Laura Baxter

24/11/2023

Each year at this time we reflect on that for which we are thankful. It is a time to connect to family and friends and take a moment to celebrate.

I wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!

19/09/2023

Every year I look forward to going to Abano Terme, Italy, to give my seminar at the METAFORUM SommerCamp. It's a chance to see old friends, chat with inspiring collegues, and to work with a group of leaders on their voice and body language - their presence.

Thank you all for the inspiring moments and magical encounters!

Souverän, Authentisch, Erfolgreich: Wie Sie durch Ihre Stimme und Körpersprache überzeugen und begeistern, Laura Baxter

19/09/2023

🌟 I am always fascinated with how much I learn from the TEDx speakers that I coach. I especially feel that way about this talk from Udo Wiegärtner.

In his talk Wiegärtner shows us so many things:

🎤 How important it is to connect with people and listen – really listen to their stories.
✈️ How important it is to travel and step out of your comfort zone in life.
🌱 How important it is to be open to new ideas and people.
💖 And how beautiful this human experience is.

Coaching Udo for his talk has been an honor, and I couldn't be prouder of the powerful message he delivered on the TEDx stage. Watch it and see what you think!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jorZ5biV-A

And, again, thank you to the TEDxNuremberg Team for their outstanding work!

21/06/2023

It has been an honor to be here at Education 2.0 Conference in Dubai. One of my greatest joys has been to continue my conversation with Rohit Kumar on the opportunities and challenges that Generative AI offers in education on the conference stage. The discussion and Q&A was passionate and enlightening, and the feedback from the audience showed both the genuine concern educators have about AI as well as an openness to the many possibilities that AI offers to improve critical thought in students.

I am looking forward to being on a panel discussion this afternoon on the social and ethical implications of online learning. If you are interested, you can follow the conference live on YouTube at https://bit.ly/42ShKRt.

From machines that can predict your study habits to robots that help with daily tasks, Generative AI is revolutionizing the way we learn and work. Join us for a fireside chat as we explore this exciting field!

Cath us live: https://bit.ly/3qLq3kB

23/04/2023

Here’s to wishing everyone a very Happy World Book and Copyright Day and hoping that UNESCO succeeds in its mission and every child has a book to read and call his own.

02/04/2023

A book is the most beautiful gift you can give to someone as it always stays with them and enlightens them in some way. Happy International Children’s Book Day.

21/03/2023

‘Poetry is the music of being human.’ – Carol Anne Duffy

26/12/2022

One of the strangest things happened to me the other day.

It was Friday evening, the evening before Christmas Eve, and I was out shopping for little Christmas grab bag gifts for the children in my daughter’s children’s choir who were singing in the Christmas Eve service the next day. I was under a lot pressure because there were several things on the list that I couldn’t find, and time was running out.

When I got to the cashier, I asked her about the items that I couldn’t find, and she was not very helpful. I decided just to check out and go to another store to look. In the middle of this conversation, the man in line behind me said, “May I pay for your purchase?”

I was startled. The thoughts that went through my head were things like, “Do I look so bad right now that he thinks I can’t afford this?!” and “Is this some kind of joke? It could be a type of offer. . .” But because I already had my credit card out and was in the process of paying and because everyone behind him in line was staring – and because of my pride – I said, “No, thank you.” I can’t even tell you now if I said, “Merry Christmas.”

As I left the store and continued my shopping, this young man’s offer kept going through head. Should I have accepted it? Was I rude for saying no? Was he serious? Why was he offering such a thing? And why didn’t you accept it, Laura? It might have really made him happy. These questions followed me throughout Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and I’ve come to one very important conclusion:

In refusing to accept his offer of generosity, nothing changed. I left the store stressed, and he was probably amused and bemused that I didn’t say yes, but he still had his money. The world was not a better place because of my decision.

Had I accepted his offer, however, the world would have become a more beautiful place. It would have given me joy to receive this unexpected gift (hey, free money is free money!), and it would have given him joy to have brightened up someone’s day.

Truly, the best answer I could have given would have been, “Yes, on one condition. That I may tell the children about this when they get their presents tomorrow. That I may tell the children of your generosity.” This would have changed the world in an even greater way. Not only would I and the generous giver have been happier, but we would have been able to give the children the joy that we shared. We would have been able to show 20 kids (and their parents) that there is so much good in the world and that generosity is a beautiful gift that we give others spontaneously without expectation of something in return.

I wasn’t “wrong” in saying no. It was the safe, expected answer. However, in not being able to receive an unexpected gift from a stranger, I blocked what could have been a beautiful lesson – not only for me but everyone involved.

It’s often much harder to accept gifts from others than to give. How often do we turn down an offer of help or refuse to except something from someone – even something as simple as a compliment?

This holiday season I wish for you that you may even more open to receiving every gift that is offered to you as you are open to giving to others. For who knows what beautiful event may come into motion through your very act of receiving?

May you and yours have the most beautiful and blessed holiday season and all the best for the New Year! Happy receiving!

(btw this photo was made with AI and the description "nostalgic Christmas scene with fireplace and Christmas tree"! So cool!)

10/12/2022

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24/11/2022

How cool! I put the word "Gratitude" in an artwork generator, and these came out! There were several other pics as well – if you want to see them, I've posted them on Instagram – but these two seem to capture best how gratitude feels to me.

How does it feel to you?

Here's the link to the other pics:
https://www.instagram.com/laurabaxter_voice4leadership

24/11/2022

In honor of Thanksgiving, I went back through different articles that I've marked, and I came across this one from a study done at Berkeley. They show how gratitude can rewire the brain to help patients overcome depression and anxiety.

They conclude that

 Gratitude unshackles us from toxic emotions
 Gratitude helps even if you don’t share it
 Gratitude’s benefits take time

Time and again I've seen how practicing thankfulness and gratitude has changed the lives of my clients for the better, and I have experienced it myself in my own personal life.

On this day of Thanksgiving, I wish you and yours not only wonderful fellowship but also moments where you can stop and reflect on all the things for which you are grateful.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

New research is starting to explore how gratitude works to improve our mental health.

01/11/2022

Happy Halloween to you and yours!! 👻🎃

01/09/2022

Two weeks ago I had the privilege of being in India and learning more about the amazing work that Willpower Harris and his Willpower Warriors | Willpower warrior| WillPower Warriors Amravati are doing.

This is Will's first short film on kindness, and for me, the stones represent so much more than kindness. It represents being a good example, doing what you know is right, clearing the path for the person that they will have it a bit easier... Being the change you would like to see in the world.

"Rock" is the title of this short film. It asks the question at the end, "What is your rock?"This short film from Willpower Humanitarian Foundation shows wh...

23/08/2022

I believe that all of our souls are connected to each other, and that each soul – in its divine light – impacts us in ways that are unfathomable.

💖 Today, a beautiful soul has left us. Over 16 years ago, Midnight came into our lives. He could jump higher and climb trees faster than any cat I had ever had before. Just as his brother, Tupfer, has the mission of connecting us to our neighbors, Midnight had the mission of connecting us to each other. He would lie between Norbert and me on the couch with one paw holding on to my leg and one holding on to Norbert's. Even if we were sitting far apart, he would stretch to connect us – a front paw on me and a back paw on Norbert. It was always moving. He even ran to me as soon as I got back from India Saturday night. I think he was waiting to tell me goodbye.

💦 He loved water in all its forms – especially rain. His voice was soft, but over time he learned to raise it to let us know that he caught a mouse to share with us. As he got older, he got thinner, and his coat was not as full as it used to be. Still, he was our Midnight, named after my cat when I was a child. He lived up to the name, and he will always be in our hearts. 💗 Thank you for being a part of our lives. 🙏

09/08/2022

What do I love most about coaching TEDx speakers?

The people? The ideas? The amazing organizational team?
You name it!

For me, it's about the people involved and the fascinating ideas that are shared – not only in the talks but also backstage and over a cup of coffee.

I am so impressed with how the TEDxNuremberg team put on its second , "DISRUPT & CHANGE", this year, and it was as moving and inspiring as the first one last year. Many thanks to the wonderful organizational team with Nina Tauscher, Jens Schlatmann, Nicole Lavrov, Annika Fischer, Anton Kudryavtsev, Luisa-Maria Stiller, Felix Burgahn Rebecca Greiner, Alexandra Borkowski, Tobias Vogel, Jessica Pistoia, Daniel Geiger, Marie-Lena Seidl, Frederic Mayer, Stephen Niemann, Lukas Mechs, Lucas Wittmann, Franziska Niebler, Carolina Castello Branco Widuch, and Fabian Renner!

Thank you to our gifted emcee Kairun Daikoku for keeping the audience engaged and motivated.

A special thanks also to the other coaches this year: the very talented Maria Christina Spohr and Helmut Frye, actor extraordinnaire!

And, of course, thank you to our speakers this year for your ideas, inspiration, and collaboration!

Carina Bayerlein who spoke on the need to engage with each other – even if we strongly disagree with each other.

Antonia Cruel who spoke on the need for re-thinking housing and creating innovative, sustainable solutions for the future of the planet.

Carina Popovici who has invented an amazing AI program which can tell from a picture on a smart phone if a painting is authentic or not.

Florian Willomitzer who spoke on a new camera technology which uses holographic technology to help drivers see around a blind corner.

Josef Fleischmann who helped us realize that despite all of the cynicism in the world today, people are good at their core and the society we live in is far more loving than most of us experience.

Vugar Azizov who spoke on the need for improvement in our higher education systems because we are losing our best thought-leaders to poor academic leadership and the fear of losing out if we help others get ahead.

Special thanks also to photographer Vincenz Hinte for these wonderful photos!

Thank you all for a wonderful TEDx Year! ❤️

03/06/2022

Just learned about the high performance leadership program sessions from Project Blue World from Lori Ranseth Payne.

Follow them at Project Blue world or to their website for more infos!
www.projectblueworld.ca

Project Blue World Inc. is a central portal for people to plug in and participate together on projects and programs. A Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada based consulting agency, work or play, connect, receive or provide services, together we power the world.