My voyage in Toastmasters set sail in January, 2013 – at the time I became a crew member of the ship called Capital Toastmasters Suva, Fiji. The environment was new, isolated from family and friends. The existing crew was very friendly but inside of me, I felt as if I was trapped in a dark box, about to dip into boiling lava! This was particularly the case when I was asked to speak for one minute in front of the audience who at the time, were unknown to me. As the journey continued I manage to find a place of comfort within which I could fit.
Whilst travelling on the rough seas and exposed to the winds, there was a lot of responsibility which everyone had to taken on in order to survive and have fun during the voyage. These included taking up impromptu roles, delivering prepared speeches and evaluating speeches.
In order to leave the ship, I first had to complete 10 speeches – following which I would achieve Competent Communicator status. It took me 7 years to complete my 10 speeches but the lessons along the way were a lifetime learning experience. These lessons include developing effective listening skills, thinking on your feet, think before you speak, know your audience, vocal projection, vocal variety, effective evaluation and time management being the crux of it. All the lessons learnt are beneficial and practical for living life, especially for survival in a city environment.
Toastmaster’s journey has been very helpful to me and I am grateful to those who introduced me to join the Toastmaster’s ship. I am still on the voyage but this time as the President of the ship! One old adage that I would like to relay is that once one puts ones mind to a task, the challenge becomes doable and one can circumnavigate the globe.
Author: Hendry Tabulawaki
June 2020