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Want to know what else I forgot— and why it ended up being the most human moment of the talk? This week’s Speak Human newsletter is all about the lines I lost… and what I found in their place. 📰 Read it here: speakhuman.kit.com/posts/the-li...

The lines I forgot

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Here’s the thing: 🟡 You can miss a line and still land the message. 🔵 You can forget your script and still find your truth. 🟢 You can be imperfect and still make an impact.

Afterward, people asked: “How did you remember it all without slides or notes?” The truth is: I didn’t. Not perfectly. But I did know my story. I knew the beats. And when I forgot a line, I found connection instead.

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And yet— That moment was the line. I was literally doing what I’d planned to say: Breathing in adrenaline, uncertainty, noise. Breathing out calm. Holding the pause. Letting the silence settle.

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I’d practised the pacing. I’d memorised the rhythm. I’d broken the talk into scenes and sequences. I thought I was ready. But when I stood on stage at the Compassion Revolution… My mind blanked. And I lost the line.

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Dennis Ren MD @dennisrenmd.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

I forgot one of my favourite lines. Right in the middle of a talk I’d rehearsed for weeks. A line that captured the heart of what I wanted to say: “𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘰𝘴. 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘮.” And yet… In the moment, it vanished. 🧵

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Reposted by Andrew Tagg

#PaperinaPic from @kirstychallen.bsky.social for #SGEMPeds. See how casting vs removable boot compared in managing Toddler's fractures. buff.ly/CI2yhKl @andrewjtagg.bsky.social @thesgem.bsky.social @jama.com #PedSky #MedSky #OrthoSky #FOAMed

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Reposted by Andrew Tagg

Dennis Ren MD @dennisrenmd.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

#SGEMPeds is back this week with guest skeptic, @andrewjtagg.bsky.social. Cast or removable boot for Toddler's fractures? buff.ly/WqV0gzY @thesgem.bsky.social #FOAMed #PedSky #MedSkly

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📰 This week’s Speak Human newsletter is all about that pause— and how a moment of silence can make your message unforgettable. speakhuman.kit.com/posts/you-re...

You’re moving on too soon

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So next time you're tempted to click forward too soon… Pause. 🧠 That last slide might be your most powerful one. Not because it’s new. But because you gave it space to land.

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Because silence isn’t awkward. It says: “This matters. Take your time. Feel it. Think it through.”

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The best communicators know: 🛑 Don’t rush your ideas off stage. 🟡 Count: one… two… three. 🟢 Let the image breathe. 🔵 Let silence do its job. Holding the slide longer is an act of generosity.

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You’ve practised the message for days. They’re hearing it for the first time. And just as it starts to land… Next slide. Meaning takes a moment. But we don’t always give people that moment.

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🖱️ “Click.” Just as your audience is about to get the slide— you move on. And the moment is gone. We’ve all done it. We click forward when we’re done speaking. But they’re not done thinking. 🧵

More on this in the latest Speak Human newsletter: “Nervous energy is contagious. So is calm.” 📬 speakhuman.kit.com/posts/nervou...

Nervous energy is contagious. So is calm.

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The nervous system leads the message. Steady yourself So your audience can meet you there.

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🛠 Try this simple reset before your next talk: Plant both feet One slow breath in One long breath out Remember: “I’m here to help, not to impress.”

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It’s not about being slick.⁣ It’s about being 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥.⁣ ⁣ Want to shift the energy in the room?⁣ ⁣ Start by shifting your own.

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Which means… ⚠️ If you rush, they rush. ⚠️ If you stumble, they tense. ⚠️ If you disconnect, they drift. But… ✅ If you’re grounded, they settle. ✅ If you’re clear, they listen. ✅ If you’re present, they connect.

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You can have perfect slides and a killer script…⁣ ⁣ But if you’re rushing, fidgeting, or disconnected?⁣ ⁣ They’ll sense it.⁣ ⁣ Why?⁣ Because of 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐬.⁣ Humans are wired to 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 the energy in the room.

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Public speaking tip: Your audience doesn’t just hear your words. They feel your nervous system. Let me explain 👇

The goal isn't to be perfect. It's to be 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵. Regulate yourself before you try to reach others. 📰 More in this week’s Speak Human: “Regulate Before You Resonate” 🔗 speakhuman.kit.com/posts/slow-d... ✉️ DM me if you want to join the list.

The 3 things that fix 80% of talk disasters

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Most people try to fix their 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬.⁣ But the smart ones start with their 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞.⁣ ⁣ Before you speak, try this:⁣ ⁣ ✅ Breathe out longer than you breathe in⁣ ✅ Stretch or shake out your body⁣ ✅ Smile (a real one)⁣ ✅ Make eye contact with one human

🟢 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐍 – Regulated / Ready Low, steady breath. Eyes on the audience, not the exit. You’re calm, grounded, human. This is where resonance lives.

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🟡 𝐘𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 – Masked / Performing⁣ ⁣ You’re delivering the words, but disconnected.⁣ You’re half-present, half-panicking.⁣ Functioning, not flowing.

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🔴 𝐑𝐄𝐃 – Fight / Flight⁣ ⁣ You feel breathless.⁣ Your thoughts scatter.⁣ You want to escape.⁣ ⁣ This is survival mode - and it’s where many presenters 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵.

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🧵 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬? 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞.⁣ ⁣ Most people focus on slides, script, story.⁣ ⁣ But none of that matters if your nervous system is stuck in fight-or-flight.⁣ ⁣ Here’s what I teach before any big talk:⁣ ⁣ 👇

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Thanks to @adamgrant.bsky.social for highlighting the difference between clarity and caution. And if you’ve wrestled with this - how do you decide what to warn about, and how? #SpeakHuman #MedicalEducation #TraumaInformed #CommunicationMatters #PublicSpeaki

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I wrote more about this in this week’s Speak Human newsletter: speakhuman.kit.com/posts/do-con...

🚨 Warning: This might not help (and that’s the point)

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So where have I landed (for now)? 🧭 You don’t need to wrap your audience in cotton wool. But you do need to be clear, intentional, and human. Not everything needs a warning. But everything needs care.

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🔴 A 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 assumes:⁣ "This might harm you."⁣ ⁣ 🔵 A 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 simply says:⁣ "This is what’s coming."⁣ ⁣ One is about protection.⁣ The other is about permission.⁣ ⁣ That difference matters.

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That doesn’t mean we stop being thoughtful. But it does mean we need to be more precise. We need to separate two very different things: 🔴 Trigger warnings 🔵 Content warnings

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A 2023 meta-analysis suggests:⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 🚨 Trigger warnings 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ In some cases, they may even 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘹𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ It’s not what many of us expected.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ But it’s worth sitting with.⁣

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Content warnings are often offered with care. They show respect. They give people time to prepare or step away. But lately I’ve been wondering… do they actually help?

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“Just a heads up—this next part includes a case that might be difficult for some of you to hear.” A few years ago, I said those words before sharing a case that involved the death of a child. My child. One person quietly stepped out. It felt like the right thing to do. 🧵

🛠️ 3 ways to break the curse:⁣ ⁣ – Slow down⁣ – Say what you see⁣ – Speak like you care, not like you’re clever⁣ ⁣ Because communication isn’t about showing what you know.⁣ ⁣ It’s helping others 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦.

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This week’s Speak Human newsletter is about the Curse of Knowledge — and how it quietly erodes clarity, connection, and trust. 🔗 speakhuman.kit.com/posts/you-re...

You’re smarter than your audience. That’s the problem.

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Acronyms are time-savers — but only if everyone speaks the same language.⁣ Otherwise, they’re shortcuts to misunderstanding.⁣ ⁣ The most dangerous phrase in medicine?⁣ “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧.”

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Or: “BP’s tanking. Call MET. He’s NFR but not yet on ACP.” Looks slick in handover. Reads like code to anyone else.

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We see it in healthcare all the time.⁣ ⁣ You say “ASD”...⁣ – The cardiologist hears 𝘈𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘋𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵⁣ – The paediatrician hears 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘮 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳⁣ – The student hears…

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It's called the 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞.⁣ ⁣ Once you understand something deeply, it’s almost impossible to remember what it was like not to know it.⁣ ⁣ So you go fast.⁣ You skip steps.⁣ You lose people.

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