One Tiny Moment

It was an alien word to most of the people who joined Toastmasters days ago. I was oblivious of a wonderful organization named Toastmasters International. I joined it rather late. Initially, the journey was difficult, but gradually, it became normal.

Toastmasters International (TMI) gives you an opportunity to speak in a positive and supportive environment in which members are empowered with greater self-confidence and personal growth.

We came to know about speakers and the contest where every speaker is judged on certain parameters and awarded accordingly. International Speech Contest (ISC) is about getting every speaker a fair chance to be evaluated on the same parameters. Also, speech evaluators would evaluate a target speaker and give their evaluation.

Now you will be thinking, the speaker is fine, but what is this “Target Speaker”?

I too heard this word only when I attended the Toastmasters ISC and Evaluation Contest. I was asked to be the target speaker for a club.

The day when you are asked to perform as a target speaker, the day you become a target speaker, you come to know about your efficiency about how you conquer your fear and delivering your speech.

When I attended a speech evaluation contest and saw the person, our Area director, very good in humour and speech delivery, giving his speech as a demo speaker, I thought the Target Speaker was someone who had achieved something in Toastmasters or at least had completed his/her CC and CL manuals.

But as people say, the more we dig into the soil, the closer we get to the gold pitcher. The same is with Toastmasters. The more we give speeches, the more we are clear about our vision becomes in Toastmasters.

I would share my experience from a 42-second table-topic speaker to a target speaker; it might be a long journey for some of you, but for me, it’s a “never too late to start” journey, which is only 1 year old in Toastmasters.

The day I was asked to perform the role of Demo Speaker, the only thought that came to my mind was “If I am unable to deliver a prepared speech in front of a different group of people, why am I here?”

This was the wake-up call for me to introspect on what I really want from this club. It was not just about attending the meeting every Thursday; it was about speaking and gaining confidence in public speaking. So, I put my 100% effort into performing the role.

Rather than just adding to my role count, I tried to incorporate the good points of others in my speech/role play. It has improved me a lot as a speaker, as a table topic speaker, and as an impromptu speaker.

Toastmasters gives you a fabulous stage to perform and to improve yourself.

To keep you motivated, I would say you need to come out of your comfort zone. People can guide you, motivate you, or encourage you, but you have to conquer your fear to stand there and deliver your speech.

Even if you give your P1, you do a courageous thing and take one step forward towards your personal goal.

I would suggest that even if you feel pushed by someone or get irritated by a person who is insisting me to write a speech and deliver it, ask yourself: “Why is he/she interested in your improvement?”.

It’s not about the person; it’s about only you who need improvements and hard work.

Believe in yourself. Think of something impossible and make it possible.

“All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.”