Thankful for the Opportunity
Like many guests, when I first came to Toastmasters, I did not know about the organization. I was told by my brother that I should go to network. My brother said I would meet many individuals from different professions. When I came to my first meeting, I was amazed at how well everyone got along.
It was wonderful how this group of people could put aside their differences and work together. I remember being welcomed with open arms, and many Toastmaster members wanted me to join. I did not hesitate to join Toastmasters, and after all these years, I still enjoy coming to meetings and participating.
Because of Toastmasters, I have been able to grow as a speaker and as a leader. Toastmasters has become a place where you have the ability to help others reach their goals and become successful.
Over the past couple years, it has been a struggle keeping clubs alive, but we must remember why we are Toastmasters. We are in Toastmasters to grow. Some people think that we should just be in Toastmasters for ourselves, but when we can help each other, the club grows and so do we as individuals.
The clubs that are alive today are alive because they understand the importance of teamwork, and they are able to work together. Even though we are individuals, we are in Toastmasters together.
Thankful for Mentorship
One of the biggest reasons I am here in Toastmasters is because of the many wonderful mentors I have had. What is funny is that some of them never realized that they were my mentor. There are two ways you can be a mentor: you tell people how to become successful or you show them how to become successful in Toastmasters.
One of my mentors would always bring her manuals to every meeting. She would stress the importance of giving project speeches and making sure you did not give free speeches. I don’t know why, but for some reason, that stuck with me.
Today, I make sure every speech I give is a project speech. I make sure that I get credit for the speeches. I don’t think she realized that her statement to the club had an impact on me.
Thankful for Toastmasters
What I have learned in my life is that the little things matter. Sometimes we get so used to doing something that we take it for granted. We don’t realize how lucky we are to have Toastmasters, and we don’t appreciate our members enough. Take the time this Thanksgiving to be thankful for the things that we have. Take the time to thank the members for showing up and being willing to participate. Take the time to thank someone willing to give a speech and let them be evaluated. Take the time to say thank you for being a Toastmaster.
There are millions of individuals who have joined Toastmasters, and I guarantee that they got something out of it. When a new member joins Toastmasters, we should embrace them. We should do everything we can to help welcome them and help them reach their goals.
These days, we are lucky if a Toastmaster will stay a year. Most Toastmasters leave within a year. How we treat them will determine if they will come back. I’m thankful that Toastmasters has been around for over 100 years, and I believe because of the wonderful members and mentorship, it will be around for another 100 years. Toastmasters is an organization that may have its ups and downs, but it is not going anywhere anytime soon, and I am thankful for that.
Randy Casarez
Blog Editor & Media Coordinator
View other blogs: https://aztoastmasters.org/blog/
More Information about achieving a DTM: https://toastmasters.org/Magazine/Magazine%20Issues/2022/Nov/Path%20to%20DTM
