Do You Get Paid For That?

I am the newly appointed Area E3 Governor for Toastmasters in District 35. I have to say, I am honored to be entrusted with a role that requires me to be the "go to" person for six clubs! Not only am I honored, I am excited!

Before I get to far on my personal feelings there, I want to share the answer to one of the first questions I was asked after learning that I was nominated and appointed, "Do you get paid for that?" Simply put, no. At least, that's what some people would say. I wish that weren't the answer I gave at that moment because it really isn't true. In fact, it is far from truth! The answer is a resounding, "YES!" However, for the time being, I do not collect any personal financial benefit. That is what was being asked of me. Yet, I need to share the reasons why I love this volunteer job.

First and foremost, as Area Governor, I am able to help the six clubs I oversee. That means, if there are any troubles, I step in and help to the best of my ability. If there are things I don't know, I have people above me to reach out to. At the same time, I am a resource contact. If someone is looking to go further with their Toastmaster experience or if clubs are looking for ideas, I can help them. How can each club better itself? How can I help them reach their goals?  How can they grow? There is such a vast array of information that fits right here, that I get excited thinking about the possibilities!

Secondly, serving and helping others helps me to feel good. Have you ever experienced the joy that sweeps across a person's face when they were struggling and suddenly a light is turned on? Perhaps it isn't even so much a struggle, but a lapse in understanding. Oh. My. Goodness. The joy found in helping people in ways that can help them grow is phenomenal! Simply calling the clubs to set up visits was fun! They were happy to hear they had someone to help them. Perhaps volunteering is an all-around natural anti-depressant. I find joy in helping. Other's find joy in knowing they have someone to help them. Win-win!

As if anti-depressant isn't enough, I feel good about myself when I help other people. This is where it gets slightly tricky because I know I need to be careful to set up boundaries. When people like me tend to say, "Yes," other people like to ask them to do things. I know I need to set time aside for my family and me. I've learned a lot about setting those boundaries in the past few years. Now that I know my boundaries (or at least a rough estimate thereof), I can serve with a full sense of self-confidence. Ka-ching!

Much like any other job, learning comes along with time in service. Because I am newer than others in the club and because I want to do the best job possible, I have spent hour upon hour reading all that I can to learn about various programs, dates, and resources that are available to all of us. It is my pleasure to learn all I can to provide a good service. Yet, at the same time, I am learning valuable skills that can be used in many places in life. Volunteering could help me to advance my career. Not only do I get to learn through service, but also through reading, networking, and watching video clips. All of that time and effort could really help me out in many different areas of life - whether that be at home, at work, or in the community. Ka-pow!

And to bring this to a near close - can you imagine the networking opportunities that exist as a direct result of working with 6 clubs from Marquette, MI down to DePere, WI? That, in and of itself, is hundreds of people! When you factor in the meetings that I will have outside of those six groups, the number increases exponentially! Those meetings will be with people throughout the state of WI who hold higher leadership levels than I do. Combined, there is a lot of opportunity! Ba-da-boom!

If you haven't sensed it already, I view volunteerism as a great way to have fun and the perfect place to learn. Already, Toastmasters has provided me with some really fantastic friends. I am thrilled to get to know some of the other Toastmasters. While having fun, I will gain a sense of fulfillment as I am able to pursue my passions with some great supporters.

What do you think? How do you view volunteerism? After reading what I had to say, do you agree that volunteers (in most, if not all volunteer agencies) really do get paid even if it isn't in the financial realm? It wouldn't be right if I didn't close this writing before asking... "Would any of you like to attend a Toastmasters Club with me?" There are several meetings in the area that we could plan to go to and I'd love to have you as my guest!!!

Grateful for Sacrificial Love

I just had a fantastic weekend away. I attending the District 35 Toastmasters Conference in Neenah, WI. Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development. As any endeavor we set out to do, Toastmasters is what you put into it. I have been blessed to find a club full of determined members. In the past year, I have watched my club members grow in their speaking and leadership skills exponentially.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Don Ritter called to the stage to present the target speech for the Evaluation Contest. His speech was an outstanding message about sacrificial love. He carried us through a gamut of emotion - from laughter to crying. Don went through to the semi-finals in a quest to win the World Champion of Public Speaking. Over 25,000 people compete for this title annually. Don was in the top 86. This would have been his speech for the final round of competition. It was a gem.

Katie Thiel was one of the contestants in the Evaluation Contest. The state level contest was Friday night. She came in 2nd! Without excellent speech evaluations, we wouldn't improve like we do. What a great example Katie is for us!

Two of my club members were session presenters: Jim Hanson shared how storytelling can be applied to make any message stick. Forget all the data heavy presentations that bore us all to death! Angela Brandenburg told us about her journey to a dream. She inspired us to move forward in our achieving our dreams. Both of these sessions were standing room only. In fact, some people had to either skip the session or find another to attend because the sessions were too full!

Behind the scenes, there were several people who worked diligently so that everything flowed practically flawless. I don't dare list all the names, lest I forget one. Katie Thiel and Julie Ritzman were recognized at the banquet for all of their hard work. These ladies are first year members of the group, jumping in with both feet, chairing registration and finances. They were simply amazing. Not only that, we had record attendance this year!

These are only a few of the people from my club that participated. There are several others who sacrificed in various ways to help with the conference. We work as a team, continually encouraging one another. The end result is exactly what Don Ritter talked about in a club sense - sacrificial love. We have all learned the benefit of Toastmasters. Not all of us want to be speakers or leaders in the typical sense of the word. We have members at all levels, which is a beautiful thing. Some of our members simply want to be comfortable around other people! Some of our members aspire to lead. And others long to speak as a profession.

Toastmasters, as I know it, is full of love and joy. It has been and continues to build my self-confidence. I am a new person because of my time with the clubs. I have a dream and a passion. I know I can follow it. If I fall on my face in the midst of it all, I know that I can dust myself off and try again. In the meantime, I will continue to grow as I chase my dreams.

We would love to meet you if you are interested in some fun self-improvement. All you have to do is ask and I will share all of the info you need. I hope you consider coming with me to a meeting.

Fears Rejected

Fear. We all face it. But why? What is it that we fear most? I was asked to write about my top 5 fears. I came up with only 4. They are here in no particular order:

Fear of failure. 
Fear of rejection. 
Fear of losing a loved one. 
Fear of dying an awful death of pain and suffering. Could I come through that gracefully? and honorably?

What I notice is that each of my fears is incredibly self-centered. Then again, aren't all fears self-centered? I am thankful that these fears really don't have any control over my life. I am encouraged when I remember the messages the Bible has to offer. There are two passages that really stand out to me when I start to question. 

Hebrews 12:1-3 tells us, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Fear is one of those things that can easily hinder us. When I feel it creep in, I turn to the sources that help me most to fix my eyes upon Jesus. Generally, that means playing piano and singing praise and worship music along with prayer. 

I am further encouraged to know what 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." I don't need to be afraid. I can be bold, knowing that I am wrapped in my Savior's arms of love and that He has given me the power and self-discipline to carry on and seek Him out time and time again.

I praise God for the faith that has been instilled in me. I hope and pray that my reading audience can be as assured as I am. If you aren't and are seeking the peace that I have, please don't hesitate to ask me or someone else that you know is grounded in their faith. It's a wonderful place to be. It isn't always easy, but when you experience the peace that passes all understanding, it is a treasurable place to be too.


Many blessings to you, my friends!

Oh, the possibilities...!

The questions posed to me in my writing challenge for today are: "Where have you traveled?" or "What is something you could never get tired of doing?"

It was interesting to me that they fell together because I would have to say that I never get too tired of traveling. Of course, it is nice to be in one spot for awhile, and it is nice to return home for awhile too. When I have the opportunity to travel, I get excited! I love to explore new places, see new things, and meet more people.

I have been to 20 states so far.  I have actually driven through five additional states, but unless I did something of significant value in the state, I didn't count it. I would love to see all 50 and travel outside of the country as well. I have been to a few parts of Mexico and I have been to a couple parts of Canada.

I don't really have a specific plan of how I will get to all of the places I would like to go, rather, I plan to take advantage of the opportunities as they arise. I look forward to seeing things like the Grand Canyon or even revisiting states that I haven't seen nearly enough of like California. That is such a large state, the offerings are diverse. I hope that someday I can go to places like France or Germany to experience the historical culture. I'd like to go to Africa to see the people we sponsor. Travel to Australia and New Zealand has been long on my list. The Asian countries hold intrigue as does South America. How can a person possibly choose what they would like to see? All of it excites me! I had a tough time just stopping with the locations I did list!

I'm really not sure how a person like me could accomplish all of that world travel. I may have to settle for internet pics and living vicariously through others, but one thing I do know is that we live in an amazing world! If nothing else, I will have it on my bucket list to visit all 50 of the United States. I think that is an achievable goal. Wouldn't it be grand if I could also say that I gave speeches in all 50 states?!! I have no idea how I am going to manage to sleep now that I am so excited about travel and all of the possibilities that exist!

What if my dreams could begin to come true right here on my blog??? Are any of you interested in hiring a speaker? I'd love to discuss the possibilities with you! My hot topics right now are pursuing your passions, trusting in God, and overcoming adversity. I come complete with some fantastic references. Your audience is  sure to be inspired!

Can You Afford to Take the Risk?

Wayne Gretzky once said, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." 

When I saw that quote today, it rang out loud and clear. It was exactly what I needed. For the past year, I have been chasing a dream, or perhaps better stated, preparing to chase my dream. You see, about a year ago, I made a choice to pursue public speaking. It is a passion I have had for quite some time - one that has continued to grow with increasing opportunities to speak and abundant support from friends and colleagues.

When I returned from my trip across the country (Savannah, GA to Shreveport, LA) this summer, one of my fellow Toastmasters suggested that I apply for the Toastmasters Accredited Speaker Program. His suggestion was seconded by several. As I researched this potential opportunity, I learned that this is an elite designation for those of professional speaking caliber who have demonstrated their abilities to speak through the five major speaking categories: Informing, Persuading, Motivational/Inspirational, Entertainment/Humor, and Seminar/Discussion Leader.

I was honored to have been encouraged so greatly! I decided to move forward in this quest, gathering the necessary information and recording a CD. Thankfully, I had speaking engagements lined up in the short month I had to work with before submissions are due. There was one presentation in particular that stood out as the perfect opportunity to record. The day came and I couldn't have been pickier about the way it turned out. I was attacked with thoughts and feelings that the presentation wasn't good enough. In fact, I've hemmed and hawed about it all week because I really wanted to achieve this goal.

I was blessed yesterday to listen to a podcast. In it, Jana Barnhill, an accredited speaker, addressed my fears. She mentioned that people who are professional speakers are critical of their own work. They constantly want to improve. So true! Today I read the quote above, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." 

Can I afford to take the risk? Yes! I am going to take the words of Mr. Gretzky and the encouragement of Jana Barnhill to heart. I am going to take a deep breath, set my perfectionism aside and submit my work for consideration into the accredited speaker program. I know I have the ability. I have spoken to thousands of people. I have garnered wonderful feedback. I can't let my perfectionist spirit get in the way. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? I would just need to try again and that would simply mean that I am growing in experience and ability - both great things to strive for no matter what happens.

What about you? Do you have goals, hopes, or dreams? Tell us about them. I'd especially love to hear about your dream come true. Show us how/why we can afford to take the risk of pursuing our passions. What better way is there to teach than through example?

Spooktacular Spiders?

Years ago, I was taught to look to nature to learn various lessons. Today is one of those days. I thought of the spider. Spiders often keep themselves busy, but when you think about their web, what kind of things come to mind (beside the fact that you don't want them in your house!)?When I think of it, I think about how carefully placed they have to be. If the spider doesn't use careful planning, it is not going to get food. Or worse, the spider could miss out and have the web and possibly it's own life destroyed!

I've been sitting in front of my computer quite a bit today. It's quite apparent by the fact that I currently have fourteen tabs open in my browser! I also have in front of me: two open Word documents, two sheets of paper that I have been taking notes on, and a few more that I printed off. This is precisely the type of situation I was referring to the other day when I wrote about being a squiggle. It's been a fairly unfocused day, yet, I have learned a lot of information as I bounced from one subject to another.

At the end of the day, perhaps the biggest thing I need to admit is that I really prefer when my days are planned out and orderly. (Don't get me wrong... I LOVE to be spontaneous!) For the past couple weeks, I had been so focused on making it through my day yesterday that I wasn't well enough prepared for orderly work today. I had everything in my head, but without an actual action plan.

That being said, I have come up with a plan! I want to use that lesson from the spider. I want to have this area of my life planned. I really want to have a big picture in mind before I continue writing with no apparent focus. I have plenty of things that I want to write about, but before it looks like I am writing without a purpose, I am going to step back. I am going to continue to work on my personal goals that will soon tie in with my blog writings. Until that time, I will be here simply writing about myself.

Spiders may be creepy, crawly, scary things, but they have lessons we can learn. What better time to learn from a spider than at the end of October! Take a moment to reflect on your planing in various aspects of your life: Spiritual, Financial, Relationships, Hopes, Dreams, Physical, etc.Are you throwing caution to the wind and simply going with whatever seems to work? Or do you have plans - short and long terms? You'll be pleased by the spooktacular results you see when you make time to create an action plan. This, too, will become one of your life's defining adventures.

Please, Don't Send Me to Africa!

I am a member of Toastmasters International. For those of us who do a lot of public speaking, Toastmasters offers an Accredited Speaker Program. It is an elite designation for those of professional speaking caliber. It is a program that I learned of recently. My fellow Toastmasters have encouraged me to apply for accreditation.

I spoke for the Sunrise Optimist Club in Green Bay, WI today. To apply for phase one of accreditation, I need to send in an audio CD of one of my presentations. This is one I might consider.

I'm curious to know what others think of this particular presentation.The video is about 28 minutes long, but if you have the time and are willing to write a comment, I would love the feedback!

If you happen to be looking for a motivational or inspirational speaker, of course, I'd love to discuss that with you as well!