My green room

There comes a moment in life when we realize we lack something in and around us and a change becomes imminent in order to succeed.

I always believed that I could give eloquent speeches. Later, it dawned upon me that giving a speech in front of an audience and extracting information from an expert over the phone are poles apart.

My work demands me to make multiple phone calls and extract information for my stories. Initially, it was a humongous task for me. Moreover, a stammering speech and nervousness compounded to a whole new level while interacting with industry experts.  

The revelation that I was a rookie in this world with little know-how about the subject matter was never my con, but it was my fear of failing that was not letting me sprint towards success. This fear did not let me ask the next question as I thought that person at the other end will assume me to be a fool.

It was only later that I learned that one of the key important traits of being a journalist is to be shameless.

Toastmasters were thorough in their guidance on my road to be the shameless journalist. The role of Ah!counter made me aware of the Ahs that I use while having a conversation. The roles taught me to glue my ears on what the other person was saying. It has been extremely helpful, as I normally do not pay attention if the person is talking about subjects that are not relevant to me or my job at hand. This helped me in garnering knowledge about my field from every word possible.

Being buddies to VPs and helping other clubs with their contests and meetings was altogether a different learning experience. It helped me build leadership qualities which in turn restored my faith in my capabilities.

Helping our Secretary as a buddy opened doors to the creative world and its limitless potential. This role made me aware of the different artistic ways of approaching a simple thing like the Minutes Of the Meeting.

The prepared speeches gave direction to my thoughts. It showed me how to start and end my conversation. Toastmaster gave me the initial platform where it was alright to fail, only to rise again.

Till a few months back, I could not fathom myself walking up to a stranger but today, I’m at ease.Last but not the least, Toastmasters gave me friends for life.

That stage became my green room. Every time I get up on the stage, I come down as a new person.

To sum it up, Toastmasters has been an amazing learning experience. It has been a journey of rediscovering my true self against all odds. I will always thank the Universe for making me stumble to the Toastmasters universe.