Hi from Judy

Rather than send out the list of do’s and don’ts I created for myself over time, why don’t we take them one at a time and discuss our different views. I’ll use my own experiences to tell why these mottos are important to me. You can use yours and tell about any mottos you have. Here’s the one I regret that I didn’t do better. SPEAK WITH GRACE AND AUTHORITY. I was reminded of this one when the NineWomen recently visited Franklin Roosevelt’s home in Hyde Park. Our guide told us that it was Roosevelt’s mother who taught him how to use words well. Parts of his speeches are still remembered, like the “day of infamy” speech. Personally, I was pretty good about thinking through how I’d say something before speaking up at a meeting. But I wasn’t the best at getting up in front of a large audience. I think both my career and my feelings about myself would have been better if I’d been more effective at that, and if I had it to do all over again, I would have worked with a professional coach. Of course, what you say is more important than how you say it, but if you don’t express your ideas well, they don’t get heard and remembered.

Judy