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I decided that with today being such an important day with the two biggest speeches of my life coming up, that I would treat myself to some sleeping-in time. I figured I wouldn’t set my alarm and whenever I got up, I’d get up. Of course, me being he insomniac that I am, at 7 am I was wide awake and ready to get the speeches underway. Too bad they were another 10 hours away.

As the day progressed, I tried to take it easy on myself and not participate in too many activities so that I wouldn’t mentally be too out of it come time for the speeches. Still in my head I was trying to figure out just how I was going to deal with the timing of my speech. I had 60 minutes of entertainment and information that I had to cram into a 45 minute timeslot. That time of course includes the need to do some shameless self-promotion and make sure that students and advisors know that YES…I am interested in speaking for their schools.

Like a blur, 90 minutes had passed and I was finished. It was so quick. 7 months of anticipation, over in 90 minutes…and I was quite happy with myself. Sure my information was rushed and it wasn’t the most smooth delivery of all time, but I got the information across. And as if not more importantly, I entertained during the toughest timeslots of the Conference to perform. I was performing on the 5th day right before dinner time after they had already sat through a keynote speaker followed by a workshop, followed by me. The students weren’t asleep by the end of my presentation and the standing ovation that ensued let me know I had done what I wanted.

All I could do was perform the way I know I can perform and now it’s in the Staff and students hands. I hope I left enough of a positive impression on everyone that my speeches will speak for themselves. That all Conference attendees know what I stand for, what I believe in and why I was chosen to speak for them.

It was something that I questioned myself in the months leading up to my speech…why me of all people? I was given the top stage, the top room, the largest room and top-billing for the largest National Student Council Conference and I feel good that I lived up to those expectations. It was an honour to work with some of America’s finest and I can’t wait to work with everyone again in the near future.

This Conference has certainly been the once-in-a-lifetime experience that I was hyping up in my head that it would be. From early in the morning until very late in the evening, NASC has been go-go-go! So far there has been very little downtime – just enough for about 6 hours sleep a night. The organizers of this Conference have managed to pack the days full with activities for students and advisors alike. I’ve been able to partake in a good mix of activities for both and have felt very included in all Conference activities.

Everyone involved with NASC has been very warm and inviting to the “Canadian Motivational Speaker”. Being the lone representative from my country among 2000 people certainly makes for an easy icebreaker with people. How can Americans resist asking me to say “Out and About” and of course, my favourite, “EH?!”. It’s the same for them as for me loving to hear a deep Southern drawl or a Minnesotan saying “don’cha know”.

My speech is tomorrow and my excitement has grown even more. So many students and staff have expressed their eagerness to hear me speak and I know that as long as things go well, it will be a busy year for me with speeches across the U.S. The most important thing I need to do over the next 24 hours is to not put too much pressure on myself to perform and to remember to keep having fun and when I get up on stage, to simply let the good times roll!

For the next 4 days, I will have the privilege of being in attendance at the largest Student Leadership Conference in North America. Some 2000 Student Council members, Staff Advisors and organizers will be a part of 5 incredible days of energy and leadership. For a youth Motivational Speaker, I can only think of this Conference as the Mecca of speeches. The Holy Grail that one can spend his entire career hoping to have the opportunity to speak at, without actually getting the opportunity.

So how and why was I chosen? I question that every single day!

It all started in December when I received an E-Mail from an organizer of the Conference mentioning that there was a spot available in the Speakers Showcase if I was interested in attending. After picking myself up from the floor, I responded quickly and casually….YESSSSSSSSSSS!!! ABSOLUTELY!!!

Since the day it became official that I would be a Showcase Speaker, I haven’t been able to watch a car commercial or a Western without thinking of the idea of the open plains of the mid-west. Dreaming and visualizing of the freedom on the road in another beautiful State. As the months passed by I could feel myself itching, thinking about what it would be like. Oh sure I’ve been to Conferences before, spoken at countless regional and county Conferences and even a few Provincial and State Conferences. But nothing like this.

I arrive tonight too late to work with the students as they were already back at their host homes where they are being billetted for the week. Instead I had the chance to meet with some of the 400 Staff Advisors during their first night banquet. I was there for 6 hours and I may have met 5% of the Staff Advisors in attendance. I have a goal to meet 75% of the Staff Advisors in attendance as I want to find out as much as I can about their activities at their school. What works for them and what doesn’t. The more knowledge I have, the more I can pass on.

I could feel as I sat in the banquet hall, the opportunity that lay at my feet. A chance for true International exposure with the Advisors/contacts that really mattered. The people who can get things done. If all goes well this week, my speeches on Tuesday could prove to be THE most important moment of my life. Yes that sounds like some serious hyperbole, but the possibilities from this opportunity are endless.

I’m still not sure exactly why I was chosen to be here among all of the fantastic Speakers that are out there, but I certainly welcome the challenge to live up to these magnificent expectations. The pressure is on…now I just need to make sure that for the next 4 days, I use my blood, sweat, heart and tears to MOTIVATE MYSELF!

This morning I gave my last Motivational Speech and Workshops for a High School during the 06-07 school year at St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School in Woodstock, Ontario. I still have BIG speeches coming up in the next couple of weeks at Leadership Conferences in the U.S., but this was my final gig IN a High School for the year.

Overall, it was a nice crowd to work with. We packed close to 700 people into a half gym…and now that I think about it, that had to be some kind of fire hazard…but I digresse. I could sense the jitters in the air from the students, who are just a couple of days away from their final exams. I got the sense that they were shocked to be out of the classroom, but I certainly think it was a nice break for them as they finally had the chance to breathe and not worry about exams if for only an hour.

The nice part of the day for me was coming home to Thornhill after the speech and after only an hour of school being let out, I already had a couple of E-Mails in my account from students at the speech. I love coming home to corredspondence from my speech, because it helps validate what I do on stage and continue to support my knowledge that I am truly making an impact in this job.

With my last High School speech out of the way for 06-07, I turn my attention to the NASC (National Association of Student Councils) National Conference taking place from June 23-27 in Overland Park, Kansas. With over 2000 Student Council Leaders attending, it will easily be the biggest and most important speech of my career. It will be a great way to end a great year.

About 15 minutes ago I wrapped up my very first online speech to students in Singapore. Through a webcam on top of my monitor and a telephone in my hand, a dozen students were able to listen to a typical-David Major speech in a not-so-typical-format. This process began several months ago when I was first contacted by a booking agency in Singapore that hires Speakers to do online presentations for schools across Singapore.

After months of working out the details on how to give a Motivational Speech online, tonight was my first test. What a strange and unique experience this was. English is one of the main languages of Singapore, but just how well they would understand me was tough to guage.

The only instruction I was really given was to SLOW DOWN my speech. As a Speaker that literally breaks the Guinness World Record for being the fastest talker in the WORLD, slowing down is not something I am accustomed to. But I DID slow down, so much so in fact that I was only able to do about 20 normal minutes of material over the allotted 45 minute time. The comment I received after? My speech was too fast. Back to the drawing board…

What was really neat to see was how students would actually laugh at jokes I made that were supposed to be funny. It was incerdible to see students and humans that are located halfway around the world, react the way I hoped they would. They laughed harder at some jokes I made than students in North America do!

This was step 1 in what I anticipate to be many, many more speeches to students in Singapore. From here I need to learn where I can improve on camera and how to make my speeches as effective as I can.

What a year 2007 continues to be! After setting up a VERY exciting summer that will include speaking at the U.S. National Student Council Conference (NASC) in Kansas and the U.S. Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) in New Orleans, I have landed a speech for the Canadian Student Leadership Conference in London in September.

After previously speaking for the Ontario Student Leadership Conference and the Newfoundland Provincial Student Leadership Conference, this will be my first time going to the National Conference in Canada. But it will be my 4th National Conference of the year!

The excitement for me as a Speaker still has not waned, as I always look forward to seeing the eager faces of the students at the Conferences. Every student has their own idea of what makes them and others strong leaders, and every student brings their own unique skill set to the Conference. As a Speaker, I can still learn from them as I discover what life is like for them in their various parts of the world and I can also learn what makes them and their schools tick.

I’m thrilled to be included in CSLC and I can’t wait for Kansas to meet some of America’s finest Student Council Leaders.