YES, I DID IT!

posted by Leila Bates

I thought this was so appropriate for Speakers. We all know the self inflicted barriers we have to overcome to become the "YES, I DID IT" person.  The fact is we need to adapt, keep moving and invariably, we will all reach the top.

Introverts Can Speak: The Case Of Susan Cain

by Promod Sharma, CC

Do you need some time ... on your own?
Do you need some time ... all alone?
- Guns N' Roses. November Rain

Are you an introvert? That need not handicap you in public speaking. You can overcome your fears. Susan Cain did for her TED Talk based on her book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking (Amazon link).

The Power Of Introverts

Let’s watch and then discuss.

If you didn't know that Susan’s an introvert, could you tell? I couldn’t.

As a Toastmaster, what changes would you suggest Susan make? I didn’t see anything major. Susan smiles. Her audience laughs. She pauses. She speaks clearly. Her talk is well structured. She looks natural and at ease. She creates mystery with her prop, a bag. Susan engages the audience and makes them comfortable. She moves around smoothly.

A minor quibble: I found her hand movements a tad repetitive on video but that was probably fine for the large, live audience.

The Reality

Susan looks like she’s in control and never really had problems speaking in public. That’s not the case.

“I’m told my talk received a standing ovation. My husband keeps asking what it felt like, after all the Sturm und Drang. The truth is I don’t know. I have no memory of the moment — I was too numb. That was someone else up there: my metamorphosed incarnation, the Public Introvert.“
--- Susan Cain, An Introvert Steps Out (New York Times, April 2012)

Does that surprise you?

In a fascinating article, Susan candidly explains how she prepared for her TED Talk. Joining Toastmasters was part of her process.

The Book

If you like the TED Talk, get Quiet. Susan’s book goes into much more detail. You’ll benefit even if you're an extrovert because we all know introverts.

I'm currently listening to the audio version. The narrator (Kathe Mazur) reminds me of Carolyn McCormick, who read a very different and less satisfying book, The Hunger Games. Maybe that’s because many books are narrated by men — even The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGongial (Amazon link).

I’m surprised that Susan didn’t narrate her own book. She certainly can since she speaks so well on stage. Maybe next time she will.

Links

• thepowerofintroverts.com (Susan Cain’s website)
• The power of introverts (official TED page) 
• Q&A: It's okay to eat alone (TED blog)
• An Introvert Steps Out (New York Times, Apr 2012)
• Required reading for the thinking class (book review by Paul Nazareth) 
• Top career choices for introverts (Bright Hub)
• Annoying Toastmaster guests with attention
• Mommy, learn to speak better
• What goes wrong when presenting outside your club
• The six basic fears according to Napoleon Hill
• Control the fear of public speaking

Promod Sharma is an introvert. Aren't most actuaries? He enjoys speaking but prefers writing. That’s why you’ll find 500+ blog posts and 180+ podcasts but only 14 videos.

Why Go To Toastmasters In The Summer

by Promod Sharma, CC

In school, we got summer holidays. Some Toastmaster clubs shut down, which gives you a guilt-free break. However, your progress suffers. Didn’t you join to improve?

Here are three reasons to go to a year-round club even during the summer:

1. Maintain momentum
2. More practice
3. More relaxing

Maintain Momentum

It’s easier to keep going than to stop/restart/repeat. As Newton said, objects in motion tend to stay in motion. Inertia erases progress. Improving speaking skills is an ongoing process.

We speak everyday. We might as well continue to improve every club meeting.

More Practice

The summer is when members are more likely to take holidays --- especially if they have children. Fewer attendees means more time for those who are present. The agenda can vary.

For instance, Table Topics could be longer. You can get on the agenda more easily. You can also volunteer for more roles, which the Chair will appreciate. You can request and get more feedback.

What harm can come from practice?

More Relaxing

The summer is a nice, relaxing time of year. That may be just what you need to make a leap in your speaking. Your words might flow more smoothly. You may get better ideas faster during Table Topics.

You may want to experiment more than you might otherwise. Maybe you avoid conducting lessons. Now’s a great time to try one. Maybe you don’t prepare as much as you like. You can now. Maybe you want to redo a speech. Go ahead.

Guests

If you're thinking of joining Toastmasters, the summer is an ideal time to visit and get started. Life gets busy in the fall …

Links

• Table Topics: the how and why
• Snakes and ladders: redoing all your speeches
• Finding the right Toastmasters club for you
• Learn to memorize with storytelling
• Roles: the Chair
• image courtesy of korycheer

Promod Sharma is most likely to miss club meetings in August. When he's not blogging or vacationing, he's conducting Actuarial Insurance Reviews for the healthy, wealthy and wise at Taxevity.

Celebrating 50+5 Blog Posts For Speakers And Leaders

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012, CC

This is the 55th blog post!

Why not celebrate the 50th post? That was the intent but that milestone passed silently.

Highs

Blogging is easy to start ... and even easier to quit.

Psychologically, 50 posts feels like the minimum for a real blog during a year. Each of my two personal blogs (Marketing Actuary and Riscario Insider) has a post per week with a break in late December.

A regular schedule is also important. The goal is what Seth Godin calls consistent persistent generosity. I promised that this blog would have two posts per week from Jan 1, 2012 to June 30, 2012, when my term as club President ends. That schedule has been maintained.

Lows

This blog was intended to inspire club members to show courage by blogging here. That hasn't happened. I've written most of the posts, especially in recent months.

Leaders make statements that go on the record. Blogging is a low-key way to build leadership skills, another way that Toastmasters helps members.

I was especially hoping that the club executive would volunteer to participate. They haven't and I haven't pressed them.

Unexpected

I already publish about 1,000 words a week (two personal blogs, each with a post of about 500 words). Here, I focused on two weekly posts of about 350 words each (minimum 300 words). As an exercise, I looked for ways to write faster and used techniques from Table Topics.

I start with an idea that happens to come to mind. I then write and publish about 350 words. The process takes an hour. Here's where the time goes

1. 15 min: initial draft (see how to write better faster using an iPad and iA Writer)
2. 30 min: editing and adding links (mainly on the iPad)
3. 15 min: finalizing and posting (using Windows Live Writer)

Some posts have images. Finding and editing an image takes about 15 minutes.
Since I've been writing four posts a week (two here and two of my own), I've gotten faster. Practice does help. I'm also getting more ideas, especially for short posts.

Because the ideas keep flowing out, I know I can write a book. I can also sketch out new presentations much faster (using mind mapping).

Next

I'm hoping the new executive will continue to support the blog. I'm intending to write one post per week. In a year, we'll have at least 100 posts. That will be worth celebrating ... if other members contribute regularly.

Links

• How to apply consistent persistent generosity
• The best places for free images
• Prepare your speech with a mind map
• How to write better faster
• image courtesy of Tom Oliveira

Promod Sharma has written over 500 blog posts since 2007 about marketing for entrepreneurs and risk.

Mommy, Learn To Speak Better

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012, CC

If you're a mother with a young child, your speaking skills may deteriorate. When you spend time with other mothers with young children don’t you talk about similar issues? You need a break.

Would you like to sharpen your communication skills? Consider joining a Toastmasters community club. You meet adults with diverse backgrounds and get a chance to stop speaking like a mommy.

Preparation Time

You’re busy. You may not have much time to prepare. Some roles like Greeter, Timer and Crutchword Counter require no preparation. Roles like Quote Master, Trivia Master or Humour Master require limited preparation.

Random

Table Topics gives you an opportunity to practice your impromptu speaking. You talk about a randomly-selected topic for a minute. Since children come up with the weirdest things, you may already be good at this. You may get ideas to discuss at home.

This week, we pulled pennies from a bag and spoke about what we did that year. The assignment was both easy and difficult. Depending on how old your children are, you could do something similar. For instance, use a magnifying glass find the date on the coin (that'll be fun). Take the last digit of the year and treat that as an age. What were you doing at that age? [Not recommended for children who swallow coins.]

Speeches

Children have such energy and curiosity. Your experiences with them could be ideal for speeches. You won't know unless you try. Notice how children make many mistakes but learn from them. If you fear speaking in public, Toastmasters gives you a safe environment to improve.

As a side benefit, you can practice your speeches with your children and get them creating stories. Learning the basic structure of having a beginning, middle and end gives them a solid foundation for future speaking. You're also showing the importance of communication skills.

Other

It's Mother's Day today. Maybe you get breakfast in bed, a nice card or a meal out. Enjoy that.

For a gift with lasting value, consider Toastmasters. You'll find an inexpensive and worthwhile way to spend solo time away from home. We're well-behaved.

Links

• Finding the right Toastmasters club for you
• Three steps to get the most out of Toastmasters
• Three steps to get understood better
• Table Topics ideas
• image courtesy of Stanislav Komogorov

Promod Sharma wishes all mothers a wonderful Mother's Day (promodsharma.com).

Finding The Right Toastmasters Club For You

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012, CC

Please don't judge Toastmasters by a visit to a single club or what someone else tells you.

Each club is different. Before joining, do try more than one (unless you love the first one). Clubs meet at different times of day (morning, noon or evening) and different days of the week. Some are open to the community and others are restricted to employees of a single company. Some clubs don't run all year (e.g., university clubs).

Most important, each club has a different feeling. You may be surprised at the variations. Some feel stuffy, formal and nitpicky. Others feel warm, forgiving and welcoming.

Your choices depend on where you live or work. A big city like Toronto offers many options, especially if you're willing to commute.

Finding

To find a club, go to Meetup (http://toastmasters.meetup.com) or the official Toastmasters website (http://reports.toastmasters.org/findaclub). A normal web search may help too.

Example

Goodyear Toastmasters meets weekly all year long (except around Christmas and New Years). You don't take the summer off. In some ways, the summer is the best time to attend. The atmosphere is more relaxed and there's even more flexibility in the scheduling.

Meetings take place on Thursday evenings at 6:45 PM for two hours. Thursday is the ideal day of week because you're closer to the weekend. Meetings take place after dinner, which reduces time pressure. Meetings run for two hours, which eliminates the rush to zip through. There's also considerable flexibility. If a member wants practice a real-life presentation or answer mock interview questions, there's often time because 20 minutes is set aside for a Lesson, Viewpoint or Debate.

The club is also open to the community, which fosters diversity. Even if you normally speak to a niche audience, practicing among "regular" people is an excellent way to build skills.

Your Choices

You may think the ideal club meets at lunchtime where you work. By visiting other clubs you may find a better fit.

Links

• Three steps to get the most out of Toastmasters
• Get feedback from the right group 
• Turbocharge your club with social media
• Lessons from one year in Toastmasters
• A Toastmasters Journey --- Yours!
• image courtesy of S

Promod Sharma joined Goodyear Toastmasters without visiting any other clubs (promodsharma.com).

Becoming Club President Changes You

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012, CC

I didn't expect to become the President of Goodyear Toastmasters, especially just months after joining. Somehow, I got nominated and then elected. I knew I could fill the role but still felt awkward.

Modesty

At the start of club meetings, we introduce ourselves. In the beginning, I was reluctant to say I was President. I didn't want to look superior to other members. I'm more of a servant leader. Titles don't matter. Being President doesn't make you better at Table Topics or speaking. Yet titles raise expectations.

Within weeks, I became comfortable stating my position in person and on LinkedIn. It's funny how a title bestows more authority. Your opinions carry more weight. I knew that happened from my years in the corporate world. I had 10 staff and indirect influence over dozens more.

Mandate

Now I feel proud of the role and what we've achieved in our club. If you want to run for club executive, have an inspiring vision in mind backed by a plan that can be implemented within a year.

My focus was on leaving a legacy that the 30 year old Goodyear Toastmasters club could celebrate in 10 years on our 40th anniversary. This required replacing the website and embracing social media to accumulate our history (see the living legacy Viewpoint).

The Meetup group is successful. Twitter is sporadic (@gytm81). This blog is doing well (this is the 49th post!) and traffic is growing (but there are too few contributors). Some members have put videos on our YouTube channel.

Overall

Overall, I feel more confident due to being President. I'm perceived as a better speaker. My LinkedIn profile looks more credible too. The overall experience has been excellent.

A club role may be ideal for you. There are positions for different levels of experience (including none). If don't want to run but get nominated, please don't reject the nomination without suitable consideration. You’ll lose an opportunity to make a difference and improve yourself.

Links

• Running a club election
• Viewpoint: The living legacy of Goodyear Toastmasters
• Transitioning to new club executive (new)
• image courtesy of Daniel Wiedemann (Brazil)

Promod Sharma is the President of Goodyear Toastmasters from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012 (promodsharma.com).

Overcome The Chaos Of English Pronunciation And Spelling

by Jada Nash, Treasurer 2011-2012

English is a tough language to speak and spell. The following poem by Gerard Nolst Trenité summarizes some of the challenges. How about practicing a verse a day?

The Chaos

Dearest creature in creation
Studying English pronunciation,
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse and worse.

I will keep you, Susy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy;
Tear in eye, your dress you'll tear;
Queer, fair seer, hear my prayer.


Pray, console your loving poet,
Make my coat look new, dear, sew it!
Just compare heart, hear and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word.


Sword and sward, retain and Britain
(Mind the latter how it's written).
Made has not the sound of bade,
Say-said, pay-paid, laid but plaid.

Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as vague and ague,
But be careful how you speak,
Say: gush, bush, steak, streak, break, bleak ,


Previous, precious, fuchsia, via
Recipe, pipe, studding-sail, choir;
Woven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, shoe, poem, toe.

Say, expecting fraud and trickery:
Daughter, laughter and Terpsichore,
Branch, ranch, measles, topsails, aisles,
Missiles, similes, reviles.


Wholly, holly, signal, signing,
Same, examining, but mining,
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far.

From "desire": desirable-admirable from "admire",
Lumber, plumber, bier, but brier,
Topsham, brougham, renown, but known,
Knowledge, done, lone, gone, none, tone,


One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel.
Gertrude, German, wind and wind,
Beau, kind, kindred, queue, mankind,


Tortoise, turquoise, chamois-leather,
Reading, Reading, heathen, heather.
This phonetic labyrinth
Gives moss, gross, brook, brooch, ninth, plinth.

Have you ever yet endeavoured
To pronounce revered and severed,
Demon, lemon, ghoul, foul, soul,
Peter, petrol and patrol?


Billet does not end like ballet;
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.


Banquet is not nearly parquet,
Which exactly rhymes with khaki.
Discount, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward,


Ricocheted and crocheting, croquet?
Right! Your pronunciation's OK.
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.

Is your r correct in higher?
Keats asserts it rhymes Thalia.
Hugh, but hug, and hood, but hoot,
Buoyant, minute, but minute.

Say abscission with precision,
Now: position and transition;
Would it tally with my rhyme
If I mentioned paradigm?


Twopence, threepence, tease are easy,
But cease, crease, grease and greasy?
Cornice, nice, valise, revise,
Rabies, but lullabies.

Of such puzzling words as nauseous,
Rhyming well with cautious, tortious,
You'll envelop lists, I hope,
In a linen envelope.

Would you like some more? You'll have it!
Affidavit, David, davit.
To abjure, to perjure. Sheik
Does not sound like Czech but ache.


Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, loch, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed but vowed.

Mark the difference, moreover,
Between mover, plover, Dover.
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice,


Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.
Petal, penal, and canal,
Wait, surmise, plait, promise, pal,


Suit, suite, ruin. Circuit, conduit
Rhyme with "shirk it" and "beyond it",
But it is not hard to tell
Why it's pall, mall, but Pall Mall.


Muscle, muscular, gaol, iron,
Timber, climber, bullion, lion,
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor,


Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
Has the a of drachm and hammer.
Pussy, hussy and possess,
Desert, but desert, address.


Golf, wolf, countenance, lieutenants
Hoist in lieu of flags left pennants.
Courier, courtier, tomb, bomb, comb,
Cow, but Cowper, some and home.

"Solder, soldier! Blood is thicker",
Quoth he, "than liqueur or liquor",
Making, it is sad but true,
In bravado, much ado.


Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
Pilot, pivot, gaunt, but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand and grant.


Arsenic, specific, scenic,
Relic, rhetoric, hygienic.
Gooseberry, goose, and close, but close,
Paradise, rise, rose, and dose.

Say inveigh, neigh, but inveigle,
Make the latter rhyme with eagle.
Mind! Meandering but mean,
Valentine and magazine.

And I bet you, dear, a penny,
You say mani-(fold) like many,
Which is wrong. Say rapier, pier,
Tier (one who ties), but tier.


Arch, archangel; pray, does erring
Rhyme with herring or with stirring?
Prison, bison, treasure trove,
Treason, hover, cover, cove,


Perseverance, severance. Ribald
Rhymes (but piebald doesn't) with nibbled.
Phaeton, paean, gnat, ghat, gnaw,
Lien, psychic, shone, bone, pshaw.

Don't be down, my own, but rough it,
And distinguish buffet, buffet;
Brood, stood, roof, rook, school, wool, boon,
Worcester, Boleyn, to impugn.

Say in sounds correct and sterling
Hearse, hear, hearken, year and yearling.
Evil, devil, mezzotint,
Mind the z! (A gentle hint.)

Now you need not pay attention
To such sounds as I don't mention,
Sounds like pores, pause, pours and paws,
Rhyming with the pronoun yours;

Nor are proper names included,
Though I often heard, as you did,
Funny rhymes to unicorn,
Yes, you know them, Vaughan and Strachan.

No, my maiden, coy and comely,
I don't want to speak of Cholmondeley.
No. Yet Froude compared with proud
Is no better than McLeod.

But mind trivial and vial,
Tripod, menial, denial,
Troll and trolley, realm and ream,
Schedule, mischief, schism, and scheme.


Argil, gill, Argyll, gill. Surely
May be made to rhyme with Raleigh,
But you're not supposed to say
Piquet rhymes with sobriquet.

Had this invalid invalid
Worthless documents? How pallid,
How uncouth he, couchant, looked,
When for Portsmouth I had booked!


Zeus, Thebes, Thales, Aphrodite,
Paramour, enamoured, flighty,
Episodes, antipodes,
Acquiesce, and obsequies.

Please don't monkey with the geyser,
Don't peel 'taters with my razor,
Rather say in accents pure:
Nature, stature and mature.


Pious, impious, limb, climb, glumly,
Worsted, worsted, crumbly, dumbly,
Conquer, conquest, vase, phase, fan,
Wan, sedan and artisan.

The th will surely trouble you
More than r, ch or w.
Say then these phonetic gems:
Thomas, thyme, Theresa, Thames.


Thompson, Chatham, Waltham, Streatham,
There are more but I forget 'em-
Wait! I've got it: Anthony,
Lighten your anxiety.

The archaic word albeit
Does not rhyme with eight-you see it;
With and forthwith, one has voice,
One has not, you make your choice.


Shoes, goes, does *. Now first say: finger;
Then say: singer, ginger, linger.
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, age,


Hero, heron, query, very,
Parry, tarry fury, bury,
Dost, lost, post, and doth, cloth, loth,
Job, Job, blossom, bosom, oath.


Faugh, oppugnant, keen oppugners,
Bowing, bowing, banjo-tuners
Holm you know, but noes, canoes,
Puisne, truism, use, to use?

Though the difference seems little,
We say actual, but victual,
Seat, sweat, chaste, caste, Leigh, eight, height,
Put, nut, granite, and unite.


Reefer does not rhyme with deafer,
Feoffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Dull, bull, Geoffrey, George, ate, late,
Hint, pint, senate, but sedate.


Gaelic, Arabic, pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific;
Tour, but our, dour, succour, four,
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.

Say manoeuvre, yacht and vomit,
Next omit, which differs from it
Bona fide, alibi
Gyrate, dowry and awry.


Sea, idea, guinea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean,
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.

Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion with battalion,
Rally with ally; yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, key, quay!

Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, receiver.
Never guess-it is not safe,
We say calves, valves, half, but Ralf.


Starry, granary, canary,
Crevice, but device, and eyrie,
Face, but preface, then grimace,
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.


Bass, large, target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, oust, joust, and scour, but scourging;
Ear, but earn; and ere and tear
Do not rhyme with here but heir.

Mind the o of off and often
Which may be pronounced as orphan,
With the sound of saw and sauce;
Also soft, lost, cloth and cross.


Pudding, puddle, putting. Putting?
Yes: at golf it rhymes with shutting.
Respite, spite, consent, resent.
Liable, but Parliament.


Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew, Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, clerk and jerk,
Asp, grasp, wasp, demesne, cork, work.


A of valour, vapid vapour,
S of news (compare newspaper),
G of gibbet, gibbon, gist,
I of antichrist and grist,

Differ like diverse and divers,
Rivers, strivers, shivers, fivers.
Once, but nonce, toll, doll, but roll,
Polish, Polish, poll and poll.

Pronunciation-think of Psyche!-
Is a paling, stout and spiky.
Won't it make you lose your wits
Writing groats and saying "grits"?

It's a dark abyss or tunnel
Strewn with stones like rowlock, gunwale,
Islington, and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.

Don't you think so, reader, rather,
Saying lather, bather, father?
Finally, which rhymes with enough,
Though, through, bough, cough, hough, sough, tough??


Hiccough has the sound of sup...
My advice is: GIVE IT UP!

Shortcut

If you’d made it this far, you deserve a way to compare. Enjoy!

Links

• The Chaos by Gerard Nolst Trenité
• image courtesy of sideshowmom (Kansas City, Missouri)

Jada Nash is the Treasurer of Goodyear Toastmasters. She was previously President and winner of the coveted Rudy Award.

Three Steps To Get The Most Out Of Toastmasters

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012

Goodyear Toastmasters is like a fitness club. It's easy to join but your progress depends on what you do. For best results

1. attend
2. participate
3. stretch

Attend

In the beginning, you probably intended to attend the regular meetings. If not, why would you join?

Life has a nasty way of getting in the way. If you let it. There's work. There's family. There's vacation. There are lots of reasons to miss a meeting. And then a second. And a third. Returning soon becomes more difficult than staying away.

There's one good reason to attend: to improve your skills in speaking and leadership. (Or is that two reasons?)

Participate

We have rotating roles assigned by our VP of Education. You'll start with the simpler ones like Crutchword Counter or Trivia Master. Eventually, you'll get major roles like Table Topics Master, Toastmaster and Chair. You can back out with advance warning but you're limiting your progress is if you do.

Our club is run by unpaid volunteer members. We need your help. As you help share the load, you build connections and make friends. You might decide to take additional responsibilities by joining committees. You might even run for club office.

Stretch

The good old comfort zone is waiting to trap us. We may improve our skills to a certain level and then get stuck. We're better but we've stopped growing. Maybe we keep using the same hand gestures. Maybe we avoid taking on certain roles.

As with muscles, we need to go beyond what we're already doing to get real results. We may not notice at the time but if you record yourself, you will see the progress.

You

Fellow members are here to help you with your goals. We can't unless you show up. See you next week!

Links

• 7 tips to a live motivated life
• Control the fear of public speaking
• The six basic fears according to Napoleon Hill
• A must-do for all speakers
• image courtesy of camrynb (Georgia, US)

Promod Sharma has (gulp!) missed three consecutive meetings due to extra workload at Taxevity. He's now ready to return.

The Painless Way To Blog

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012 [Blog Editor]

Blogging may seem intimidating at first but don't worry. As a member of Goodyear Toastmasters, the details get handled for you. All you do is draft content suitable for a general audience.

Guidelines

Write a post that's at least 300 words. That may seem like a lot but that's just a few minutes of talking. We talk effortlessly all day long (or know people who do). Writing takes more work but is within your grasp.

You can write using a free text editor like WordPad or a blogging app like Windows Live Writer (download page). You don’t need a heavy-duty tool like Microsoft Word but can use that if you’d like. If you have an iPad, iA Writer is excellent (see how to write better and faster).

Identification

Don't you want credit for your posts? Include your name and a sentence or two about yourself. You can include a link to your website or LinkedIn profile, if you like.

Send a photo too. Larger is better. The photo will be cropped and reduced to 100x100 pixels.
If you're reluctant to use your real name, you're free to use a pseudonym or maybe just your first name.

Editing

When you're satisfied, email your draft to the Blog Editor. You're done. If the changes are minor, you won't be notified.

If the changes are more extensive, you'll be contacted with suggestions. This can be a valuable learning process. Speaking has "crutchwords". Writing does too. You might be using passive verbs, complicated words or lengthy sentences. In the beginning, the editing will be minor and get more detailed as you get better. Isn't that exactly what happen when you progress through your speeches?

Posting

Your post will be scheduled for publication. For an instant notification when it goes live, Follow @gytm81 on Twitter. To get a copy of every post, subscribe. It’s all free.

As you get comfortable with the process, you’re welcome to become a regular contributor. You might even decide to start your own blog. That could change your life …

Frequency

You can blog as frequently as you like. The risk is getting burned out. Start with one post for now. Maybe you can commit to one per month? That's just a word per day!

Start

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• Revisiting New Year’s Resolutions
• Revitalizing this blog
• Image courtesy of jaylopez (Philippines)

Revisiting New Year's Resolutions

by Jennifer Moon, DTM

If my recollection of Roman history is correct, we have Janus to thank (or to curse) for the practice of setting New Year’s resolutions. Janus, the mythical king of Rome, had a unique perspective on life. He also had two faces. One face looked back on past events while the other looked toward the future, making him the perfect symbol for reflection and promise.


History tells us that we’ve been making resolutions since about 150 BCE, so I guess you could say people have been making, and breaking, New Year’s resolutions for over two thousand years. Fortunately for Toastmasters, we’ve still got six months left in our year and January is the perfect time to reinvigorate ourselves and our clubs.

As we transition into a new year, have you thought about your Toastmaster resolutions? Have you taken a look at your goals and realized you’re in great shape? If so, can you spare some time and expertise to help a struggling club or to coach a member in need? January is a great time to volunteer in these capacities.

What if you realize that you’re a little behind schedule? Not to worry! Unlike the traditional resolutions that have a “best before date” of December 31^st, Toastmasters have until the end of June to realize our yearly ambitions. Do you need a little help from a mentor? Would you benefit from scheduling your projects well in advance, leaving you little choice but to stay on track?

Let’s adopt a little bit of Janus’ wisdom as we work toward our Toastmasters goals. Take time to look back over the past months of success and realize just how far we’ve come. What roles have been mastered? What fears have been overcome? Use some of that inspiration as we look toward the future, and all the challenges that lie ahead. As we transition into the new calendar year, take time to celebrate successes – yours and the club’s – and enjoy accomplishing your Toastmasters resolutions.

Jennifer is a long time member of Goodyear Toastmasters and served as our Area Governor for 2010-2011. She recently joined the Board of Governors of the Ontario College of Trades. You’ll find more about Jennifer on LinkedIn.

7 Tips to Live a Motivated Life

by Barbara Berezowski

Life is wonderful. Life is great. How blessed we are to have a new opportunity every 24 hours! There are no bad days if you keep everything in the proper perspective. Here are seven tips to live a motivated life.

1. Begin each day with a good nutritional breakfast.

Protein is the key. Watch the carbs. Have 2 eggs since they're packed with a high level of protein. If you're going to have carbs, go for a whole grain slice of bread, throw in a bowl of fruit and you're good to go. A good healthy breakfast is so good for you. It's like putting gas in the tank so that you can drive a long way.  Your body and mind need fuel to function and operate well. You'll have the energy to take on all that the new day has for you.

2. Make a plan for the day.

Write down what you would like to accomplish and get to it. Make a list and prioritize it according to importance. Start with the most difficult task and work on it until it is completed. Then go on to the next. Do this daily and it will become a good habit. There is a good feeling that comes over you as you reach your daily goals. This good feeling is what will motivate you to do the same thing again tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.

3. Listen to motivational messages.

As you drive in your car, pop in a motivational CD. Whether it be words of wisdom from a motivational speaker or some great music on a CD you just bought, you will feel inspired and it will make you a more positive person. Your day will play out much better because you have put yourself into a better frame of mind.

4. Appreciate life and show gratitude.

Remember that life is a gift and we need to appreciate it. Be grateful for all that it has to offer and take every chance to spread the good message to all that you meet. Be positive and problems will transform into opportunities to get better. By that I mean that no matter what challenges you face, you will find a solution and you will grow from the experience.

5. Take care of your heart, mind and body.

Your heart is your engine. Keep it working smoothly by maintaining good health. You don't have to go to the gym and work out for five to six hours. One will do. Keep things in perspective. If working out is a chore, just go out for a walk. Enjoy the scenery and know that you are doing your body good. Put on the motivational messages in your iPod and feed your inspiration by listening while you walk. Whatever you do, just move! You owe that much to yourself, don't you?

6. Laugh and enjoy.

When you hear something funny, laugh. Too many times people hold back because they feel they must hide their feelings. Laugh and enjoy yourself, always. Life is short ... have a good time.

7. Love with all you've got.

Love your family, love your friends, love your pets, love your life but most importantly, love yourself! If you don't love everything in your life, make some changes so you can. If you hate your job, look for ways to make it more enjoyable or look for something else. It does no good to feel miserable about something and just let it be. Be motivated to take some positive action to make things better. When you love yourself, you will see and experience everything in a more positive light. Be inspired to motivate yourself to live a better and more positive life.

You'll find more about Barbara at www.bberezowski.com.