Lessons From the Toastmaster

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “The only constant in life is change.” That is true for all of us, including the Toastmaster magazine. One of those changes is that my column has reached the end of its lifespan. So, this is the last monthly column I will write in this series.

With that, I thought it might be helpful to review what I have learned through this experience. After all, I have been writing for the magazine for over 10 years. Hopefully, I have gained something during that time.

The biggest lesson I have learned is to accept challenges. For example, early on in my Toastmasters career, I accepted the challenge to be my club’s Vice President Education (VPE). Several years later, in 2012, I accepted the challenge to become what is now called an Area Director.

During that time, I attended a District luncheon. I found an open seat and, as it turned out, the woman to my right, Jennie Harris, was a writer for the Toastmaster magazine. At one point, she asked me what I recommended for the best sequence in which to tackle advanced manuals in the education program at that time. Drawing on my experience as VPE, I explained what I suggested to other members and why. She was intrigued by my reasoning and, a few months later, emailed to ask if I was interested in writing an article on the topic.

That was a new challenge because I had never viewed myself as a good writer. My high school English teacher would wholeheartedly agree.

But, again, I accepted the challenge. The editors must have liked my work, because I received an invitation to write another one months later.

In 2017, after I had written a number of articles, the staff gave me the opportunity to write a monthly column focusing on Toastmasters advice. That opportunity lasted over eight years. What if I hadn’t accepted that first challenge? What experiences would I have missed?

This lesson is one you can apply to your own life. Accept the opportunities when they present themselves. You don’t know where they could lead.

Another lesson I learned was that I can write. Okay, I’m not going to win a Pulitzer Prize, but I can at least write coherently. This experience showed me I had a hidden skill, one which I will continue to pursue. What hidden skill might you have?

As a writer, I also gained a lot of experience editing. Each column had a limit of 750 words. My first drafts invariably came in at about 900. I had to do some serious surgery, but this taught me how to make my points succinctly. This is a skill we all need as speakers. Our speeches need to be clear and concise.

And, writing for an international audience, I needed to make my descriptions and references universal enough to be understood by all. I learned to think as a reader, not as a writer or speaker. This is another great skill for speakers.

So where do I go from here? The magazine staff tells me they still have plans for me. So you might see my name again down the line.

I also have plans to write outside of Toastmasters. I have several book ideas bouncing around in my head. Additionally, I will be rolling out a speech delivery training program soon. For more information, or to read my blog posts, you can visit my website.

It has been a pleasure communicating with you these past years through the magazine. And I am curious what new challenges and opportunities await me. It will be fun to find out.

What about you? What challenges can you accept, be it as a club officer, an Area Director, or outside of the organization? Don’t be shy. Jump in with both feet. Let’s see where that takes you.

---

---

Share this article