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Recently I was going through the mail and putting a list together of things I had to do over the next couple of days. One of those things was to pack for a conference I have this weekend. I thought of the laundry and how many dresses, slacks and heels I had to pull from the closet. All of this planning was hanging over me and I thought to myself, "Ugh, do I want to go to this conference."It would be easy to say no so I didn’t have to go through the laundry, wash, dry, pack, gather my toiletries, drive to San Antonio and be away from my husband and my normal routine. All of the preparation is daunting. Having to get out of your normal routine, and putting yourself in a strange place with new people can be overwhelming to some.
As I continued sifting through my thoughts and the mail I looked down at the newest Toastmaster magazine. The front page showed an audience at a Toastmasters conference. The headline read “Breaking the Ice Since 1924, Celebrating Toastmasters’ 90th anniversary.” My mind flooded back to the past 10 years of Toastmasters conferences I have attended, competed in, planned, packed for and returned from. I learned from the best speakers and leaders in the district and I had a chance to know my Toastmaster friends on a deeper level. I developed a huge network of friends and colleagues that shared my interest in public speaking. Each conference was like a homecoming where I could reconnect with Toastmaster friends that were outside of my usual network.
Toastmasters have been gathering for 90 years to educate and connect us in the area of public speaking. When you say yes to opportunities you invest in yourself to have experiences that you would not have just hanging around your normal environment. While it is easy to say no, it is much more interesting to say yes. The next opportunity to expand your experience and network in Toastmasters is at the District 25 Conference on November 14th and 15th at the DFW Marriott Solana.
Judy Perez
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