Reflecting on the Journey

 After 5 years, I finally finished Level 5 of my Innovative Planning Path. My last task is to reflect on the journey. It's challenging to remember many details, but I am far more confident speaking in front of others and taking leadership roles. Highlights included planning our club Speech Marathon in 2024 and our Open House earlier this year. I'm also reviewing the evaluations I received along the way. One common challenge is to amp up my emotions to engage the audience. 

I have started Level 1 of the Visionary Communication Path. I wonder when I will reflect on my next journey?

Ancestors 1

I'm something of a European mutt genealogically speaking. This will be the first of several posts exploring where I came from.

My Mom's father grew up in Poland near the border with Germany at that time. He was 18 years old in 1939 when the Germans invaded. What happened to him during the war is uncertain. He never wanted to talk about it later. I have read that many Poles were enticed or forced to work in Germany. 

At the end of the war, he was in the American occupied sector and found work with the US Army. Instead of returning to Poland he joined the US Army and immigrated to the United States. As far as I know he had no further contact with his family in Poland. 

Later, my uncle tracked down a cousin in Poland and discovered we have living relations there whom I have never met. I've often wondered what it would be like to meet them, but I don't have any solid plans to do so. 

First Officer

When I was first approached to run for a Toastmasters officer position, I was curious, but the suggestion to run for President seemed a step too far since I had never held any officer position before. After discussing the role with the President at the time, I became convinced that I could handle it. Why did I change my mind?

In the beginning I was overwhelmed. The District training for the President's role made it feel as if the very success of the club rested on my shoulders, quite literally because the President is responsible for the Club Success Plan. I ricocheted from triumph to despair depending on the events of each meeting, whether members joined or drifted away. 

One settling activity has been opening each club meeting. I was nervous at first, and I wrote a script reminding myself to welcome attendees to our meeting, introduce myself, say a bit about the goals of the club, and introduce the Toastmaster of the meeting. After more than 30 meetings out in front, I feel more relaxed up there. I adlib sometimes, remember to welcome guests and induct new members as needed. 

The most important epiphany I have had is to let each other officer play their role. Instead of immediately volunteering, let others share the burden. I am even comfortable delegating some tasks. I feel ten times more at ease in the role now. I'm glad to share this experience with the next President and have decided to run for an even more demanding role, VP of Education, as the next chapter in my leadership journey.

Grab Bag Table Topics

Occasionally when I am the Table Topics leader, I fill up a bag with an assortment of small items: things like animal figures, kids' toys, office supplies, polished rocks, even a toilet paper tube. When it's time, I call on members to select an item from the bag and deliver a 1-to-2-minute speech on whatever the item brings to mind. The mystery of what item will be selected from the bag adds a bit of whimsy to our Table Topics session. What items would you put in the bag?

Ahs and Ums

One of the roles at a Toastmasters meeting is the Ah Counter. The Ah Counter takes note of overused filler words (ah, um, like, etc.) used by speakers and reports on their findings towards the end of the meeting. I have felt uncomfortable with this role at times because it feels negative to report that someone used 5 ahs and 3 ums in their speech. To make the role more positive I usually offer the advice that a simple pause can replace an ah and improve communication.

I was pleased to see a recent blog post on this topic, What Should You Do About Filler Words and Sounds? One of the interesting takeaways was that absolute zealous avoidance of filler words is not needed. 

It may surprise you to learn that the research shows that when you say, “ah” or “uh” or “um” as a way of filling the space while you think of what to say next, you increase your audience’s comprehension of what’s coming. 

Instead, it's the overuse of filler words that causes communication to be less effective. Maybe we should forgive ourselves for a few ums. What do you think?

Social Anxiety

I have been making a lot of progress with my social anxiety lately, doing things like:

• Welcoming visitors at Toastmasters meetings, 
• Going on hikes with strangers who organize through Meetup, and  
• Attending yoga classes.

A resource that I find particularly helpful is the book, How to Be Yourself by Ellen Hendriksen. One of the key takeaways for me is this. Don't wait to do the thing that makes you anxious until you are not anxious about it. Rather, do the thing that makes you anxious until you are less anxious about it.

When I first attended Toastmasters meetings, I felt strong anxiety 

1. Before it was time to leave the house
2. Before I entered the meeting room
3. When I might be called to the front to respond to a Table Topic.

Over time, as I have done each of these again and again, the level of anxiety has eased. The first two hardly happen anymore while the third has moderated. There will always be some level of anxiety trying something new, but with repetition, it need not be paralyzing.

Today, I start posting to meet requirements for the Write a Compelling Blog project in the Innovative Planning Toastmasters Pathway. I intend to post 8 times in the first month, aiming for a Sunday and Wednesday cadence.

Last week, I led Table Topics during our weekly meeting. The theme was When We Were Young so I thought topics related to songs about being young would be fun. Here are three that stood out. Enjoy!

1. El Paso native, Khalid, sings about his high school experience in the song Young, Dumb, and Broke. Tell us about an experience you had in high school.
2. The song Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance begins with the singer's memory of his father taking him to the city when he was a young boy to see a marching band. Tell us about a time one of your parents or caregivers took you somewhere.
3.  Austin-based band, The Calm Blue Sea, have a song titled We Will Never Be as Young as We are Tonight. Tell us about something you did at night when you were young.

See you Wednesday.