About This Site. This site is the website of motivational speaker Craig
Harper. A constantly updated, one-stop
information, inspiration, education and motivation
station. Unlike many similar sites, it is a totally
free resource for anyone who is serious about moving
from mediocre to amazing in any area of their
personal or professional life. With hundreds of
articles covering a wide range of subject matter,
great interviews with cool people and inspirational
video posts, there's more than enough brain-food to
keep you busy for hours. Okay, days!!
Enjoy.
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Public Speaking Workshop
- Craig Harper
If you've ever
thought about becoming a professional speaker or
improving your public speaking then this is the workshop
for you.
Life Coach & Mentor - Craig Harper
If
you are interested in maximizing your potential,
stepping out of that 'holding pattern' and being
privately coached by Craig click here.
Business & Career Coach - Craig Harper
If your a personal trainer, gym owner or studio owner who is interested
in growing your business and/or your career, then mentoring with Craig
could be a valuable part of your overall success strategy and
professional development journey.
Body Composition Analysis
- Craig Harper
Craig's
Qualified Exercise Scientists can provide you with a
complete Body Composition Analysis in just 30
minutes.
Fattitude
- Craig Harper
While many books focus on food,
Craig Harper teaches that creating life-long change is more about the
dieter, than the actual diet. This book is perfect for people who have a
history of 'almost' getting in shape.
In this entertaining presentation, Craig discusses the
notion of Renovating Your Body - once and for all. Many of us have a curious
ability to be able to get in shape for events (weddings, parties, reunions
and birthdays), if only we'd get in shape for life.
Food, Exercise, and Lifestyle
Diary -
Craig Harper.
If you're serious about your training,
nutrition, and lifestyle - Craig Harper's training diary is an invaluable tool.
Craig Harper is a leading
motivational speaker
and educator. He is a highly
sought-after corporate coach and is considered to be
a leader and pioneer in the areas of personal and
professional development. Working with hundreds of
teams, companies and a wide variety of organisations
on numerous continents over the last twenty years
has given Craig a unique insight into, and
understanding of, human performance and all its
variables. Craig has an ability to educate, inspire,
challenge and make people laugh all at the same
time!
I remember my first 'public speaking' gig about twenty years ago. Unfortunately.
It was a massive affair(!) ...I was doing a lecture to twelve students who were completing their fitness instructor accreditation. I had to talk for one hour. I spent two weeks preparing. Every day for those two weeks I wrote notes, re-wrote notes, planned, visualised, rehearsed (in my head) and generally stressed. For the amount of time, effort and preparation I put in, I probably earned about seventy five cents per hour for the whole experience.
Oh yes... I had surely arrived as a public speaker. An orator of some note. Not. It's fair to suggest that Tony Robbins was in no immediate danger.
The big day came and I arrived at the venue (a health club) forty five minutes early (can't be too careful when it comes to traffic delays). I sat in my car and hyper-ventilated. I studied my volumes of notes. Again. I was so nervous I could actually feel the pulse in the side of my neck. I went inside and walked straight to the change rooms. I stood in front of the mirror and looked at myself. I looked a little pastey. Grey, perhaps. My light blue shirt was now a nice blend of light.. and dark blue.
Yes, that's right; the world's most nervous man had sweated himself into a frenzy. I looked like I'd just run a half-marathon... in business pants, slip-on shoes and a shirt.
Attractive.
So, there I was... standing in front of the mirror, back-stroking in my own body fluids, looking at the sweat patches extending from my armpits to my hips, trying to figure out how on earth I was gonna dry my shirt, stop sweating, get my heart rate under one fifty and not freeze in front of my massive audience.
Very cool. Let's just say that my confidence wasn't at an all-time high at this point.
So I took my shirt off (I had no option) and decided to commandeer the only hand dryer (shirt dryer) in a pathetic attempt to address the sweat factor... four minutes later I'm standing half naked in a public washroom with a semi-dry shirt, looking like some kinda weirdo, vagrant... when the guy who was employing me to speak, walked in.
"Man, I've been looking for you."
Perfect.
So instantly my anxiety had two friends; humiliation and embarrassment.
After stumbling my way through some lame-ass explanation of my semi-nude state, my 'employer' hesitantly marched me up the corridor to meet my class.
He gave me some under-whelming introduction (understandably) and left the room. My stomach churned, my mouth went dry and my heart rate hit four hundred and twenty five. I turned to my vast audience and smiled. Not one person smiled back. Not one! My heart rate hit six hundred and fifteen. I felt my armpits spring into action.
For the next hour I bumbled, stumbled and sweated my way through, what will go down as, one of history's worst displays of public speaking. You probably think I'm gonna say I was crap; I actually wasn't.
I wish I was crap.
Crap would have been an improvement. In fact, following my first effort... crap was my goal.
Before the lecture one of my friends suggested that I should make the session interactive to take some pressure and attention off me being the only one speaking.... good idea.
In theory.
So after a fifteen minute sweaty monologue, I've opted for the old:
"Okay guys, any questions.... thoughts.....? "Anything!" "Please". "Someone".
Absolute donuts. They gave me.... nuthin!.
A sea of blank faces (well twelve of them anyway).
After my less-than impressive(!) debut I was packing up and everyone except one girl had left. She walked toward me and for one delusional moment, I thought she might put my mind at ease and tell me I wasn't so bad.
"You haven't done that before have you?" "No.. does it show?" "Yep." "Err, okay... anything else?" "You talk too fast."
My overall emotion was starting to move from a general sickness, to more of a full-body numbness.
"Alrighty... thanks for the feedback. See you next week." "Oh, do we have you next week too?" "Yes, you have me for the next five weeks."
"Oh."
And with those words of encouragement, she took her books and my remaining self-esteem and left.
Since that day I have done thousands of talks, worked on several continents, delivered numerous corporate presentations, University lectures, workshops, hosted hundreds of radio shows and made many TV appearances.
Amazingly.
So.... I finished my teaching commitment with my twelve students and over the course of the six weeks my speaking performance moved from... atrocious.... to crap.... to mediocre. I was so happy to be mediocre.
I changed from the light blue (how-much-can-one-man-sweat?) shirt to the black (doesn't-show-the-sweat) T-Shirt, learned to control my nerves a little, got my heart rate under three hundred and slowly began to develop my public speaking skills. To say it was an uncomfortable and confronting process would be a massive understatement.
It was nerve-wracking. And fantastic. I hated it. And loved it. I learned about people. And about me.
Tomorrow (Thursday) morning I have one of my regular TV gigs on Network Ten here in Australia. I will talk to 400,000 people live and will have way less nerves and way more fun than when I taught those twelve fitness students twenty years ago. This weekend I will do nine hours of live talkback radio on two different stations... and have a ball.
I don't tell you any of this to impress you, but rather, to impress upon you that we can all do and create amazing (whatever our amazing is) when we take chances, get uncomfortable, put our ass on the line, persevere and stop running away from fear.
I'm also not suggesting that anyone needs to become a public speaker, motivator or coach (or anything that Craig Harper does).... this story is about dealing with and overcoming the fear that destroys lives and breaks spirits.
As I've said before, a certain level of fear is healthy (smart even) but a life limited, or even controlled by fear is tragic... and too many (lives) are.
So go and find your twelve people to stand in front of... and start speaking.
You never know what might happen.
* Say hi and let us know where you're from
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Click play above
to
see motivational speaker Craig Harper in action.
Motivational
Speaker - Craig Harper Craig Harper is one of Australia's most respected
motivational speakers and educators. Some of Craig's recent clients include:
"We had our annual
conference over the weekend of the 23rd and 24th Feb, 2008 and we had
Craig Harper as one of our presenters. He was wonderful, funny and
professional, and he got our message through to the staff in a positive
and fun way. He was loved by all!"
DVD
- Renovate Your Body - Craig Harper
In this entertaining presentation, Craig discusses the
notion of Renovating Your Body - once and for all. (Also
available on CD).
Fattitude
- Craig Harper
While many books focus on food,
Craig Harper teaches that creating life long change is more about the
dieter than the actual diet.
Food for thought
- Craig Harper
In this book, Craig Harper
walks the reader through his 21 rules to Permanent Weight Loss.
So you've decided you want to get in shape (again)
- Craig Harper
Imagine a pocket-sized fitness book that takes just twenty minutes to
read. Craig Harper addresses the REAL getting-in-shape issues.
DVD
or CD - Renovate Your Body - Craig Harper
Alinta
Telstra
ANZ Bank
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
National Australia Bank
Corporate Express
Pricewaterhouse Coopers
Department of Infrastructure
Department Planning and Community Development
Simplot Australia
Porter Davis Homes
Rothschild Merchant Bank
Royal Children's Hospital
Fernwood Fitness Centres
Flour Daniel
Brivis
Sensis
Western Water
South East Water
For more information on booking Craig click
here.Some nice words about Craig:
"We had our annual conference over the weekend of the 23rd and 24th Feb, 2008 and we had Craig Harper as one of our presenters. He was wonderful, funny and professional, and he got our message through to the staff in a positive and fun way. He was loved by all!"
Ally Memic, IMCD, Australia