Lost In Thought: Empowering Personal Development

 

Sometimes I’m asked why I continue to attend Toastmaster meetings after so many years as a member. There are many reasons, most notably because I recognize that public speaking is a skill and any skill requires practice. Each week at a Toastmaster meeting, I practice skills such as thinking on my feet and spontaneously crafting short speeches. I have sufficient knowledge about the craft, but I need regular practice and feedback from audience members to understand if my messages are effective.

Another reason I continue to attend is to see people develop in our supportive Toastmasters environment. It is an absolute joy to see people make progress. The supportive Toastmasters club environment was important to my development back in the 80s, and still today. It continues to nurture new attendees.

A Recent Example

I witnessed another example of this nurturing environment a few weeks ago.  A university student joined our Toastmasters club because she had a severe fear of public speaking.  In her initial attempts at impromptu speaking, she could only manage a few short sentences when she would stop, lost in her thoughts, and unsure how to proceed.

Over the past couple of months, she has learned to better manage her thoughts, and had some successes. Her confidence and skills are developing. When someone has a deep fear of public speaking, I’ve observed that they seem to move through a pattern of believing they can’t perform, to having some modest success, then better success, and ultimately should they persist they arrive to a point where they know they can perform, and they then learn to manage their way through various speaking engagements.  Some even reach the point where they enjoy public speaking.

Who Gets Lost In Their Thoughts?

You may know someone who gets lost in her thoughts when she speaks to an audience. You likely know someone who is reluctant to speak to any size audience and this is inhibiting his development.  If this is the case, I hope you invite, and perhaps accompany, that person to a Toastmasters meeting. There is no commitment to join, and most clubs are very open to guests and welcome their attendance (Some clubs are resident within companies making it difficult or impossible for people outside the organization to visit).

You can find a club via the Find A Club link at www.toastmasters.org

Every day I receive a Google alert with links to news and items related to Toastmasters.  Here is a good one about a reporters experience with Toastmasters in Australia

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/feb/01/the-devotion-the-positivity-the-awkwardness-what-i-learned-from-joining-toastmasters