Becoming the Author of Your Life

Geared towards use in educational settings, motivational speaker/children's author Ben Mikaelsen's Becoming the Author of Your Life is a presentation designed for grades 3-8. Born and raised in Bolivia, Mikaelsen attended boarding school, received his pilot's license at 16, enjoys recreational activities (including cliff diving, skydiving, and hiking), and has even adopted a former research animal for a pet (a black bear named “Buffy”). Here, Mikaelson draws upon his varied life experiences and challenges to help students take charge of their own lives, reminding them that while they can't always control the situations in which they find themselves, they do retain the power to decide how to respond. Using an “author of a book” model in a seminar filled with humor, anecdotes, and slides, Mikaelsen encourages students to choose what kind of story (and, by extension, life) they want to create for themselves, as well as determine what they need to do to help them achieve their goals. DVD extras include an interview with Mikaelsen, a segment featuring Buffy, and a “making-of” featurette. An engaging speaker whom young audiences will enjoy, Mikaelsen has also created Positive Teaching Methods…Working with At-Risk Students for educators, How to Tell a Story That Will Scare Ben's Socks and Shoes Off for the K-3 set, and Research…Finding the “Heart of the Story” for general audiences (all available separately at the same price). Recommended. Aud: I, J. (L. Stevens)