or just a regular 121 conversation, remember, you're not just there to say stuff; you're there to facilitate an awakening, to lead, to influence, to see (to help them see), to open your fist and let the gemstone of truth reveal itself.