About a year ago a colleague gave advice while I typed notes on my cellphone as fast as I could, “Join Toastmasters.”
That day I made a digital note and a mental commitment. The next week, at 7:00 pm, I walked into a classroom at the Raritan Valley Community College building in Somerville and sat down in my first Toastmasters meeting. I wanted to improve my communication skills. I wanted to get better at public speaking.
I’ve gone to almost every meeting since and I’m working on my fifth speech now. With every speech, I’ve gained more confidence and become more relaxed. Yet for me, it’s been the incredible people that I’ve met along the way that have made the experience.
There’s been inspiration. It never ceases to amaze me how calm and confident Toastmasters can be. It doesn’t matter how many strangers are in the crowd or what topic they’ve chosen that evening. I can only describe the way they choose their words, vary their tone, and gesture, as craftsmanship. Even when given about the most wrenching topics.
The mentorship along the way has been more than I could ever have asked for. My mentor has been a tremendous help and influence. She’s provided encouragement and feedback every step of the way. She suggested that I make each speech about plants. That way I didn’t have to think about what the next topic would be and I could spend more time working on the speech. It was also by her suggestion that I now serve as our club’s Sergeant at Arms.
I’ve made great friendships. Another member and I joined Toastmasters around the same time. During a recent club meeting we sat at the folding tables. She turned to me and offered a suggestion: “Why don’t we both give one speech per month? That way we can both complete the Competent Communicator manual.” It made sense and it’s helped me make progress.
Everyone helps each other reach their goals, even in areas other than public speaking. Members of our club have often offered to pass on a resume for me or make an introduction there whenever they can.
Toastmasters has been a great opportunity to learn and grow. It’s because of the members that I’ve been able to make as much progress towards my goals as I have.
What goals do you want to make progress towards? You’ll find more opportunities to pursue them at the District Fall Conference. You can sit down and have one-on-one conversations with some of the best speakers in our region. You can step out of your comfort zone by participating in contests. Or you can learn from other excellent speakers. And you’ll get to meet new friends along the way.
I hope you join us, and I look forward to seeing you there!