Deb Sofield

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Public Speaking

Keep Your Eyes on the Stars and Your Feet on the Ground

Recently I came across two different accounts of people who have come to realize that their hero wasn’t what or who they thought they were. So, with truth in hand, these wise (albeit hurt) folks walked away. Not bitter, not really angry; mostly hurt and embarrassed that they fell so fast for the ideals that were portrayed to them as truth, but in the end, they realized that empty promises are just that–empty–so it didn’t matter what was offered since it was nothing but words without meaning. Those stories stirred me. I realized that although I admire many people, in […]

Go Where You’re Celebrated, Not Tolerated

A while back I stepped down from a leadership position that I really enjoyed. I like to be called Boss Lady, but the reality is I do too much, so in order to take control of my world, I had to make some changes to protect the time I have to do the things that I am interested in doing and, in some cases, am required to do. It’s never easy stepping away from a project you birthed or created or really loved. But the fact is that in order to leave a legacy of success, there comes a time […]

The Most Dangerous Risk of All

The most dangerous risk of all–The risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later. Today, I want to simply remind you that time is running out for you, my friend, and no matter how much you wish it would all slow down, so you can get your bearings and hang on the truth, time marches onward, whether you like it or not. The world is spinning, and if you’re like most people I talk with, you’re just hanging on for dear life…hoping to not get […]

We Each Write the Story of Our Lives

I am not sure what it is about my theme today that captures me. I guess it’s because there is such truth in the simple statement that we each write the story of our lives one choice at a time. Regrets or joy, we make choices every hour, every day, every month, every year and will do so for the rest of our lives. And those choices will be a reflection of what we love or once loved, cared about or decided to toss out, something we fought for or something we fought against. The choices we make will, for […]

Take A Chance

I’ve seen this poster a hundred times on school bulletin boards or coffee shop info boards and at Whole Foods on the community board. It was just recently though, for some unknown reason, it finally caught my attention. It’s an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper and the bottom of the sheet is clipped so you can “pull a ticket.” The poster headline is “Take A Chance” and each ticket says: “Chance.” Interesting to see how many little slips of paper just hang on the sheet waiting to be taken. I guess some folks don’t see it as anything they’d […]

People will kill you

“People will kill you over time, and how they kill you is with tiny, harmless phrases like be realistic.” Dylan Moran I cannot begin to tell you how much I hate it when people give backhanded, up front or behind the back slights to one’s life dreams, hopes and ambitions. And, yes, I used the word hate because, like you, I heard these phrases from others as I wandered through my early work years. And, because it frustrated me so much, I made mental notes to stay away from those who would be so bold to say something so ridiculous […]

The world needs you to share your gifts

“The world needs you to share your gifts and go for your dreams. There aren’t enough people who have the courage to go for it.” Lewis Howes As your friend, I want to ask you a question, “Do you have courage?” I mean, really, do you have the courage to do the thing you keep talking about, wishing for or hoping one day will come true? I sincerely hope you do, and I celebrate your success if you are living the dream. That being said, I also know, by watching countless people run to the edge of success, look into […]

Dreams are Free

I have a lot of great opportunities but one of the ones I’m privileged to be a part of is TEDx for which I am the speaker coach. TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics – from science to business to global issues – in more than 100 languages. For a number of years, every Sunday, it was my practice to choose and watch […]

Everyone thinks of changing the world

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself – Leo Tolstoy Change is a funny thing. We all want it for about a week, then it loses its shine and we’re back to being the same. Not that being the same is all bad–we seem to revel in it since that is “who we are”–but remember that for a fleeting minute we dreamed a bit higher and considered the option of being a bit more noble and a bit more… well… better, but, alas, it was just a quirky consideration best left for another day. […]