A first for The Porch

Yesterday I attended my first Toastmasters meeting, as a guest.

I had been pondering this step after having been exposed to Toastmasters through a friend a while ago, and then South Beach Steve jumped in, and well, I got even more intrigued. =)

What I learned is that Toastmasters is about a LOT more than simply a bunch of folk standing up and toasting people. You learn to face your fear and address a group of people in the way you would ultimately like to: with confidence, so that the focus is on the message you want to convey instead of on your nerves. And it is this that makes for greater self-esteem, greater confidence, and greater leadership.

Public speaking is something which makes me lose virtually all control of my senses and my composure, but facing that fear, deliberately placing myself in a position to lose control, this is exactly what is needed to learn to GAIN that control.

I’m an intensely introverted person, so walking up to all these strange people in the first place was something that already took courage. They made me feel so welcome, a really, really grand group of folk.

When the table topics were passed along – this is for giving an IMPROMPTU speech – they asked if I would like to participate as guest. Gulp! First I wanted to run away, shouting over my shoulder “No way!” But then I thought, “Heck, Pippa, you’ve driven all the way over here, why not grab the opportunity and be a daredevil?” So I accepted the invitation.

So when it was my turn, I stood up in front of all those people, and I turned blind and deaf with stress, my hands trembling, my brain spinning … but I spoke!

It felt so good to face my fear.

And I must have made some sort of sense, because imagine my surprise when the Award for Best Impromptu Speech was given to me. Hey, wow, really?! I felt on top of the world.

Which brings me to the first for this little Porch, another thing I’ve been pondering for many weeks now. I’m well aware that I’ve never really shown my face here. I’ve never seen the need. But it did occur to me that I really love seeing your faces on all the lovely blogs I stop by. And perhaps you’d like to know that Pippa really exists. So I’ve decided it’s time. It might not happen often (or ever again!) but here it is: Me, grinning my head off as I received the floating trophy from the President of the club.

(And yes, you knew it, didn’t you? I’m not kidding, I really am blonde!)

Since this learning curve is all about conquering fears and extending those boundaries, what the heck, I’ll just ignore the quaking in my knees at taking this first step. =)