Dear Fellow Toastmasters,
I want to share with you my experience as a contestant at the Division B contest Sat, April 25. There were five contestants – each from a different Area. For those who don’t know the hierarchy of contest levels: Club, Area, Division, District, then on to the BIG time!
I felt embarrassingly tense for an experienced Toastmaster, although new to competition at this level. Several people, even some who did not know me took time to offer soothing words and encouragement, but I felt like a wooden doll with a pasted on smile.
Here is my self-talk:
Why did I get myself into this? Why did I agree? I don’t even LIKE to compete. I didn’t win anything to get here – I was the “winner” by default because there was no one else. I was proud to encourage Eric to compete and I really meant for him to be here today representing our Club and Area. I’ve practiced my Air Bag People speech, trying to rework it, but it still isn’t coming together well. I have given it to an audience (club and area) twice and they mostly did not get the point. [Correction: I was not able to get my point across effectively.] Maybe I should have prepared a different speech, something safer and more reliable. But a part of me wanted to take up the challenge in this actually quite safe situation and try again. Within Toastmasters, it is in contest that we get to rework and polish the same speech. And in the Area contest, I was given serious feedback on improvements I needed to make in my delivery. How could I focus on improving delivery when I was still struggling with the words and content? I told myself that forcing myself to do this thing that made me so uncomfortable would make me better. Somehow. I have been telling this to club members for ages . But now I can’t remember why or how it is supposed to make me better…Why did I get myself into this?
I drew #4 slot and had a decision to make, whether to listen to earlier contestants or hide away and review in my head.
I chose to listen to #1 and #2 and was glad I did. #1 was amazing (and no surprise, became the winner). I reviewed in my head out in the hall during #3 and told myself either my speech would flow or it would not. Either way, no big deal. The thing I feared was the embarrassment of doing poorly, but I could survive a hit to my pride, right? And then it was my turn.
I took a deep breath (my 89th, I think) and stepped out on the stage, aka floor. I looked at the audience, smiled, breathed again, took my time. (Yes, really – for those who know me and how fast my idle speed is!). I began and it was a miracle: I seemed to have enough brain cells for everything: keeping track of my words, connecting with the audience, seeing the timing lights. I was even able to incorporate references to the speeches of three prior speakers. (All those times I tried to be really excellent in the role of Toastmaster, trying to weave in what others said and what was happening within the meeting – guess that skill came through for me!). I paid attention to how I moved on the floor, not pacing around so much as I had at the Area Contest, actually benefiting, I thought, from watching the masterful earlier speakers (I would not have believed I could observe and incorporate like that!). But the most amazing thing in actually doing this – I felt MY POWER.
Self-talk afterwards:
Ahhh, so this is how it feels to be transformed into something better. When a high stakes speaking situation arises, I will remember that the power is within me and is there for me to tap when I need it. I will remember what it feels like to FEEL skillful and confident, not just have people tell me that is how I appeared.
Speech # 5 which won 2nd place was magnificent and sent to me like a message from the Power of the Universe. The speaker told the story of Plain Jane who had NO chance to win at the beauty pageant, but was ecstatic just to prove that she could go the distance. It was clear that all Jane’s determination and preparation, as well as the experience of the contest transformed her, as well as providing skills for the rest of her life. The speech ended with the following quote from E Roosevelt:
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
I would also like to give a shout out to the keynote speaker Mr. Wheeler who was asked to set the tone with the speech he gave earlier this month for his #10 motivational speech. He said that we join TM to acquire, conquer, and improve. Acquire new skills, conquer fear, and improve the skills we already have. He was so right!
It does not matter that I did not place even 3rd. With two of us not placing at all, I don’t know if my speech was judged dead last, or if I was the one who went over time.
I do know that this version of my speech was the best version I had given and that my delivery was significantly better than at the Area Contest. Also, it seemed from the feedback that many members of the audience “got it.” One told me she would never think of airbags in the same way again.
No question that I made serious progress in acquiring, conquering, and improving. It WAS worth it!
My thanks to all the Toastmasters that gave their time and worked together to create the contest for the benefit all our clubs, as well as for individual contestants.
And let me give a plug for the District Conference and Contest May 15-16. Hearing speeches from the best speakers in our District and getting to talk to them is fun and motivating. Who would have thought that the winning speaker who has won many contests, still gets uptight and wonders if his speech could have been better! I would definitely be there if I could.
Sincerely,
Sharon Silva
Waterloo Speechmasters