Grab your eggs and bacon, here we go!
Centurion Breakfast Toastmasters have impressed me more than ever before during the past 3 months. They took the lockdown in their stride, picked up their knives and forks and paid their tickets for the online speaking journey. What a valuable journey it became as we capitalized on the accessibility of online meetings, using the opportunity of lockdown to host even more events than we do at our venue! This allowed our members to grow faster and achieve more goals, with weekly events online in the comfort our homes. As of late we incorporated a second event slot on a Saturday so that we have two events running every weekend.
Looking back today I can hardly believe that 11 months have passed in my journey with the Executive Committee and serving the club as Vice-President of Membership. Here are some of my reflections :
- It’s not about the speeches I delivered, it’s about the relationships I built
- Relationships are a funny thing, they have ceilings. Once I reach a ceiling it challenges me to use my emotional intelligence and empathy skills to determine how to proceed with intention
- Proceeding with intention means a ceiling can be broken, if needed, and a relationship can grow beyond the limits I perceived, or not. It is a two-way street, after all.
- Then it is important to remember that ceilings in relationships may also be respected for what they are, and accepted.
- It is most important to try harder to understand other people’s point of view. Then, to try harder, again.
- Take note of what the road looks like under your feet. Was it smooth and even? Were there some potholes or bumps that needed attention? What about the road signs, were they clear or weathered with time and in need of repair?
- Now apply your leadership and take ownership of your personal influence to improve that road.
- It is our responsibility and joy to ensure that everyone who comes after us on this road of executive committee, will find it easier to walk on because of the care we took.
And in maintaining the road we simultaneously maintain relationships. See how Zenzile Rens reflected on his Toastmasters experience “I look at Toastmasters International as a family, we Fight, we get Personal, we get Angry at each other, we Neglect each other at times but one thing is certain, we love each other”
Zig Ziglar said, “Success is the doing, not the getting, in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be. If we do our, best we are a success.”
Looking ahead I am excited about the new menu which our incoming exco will to create to spice up our Centurion Breakfast events. Together we will we tred lightly into post-lockdown and soar as the Champions we are, straight into 2021. Be sure to grab your knives and forks as you join us on our journey!