I know have had at times, and others tell me same thing. At my Toastmasters club, for example, I've often heard members say they have difficulty finding topics for speeches.

But, I've learned, like others who write and speak a lot, to start with what I know. To use my own experiences or perspectives to make even a simple subject uniquely my own. And you can do same.

Indeed, what seems mundane to you may fascinate someone else. Suppose, for example, you work in a fast food restaurant -- tell me about best and worst customers, or tell me about processes and training that make it possible to go from order to delivery in just a couple of minutes.

Here's a real-life example from my own experiences. I have a part-time job as a directory assistance operator for a telephone company, and that produces some interesting stories, like time a woman called because door knob to exit her borrowed apartment was broken, and she couldn't figure out how to get out. She didn't know who to call except Directory Assistance, and we had an interesting time figuring out a solution. Now there's a story to get an article or speech started, and perhaps even a theme such as "Strange but true stories from a directory assistance operator."

Then, there's idea of providing insights for others. If you drive a truck, for instance, you might create a Top Ten list of common mistakes you see on streets and highways. As a professional driver, you have special insight into patterns of amateur drivers.

Beyond your personal experiences, think about issues that intrigue you. If you're interested, doing research and thinking about a subject will be enjoyable and easy. Perhaps you can even satisfy your own curiosity as you prepare an article or speech that enlightens someone else.

My career progressed rapidly and after working in a number of different departments I became Admissions Officer of a major regional hospital where I soon gained valuable front line experience. There is nothing more conducive to honing your powers of communication, persuasion, resilience and empathy than dealing with people when they are at their most vulnerable. Working in an Accident and Emergency Department definitely puts one’s life completely into perspective and is like being part of a TV medical soap opera.

My career came to halt when I met my husband and moved away from area. I have to admit that back in early 70’s marrying and having obligatory 2.4 children was still acceptable norm, although liberation for women was gathering pace. Being a conservative soul, I slipped into mainstream and before I knew it I was wife of a career man and mother of two children living in a three-bed semi. Returning to work was not a consideration and this proved to be a sensible decision as my husband was posted to four different locations throughout UK in space of 6 years.

At end of this period, children were at school, our relocation days were over and we were finally able to establish some roots and settle down as a family. It was time to start considering my own needs and to plan a return to mainstream work environment. This was not an easy thing to do after almost seven years of raising a family, but I plucked up courage and found myself back in health care sector as a part time receptionist at my local doctor’s surgery, a role that I found very satisfying. My confidence increased and my job gave me a focus outside of my immediate family. I regained some independence, earned my own money and met a new circle of friends. At last I had an opportunity to talk about something other than children and I felt that old grey matter was once again being stimulated!

After a while, novelty of working in a doctor’s surgery wore off and I felt that I needed a fresh challenge. At same time my husband also felt that he had had enough of corporate life and wanted to do something completely different. For a couple that had had a very structured life, crossroads seemed to be particularly difficult to negotiate. After two years had passed and a couple of false starts, I decided that I wanted to pursue my own business interest with a little bit of help from my husband. He had pursued a portfolio career and had time and expertise to help me develop my plans and make sure that I was on right tracks.