Tag: Toastmasters

You have no excuses, only opportunities

HastonHelpingHands2 Comments

You have no excuses, only opportunities

So if you are a regular reader, it will shock you to see two posts in one week but something so great happened last night and this morning, I feel compelled to share.
1. I saw the super awesome speaker Ryan Avery last night
(you can check him out here)
http://howtobeaspeaker.com/ryan-avery/
2. I worked out continuously for 26 minutes this morning !
3. I love this awesome shirt and wanted to share.
You can get yours here
http://www.cafepress.com/+busting-mine+gifts

One of the points of Ryan’s talk last night was to tell all of us-
When you are a better speaker, you are a better leader. I am currently working on that goal right now. I have a speech I am giving at Austin Toastmasters on June 3rd that is a personal message and I am shaking in my boots over but its time to put my money where my mouth is. I am either a professional speaker or I am not. So I say I am. I am a professional speaker.

Okay, so now I will talk more about Ryan and why he inspires me and so many others. First of all, when he set out to the “World Champion of Public Speaking” I don’t his goal was to be the youngest but he was. Last night, he talked about his failures and that takes guts. Something he said, “Think if Edison quit” really resonated with me. So the message I took away is work at your goal, and work at your goal and work at your goal and fall down and then get up. Also, ask for help. I struggle with this one and I have a hunch, maybe you do too.

Surround yourself with like-minded people who will help you get to your goals and give you honest feedback. Chelsea Turner Avery (along with many others) helped Ryan along the way to become the writer, speaker and champion he wanted to be.

So secondly but no less importantly, I bought this shirt pictured a few weeks ago because it really appealed to me. It captures competition and snark in a way that fits me to a T. (insert groan here) I wore it today while working out on my treadmill for the first time in 17 days. Yep, you read that right.. 17 days.. I was corrected (and rightly so) I did work out (paddleboarding is a workout) but neglected to post it as I was unable to take pictures and not drop my iphone in the water. Details, Details.

I hope this inspires you to reach for what you REALLY want and remember, no one has a voice like you!

Think about it!

Punch fear in the face

HastonHelpingHandsLeave a comment

I am a speaker so what I am about to say may be shocking. I asked to do a speech on November 19th many months ago at my Toastmasters club, I was told that I would be put on a list but as it turns out I am not on the list. Until today, apparently a slot just opened up….

I like to speak but tend to practice a little more than a week in advance!! Fear, sweaty palms (even as I type this, and absolute terror because I was confident in the knowledge that I didn’t have to give a speech. It would have been easy for me to decline but I punched fear in the face and decided to say yes, since I do have a week.. but it got me thinking. It would have been far more prudent to have a speech I was working on ready to go (that way I wouldn’t be making it up out of full cloth) but its a learning experience.. and now, to the archives to look up notes and figure out what I am going to talk about next week.

Have you been asked to do something that you weren’t 100% prepared to do? What did you do? Turn it down? Beg off, saying you were busy or did you decide to bite the bullet and muddle through?