BeGes Toastmasters: MARCH 2016

March enters like a lion... You can say it takes courage to come to Toastmasters, to overcome one's fear and step up to speak!

Quotes & Cartoon by Steve Garvin

Aslan: You doubt your value. Don't run from who you are.

~ C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian

I am impelled, not to squeak like a grateful and apologetic mouse, but to roar like a lion out of pride in my profession.
~ John Steinbeck

It’s better to be a free dog than a caged lion.
-Arabian Proverb

I was the shyest human ever invented, but I had a lion inside me that wouldn’t shut up!
-Ingrid Bergman

Fainthearted animals move about in herds. The lion walks alone in the desert. Let the poet always walk thus.
-Alfred Victor Vigny

Don’t ask me who’s influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he’s digested, and I’ve been reading all my life.
-Charles de Gaulle

Be inspired and aspire to the same heights!
But don't be intimidated! Scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter for inspiration for newbies!

The Dreamer Arrives

by Mario Lorenz

I have been involved with toastmasters for several years. My wife, before we were married, invited me to a meeting of the Metropolitan Executive Toastmasters Club in Austin, Texas. Ever since then outside of a couple years when I was on the road with my comedy show I have remained in one club or another and can honestly say that because of the training received in toastmasters it has enabled me to continue to avoid having a day job my entire life. I have yet to become rich because of it, but I am not dead yet so there is still hope.

For the past 5-7 years I have kept a dream journal and most recently I have begun to try and draw, paint, color, or sketch the images I see in my dreams. I never thought I was capable of drawing or painting. I have always thought of myself as a performing artist but never did I think I was really the kind of artist that could draw something adequately. Having a journal and with the courage to write my dreams down I have realized, with the encouragement of a dear friend, that I can draw or sketch some of the images that I see in my dreams. They are not great works of art by any means, but in so doing, I have learned to “Remember that there are no mistakes, only the opportunity to overcome fear.” It has become the same with toastmasters. If I just have the courage to open my mouth and allow the words to come out. Somehow they form into an expression of my thoughts. They are not always insightful, humorous or wise thoughts, but they do come out and they do help me to overcome my fear of speaking. Often the humor, wisdom and insight of a thought finds me and is then expressed.

Recently, I became aware of the Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson who often uses this phrase. “The Separation is in the preparation”. As a result, I have come up with this formula that helps me when I remember to use it. It is as if I were coming out of a dream. 1.) Wake up! 2.) Determine direction, 3.) Make preparations and 4.) Take Action. So keep dreaming my fellow Toastmasters and when you wake up be fearless, confident, and follow that dream.

Toastmaster Magic ~ David Goodson

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There is a pleasure in watching new members journey from too nervous to speak more than 15 seconds to an accomplished speaker. The progress is great, but the process seems too simple. It boils down to attending meetings, reading 3-4 pages of instructions for a speech, giving a speech, rinse and repeat. Along the way at meetings, taking on a wide variety of roles each of which requires different speaking skills.
So what make this simple process so effective? My belief is that Toastmaster makes you aware of what works and what does not as a speaker. Each meeting is a workshop to observe different techniques and experiment with new ones. The supportive environment encourages taking risks, and everyone who takes a risk becomes a little better. Over time, all those little betters become a much bigger better.

That’s my take and I would love to hear what other member think.