|
Language exerts hidden power, like the moon on the tides.
Rita Mae Brown
Language is our most essential human tool!
It is how we connect to one another. Words allow us to share, communicate, teach, inspire, persuade and form relationships. Words are the bridge to other people, how we interact with our world. We even use language internally to think about ideas, information, memories, perspectives and opinions.
 Language allows us to take advantage of other people's experiences to gain practical wisdom. Language leads us to feel greater compassion and to discover interesting connections. Anthropologists tell us that human civilization was made possible when humans developed the ability to speak. Developmental psychologists tell us that early childhood mastery of language is essential to learning. Corporate leaders know the power of a well-delivered message. Poets and writers use language to create art with words. Computers, blogs, podcasts, smart phones, Kindle...every communication techonology depends on langauge!
Consider how important language, both written and spoken, is in your own life!Conversations, television shows, speeches, sermons, sacred texts, fiction, letters, emails, essays, poems, stories, blogs, twitter, online social networks and journalism all connect us and allow us to share our human experience.
 Think about how you depend on language in what you read -- in books, magazines, newspapers and online. Remember how much you learned from what your parents told you and what you heard in school. Realize how you know about things that happened in the past or happens far away because you are told about it by someone else.
Think how you are inspired by what you hear in powerful speeches, as part of worship and during conversations with friends. Think how many funny stories and jokes you have been told, and advice you have been given. Remember the amazing novels and poetry you have read, the plays you have seen, the lyrics to the songs you sing. Think about how you let people know you love them.
All of that is made possible because of language--words!
Communicating in compelling ways is also an essential part of the marketplace. As we buy and sell products, services and ideas, we try to convey our message and our mission to others as employees, managers, consultants, CEOs, grant writers or marketing staff. In every business setting, a clear message with fresh images and inspiring narratives leads to stronger relationships, smoother change management, better branding and ultimately higher sales! The most effective communication connects our intent with a mission that others can join as investors, collaborators, team members and customers.
Are You Using Compelling Language to Communicate and Collaborate?
Would You Like to Celebrate the Mission and History of Your Organization?
Are Your Personal or Corporate Stories Part of Your Mission Branding?
Are You Searching for an Inspirational Message from an Entertaining Speaker?
Could Your Leadership Team Benefit from Learning to Put Words to Work?
Would You Like to Align Your Corporate Goals with the Greater Good through
Community, Compassion, Creativity, Collaboration,
Consilience, Courage and Celebration?
Do You Need a Speaker Who Can InSpire You to See Your Mission?
Anne McCrady Inspires and Entertains Audiences
with these and other topics
as She Shares Her Passion for Language and the Greater Good!
A natural wordsmith, conversationalist and motivator, for nearly three decades Anne McCrady has inspired audiences with her presentations. Full of unforgettable images and open-hearted wisdom, Anne's programs are thought-provoking and enlightening. Smart, energetic, informed and insightful, Anne gives audiences renewed hope in their future and a rekindled passion for moving beyond self-interest to become a positive force for the Greater Good.
Equally comfortable at an auditorium podium, a rural retreat or a corporate roundtable, Anne uses a variety of compelling presentation styles that showcase her love for language and for inspired living. Using stories, poetry and her own practical wisdom, Anne leads audiences to rethink their lives, rediscover their mission, reconnect to the world at large and reignite their passions through the seven principles of Greater Good Thinking and InSpiritry: Community, Compassion, Creativity, Collaboration, Consilience, Courage and Celebration.
If you are planning a conference, retreat, staff development day or other event, let Anne McCrady rekindle the spirit of your group!
Selected InSpiritry® Keynotes and Programs
Note: Many of Anne's presentations are developed for specific groups, situations and events. Contact her if the listed topics don't fit your needs!
InSpiritry for the Greater Good
Anne McCrady's endeavor, InSpiritry, is the practice of living in a spirit of possibility as a way to invite others to do the same. It encourages seeing the Big Picture using Greater Good Thinking, based on seven ideas, Anne's "7 C's of InSpiritry": Community - being in Unity with God, self, humanity and nature; Compassion – having an open heart for others; Creativity – seeking new ways and new ideas; Collaboration – working together in the synergy of combining diverse voices; Consilience – seeing the interdependence and essential value of all knowledge; Courage – acting with strength of character; and Celebration - living with a sense of gratitude and optimism. Programs can offer a general message or concentrate on one of these areas.
Recommended for: Any Audience - Corporate, Spiritual, Non-profit, Healthcare, Educational, Literary
What You Say and How You Say It
Language is our most powerful human tool. In this insightful and empowering presentatin, Anne McCrady leads audience members to consider how they use language in their everyday interactions at home, at work, in the marketplace and in their faith experiences. Using her award-winning poetic voice, her sense of story and her love of language, Anne gives listeners new insights into how language -- what we say and how we say it -- creates as well as solves many problems in our lives.
Recommended for: Any Audience - Corporate, Spiritual, Non-profit, Healthcare, Educational, Literary
 In A Spirit of Service
Our contemporary culture often values personal wealth and individual comfort above the success of society as a whole. This inspirational program, based on Anne McCrady’s personal mission experiences and her dedication to the idea of the Greater Good, examines how a life of InSpiritrycan enable each of us to make a difference in our families, our workplaces, our communities and our world.
Recommended for: Schools, Healthcare Facilities, Service Industries, Non-profit Groups, Faith Organizations, Youth Groups
Our Collective Stories
Every family, community and organization has a story culture: the common experiences of those in the group, the collection of anecdotes which are told and retold, the personal stories that are shared by members. In this InSpiritry presentation, participants explore the story culture of each organization or community, as a way to reaffirm each other, reinvigorage a sense of mission and embrace challenge and change.
Recommended for: Corporate. Non-profit, Historical, Geneaology & Church Groups, Family Reunions
Servant leaders don’t require positions of authority; they inspire others through service.
—Anne McCrady |
Mission Marketing
These days every business, every school, every church and every group and
non-profit would do well to ask itself a few essential questions: How do we serve the Greater Good? Does our marketing paradigm reflect our commitment to altruism? Are we empowering our members to see themselves as part of a wider mission? Do we live out our values? With years of experience in philanthropic leadership, creative writing, narrative development, promotional campaigns, community service and spiritual exploration, InSpiritry founder Anne McCrady can offer a wide array of creative ideas for connecting your mission with your corporate, non-profit or faith-based marketing message.
Recommended for: Corporate & Non-profit Groups, Schools, Faith Organizations
The Feminine Spirit at Work
Although many women hold roles of leadership and responsibility, it can be at the cost of their soft power sensibilities. This InSpiritry presentation by Anne McCrady, a woman who enjoys effecctive leadership as well as creative expression, encourages women to believe in the strength of their personal experiences and to use those narratives to influence others. Sharing stories of women who have "made a difference" with their lives, Anne celebrates the power of the Feminine Spirit.
Recommended for: Corporate Groups, Non-profit Groups, Schools, Faith Organizations, Women's Groups
Who  Heals the Healers?
In every area of healthcare, there are increased pressures to meet productivity and cost-saving measures. These parameters can threaten the emotional needs of nurses, aides and medical office staff, the very individuals whose jobs are to "care" for others. This InSpiritry presentation, based on ten years of medical office management, the experiences of three generations of medical family members and her life with asthma, Anne McCrady encourages healthcare workers and home caregivers to nurture their own spirits so that they can continue to bring that spirit to others.
Recommended for: Healthcare Organizations, Family Support Groups, Faith Organizations, Women's Groups, Hospice Groups, Healthcare Professionals, Conferences
Peace in Crisis
Anne McCrady believes peace is more than the absence of military aggression or even social oppression, it is, in fact, an empowering Way of Life based on choice, courage, compassion, communication, justice an, of course, non-violence. In this InSpiritry presentation, Anne shares the stories of extraordinary peacemakers, some of whom are well-known figures and others everyday people, all of whom offer inspiring examples to follow.
Recommended for: General Audiences, Political Groups, Faith Organizations
|
Everything we learn brings us closer to the Keeper of All Knowledge.
—Anne McCrady |
The Stories of Our Faith
Each of us is a collection of narratives we have lived. In examining our experiences, we are able to see our faith at work in our lives. This InSpiritry program by storyteller and writer Anne McCrady encourages audience members to develop their personal faith stories as a way to affirm spirituality, understand their experiences, grow personally and share their beliefs.
Recommended for: Faith Organizations, Faith-based Organizations, Senior Groups, Writers Groups, Patient Groups
A Time of Renewal
Using Nature as a source of inspiration, this InSpiritry program encourages audience members to see opportunities to find renewal in their personal, relational, professional and spiritual lives. A poet and amateur naturalist, Anne McCrady brings Seasonal Changes to life with poetry and stories to revitalize any situation. Anne uses those same ideas to consider how we can each bring renewal to our institutions and finally the world at large.
Recommened for : Civic Groups, Literary Groups, Faith-based Organizations, Garden Clubs, Environmental Groups
The Art of Observation
Art appreciation and creative writing are natural partners as both depend on a personal response to the world around us. This InSpiritry program, perfectly suited for museums and art galleries, leads participants to connect with their surroundings in personal, and often eye-opening, ways through collaborative poetry, narrative and commentary.
Recommended for: Museums, Art Galleries, Schools, Creative Communities
Our Stories, Our Selves - Connecting to Others
Anne McCrady believes our personal narratives – the stories we tell and those we live - are the best way to give other people a glimpse into who we are. This InSpiritry presentation looks at how we can use informal storytelling to build relationships, foster understanding and overcome conflict in our workplaces, schools, churches and families, not to mention our governance and diplomatic efforts.
Recommended for: General Audiences, Corporate Groups, Social Service Groups, Schools, Faith Organizations, Senior Groups, Family Gatherings
Passionate Listening
 Perhaps the greatest gift we can give another person is to suspend our personal agenda to offer them our full attention, to really listen to them. In fact, intentional listening can deepen our connections to loved ones, to God, to Nature, to the world at large and even to those with whom we disagree. Using compelling portraits of passionate listeners, in this InSpiritry presentation, Anneoffers practical ways to use listening in our personal, professional and mission endeavors.
Recommended for: General Audiences, Healthcare Professionals, Social Service Groups, Educational Settings, Religious Groups and Parents
Living the Stories We Will Want to Tell Later
Just as we tell the stories of things that have happened to us, each day is another chapter in the continuing set of stories that will be told later about our lives. What will we want people to remember about us? This compelling InSpiritry presentation by storyteller Anne McCrady leads participants to examine their lives and to see how personal choices today write the the stories that will be told about them in years to come.
Recommended for: General Audiences, Non-profit Groups, Corporate Groups, Schools, Faith Organizations, Family Gatherings, Couples Retreats
Open Hearts. Open Doors. Open Minds.
Based on the popular slogan of the United Methodist Church, this InSpiritry presentation promotes a spirit-filled life that welcomes diversity, curiosity, adventure and service. Creative peacemaker and long-time community activist Anne McCrady inspires audiences to embrace new thoughts, new ideas, new friends and new lives in the pursuit of personal mission and a dedication to the Greater Good.
Recommended for: General Audiences, Service Industries, Non-profit Groups, Faith Organizations
Finishing Well
The second half of our lives offer unique opportunities for those who remain committed to passionate living and a sense of the Greater Good. This InSpiritry presentation offers inspiration and wisdom for late life, as well as tips on how healthy hearts, minds and bodies can allow us to continue to make a difference in the world for many decades--good news for Baby Boomers and active seniors.
Recommended for: Faith-based Groups, Service Groups, General Audiences, Senior Groups
D-R-E-A-M: Finding Mission in Change
It is always a challenge to deal with a changing world, but especially when it involves loss. In this uplifting InSpiritry presentation based on the “realistic optimism” Anne McCrady has seen in the accomplishments of extraordinary leaders and experienced in meeting her own challenges, Anne offers an acronym to help audience members respond to uncertainty and change with hope, promise and a sense of mission.
Recommended for: General Audiences, Corporate Groups, Senior Groups, Family Events, Grief Groups
|
The most important thing that grows in a garden is the heart of the gardener.
—Anne McCrady |
Our Stories: The Heart of Who We Are
Each of us is the sum of the stories we have lived. In revisiting our past, Anne McCrady believes we can discover and reaffirm the people, places and events that have empowered us. This InSpiritryprogram leads audience members on a journey down "memory lane" as they peel away the layers to get to the heart of who we are.
Recommended for: General Audiences, Service Industries, Senior Groups, Faith-based Groups, Youth, Corporate Groups
The Cup or the Well: Surviving Our Own Generosity
Those who naturally have a sense of compassion may feel overwhelmed by the many compelling problems facing the world. In this InSpiritry presentation, Anne McCrady offers the wisdom of poets, storytellers and philosophers, along with her own personal insights into protecting the wellspring of those who live and work with an open heart.
Recommended for: General Audiences, Service Industries, Non-profit Organizations, Faith Orgainzations, Women's Groups, Senior Groups, Families
 Try to Remember - The Power of Story
Faced with life crises or serious illness, we often experience an intense desire to put their lives in perspective. Sharing our stories can help us do that. In this InSpiritry presentation, Anne McCrady helps audience members recognize the healing power of story as they discover, preserve and share the story treasure each person leaves behind. She also reminds those facing end of life they are creating the stories that will be told about them by generations to come.
Recommended for: General Audiences, Healthcare Groups, Senior Groups, Hospice Families, Post-Trauma Settings
Looking for Inspiration?
Sign up for Anne's InSpiritry Blogs & Questions for the Day
or check out the news in The InSpiritry Journal!
Need Inspiration for Your Next Event?
Contact Anne about Speaking !
When You Practice InSpiritry, You Can Be a Blessing!
|
