This is from the point of view of a person who in January 2014 was petrified of public speaking; ignorant of the fact whether it were a small or large audience. In January 2016, to be brought forth to the stage of feeling like ‘Why have I not being doing this before? I’m so good at this. I definitely want to keep going’
I am an Entrepreneur by nature and I come from a Buying and Retail background in the Apparel industry, being also the Brainchild/Visionary of the “Insomnia – Live and Kicking” brand which contracts with the leading departmental stores and retailers in the country. In my day to day activities within my professional career there are countless occasions where I am faced with public speaking along with effective communication.
I am writing this to depict the development and improvement that has been brought forth from toast-mastering continuously and learning along with the help and guidance from the competent communicator and the competent leadership projects. I would also like to thank my team ‘Awakening’ for their endless support throughout the time period which has provided me with great confidence and inestimable inspiration.
I’m sure most of you who have been a toastmaster for a few months to several years share a mutual feeling of what I am expressing.
Participating in weekly meetings whenever time permits and playing the roles effectively and with responsibility while working on speech projects efficiently have helped me immensely in both my personal and professional life.
In the past there were two occasions, where I have lost All Island Competitions after getting short listed to the final two or three contestants, not due to the fact that I did not have the ability to win, which was due to my fear of public speaking. As I used to get on the stage in front of the audience who were waiting to grasp the words that I speak, I was unable to express my capabilities, speak up to be audible or manage the allocated time that was given.
Currently I see an improvement in myself and will strive to keep getting better.
In the professional arena as I walk from meeting to meeting with my staff, buyers and suppliers, both local and international, I am now able to express myself clearly and to the point. In the recent past as I had a walk through with the media personnel at a major lifestyle store where I work as a consultant, I had the confidence to carry myself well with no hesitation.
My advice to the readers is that if you follow the guidelines and the support provided by Toastmasters, it will take you a long way not only in Public Speaking but in your personality development as well. At the end of the day effective communication is vital and Toast-mastering will help you be proactive.
By
Ahamed Bary, CC
