Starting on high notes: latest ice breakers

CONFIDENCE BUILDERS GAINED QUITE A FEW MEMBERS LATELY.

All of them completed ice-breakers, a standard first speech for Toastmasters, within a few weeks of joining. Among them were Shirley's action-packed performance, Sana's sincere story and Omran's interesting career move. Not only did they entertain, they taught everyone valuable lessons.

SHIRLEY SHATTERED ICE. LITERALLY.

In three strokes, the 85-year old resident of Brookdale Senior Living, where meetings are held every Tuesday night, cracked a sheet of ice with a hammer. A memorable intro indeed!

Fearful at first that she might be too old to participate in Toastmasters, Shirley was assured by fellow members that as long as she had a winning spirit, she can participate and perhaps even thrive.

Thrive she has been by giving energetic speeches and assuming responsibilities like being a Timer. By example, Shirley teaches younger members that no one is too old to learn new skills.

SANA'S ICE-BREAKER OCCURRED IN WEEK-ONE.

A bold move for the soft-spoken Software Engineer; yet more audacious character exuded through content, in which she revealed the strong foundation her family--and especially an older brother--built in formative years--that guides her now as she frameworks a similar structure for her children.

Thank you Sana for reminding everyone that leadership skills are first-attained--not from work or school or extracurricular activities--but from home.

OMRAN HELD HIS GROUND, DESPITE FEELING NERVOUS.

In neatly-pressed button-up and dark-rimmed glasses, Omran looked more like a Wall Street Banker than a tech professional; yet the very excitement of Information Technology motivated his move out west, after obtaining a Mechanical Engineering degree and contending his Father's advice to pursue a traditional career.

Because of Omran's passion for his job, audience members who are contemplating career changes or advancements reconnected with principle-based motives.

LONG OR SHORT...

a member's journey in Toastmasters is filled with high's and low's; but starting on a high truly elevates his experience.

Congrats to new members on delivering their ice-breakers and starting on such high notes!

An Introvert's Toastmasters Journey

Image by Silvarita from Pixabay I gave a cringe-worthy presentation about a month after I joined Toastmasters . The eyes were my downfall. It didn't occur to me then to practice my speech in front of my fellow Toastmasters. However, I had a chance to redeem myself. A couple of months after the appalling speech, I learned that I would be giving a talk at the National Weather Association's 44th Annual Meeting . Me needing help was an understatement. Children are great motivators. During my first Toastmasters meeting, I politely passed up several opportunities to participate. At my second meeting, I had another chance to take part. Like the first time, I passed it up. I was too nervous. It took a little girl named Philippa to encourage me to speak at the next meeting. What did she do? She stood in front of a group of adults and gave a short talk! The following week, I gave my Ice Breaker Speech on how I became interested in meteorology. After the Ice Breaker ...

The Awesome Power of Storytelling

Image by Виктория Бородинова from Pixabay Sometimes, precious gems can be found in places where you might not think to look. Ross Morrissey (President) and I discovered such a treasure by chance at the Mill Creek Retirement Center (where our meetings are held) last November. The precious gem we ran into was Carol E. Titus, who was a Story Weaver with the New Jersey Storytelling Network . Of course, we had to invite her to speak at one of our meetings! On December 3rd, she graced us with a thought-provoking and captivating storytelling workshop. Not only did we learn the importance of using vivid words but also how telling a story creates a bond between the speaker and the audience and between audience members. It was an enjoyable experience! When I first met Ms. Carol, she made a comment that stuck with me. She said that audience members aren't looking at the speaker but picturing what the speaker is saying inside their heads. ...

3 Unorthodox ways to calm your nerves before a speech

You are about to give t he speech of a lifetime , in front of an audience of 300 . Well, more like 13, but it feels like 300, and it's only an ice-breaker; yet heavy perspiration and heart-pounding suddenly occurs. For pride and integrity, you won't cower from fear; but if you vomit, do pride and integrity matter anyway. Under pressure, you forget that even professionals, including political figures and CEO's, suffer breakdowns before performing. Your heavy perspiration and heart-pounding, therefore, are not specific to newbies. Within our club's supportive community, members seasoned and novice use an arsenal of weapons to combat nervousness before speaking. Today, they share three of the most unorthodox yet effective methods with you.

CONFIDENCE BUILDERS BLOG

Search This Blog