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On a bike with one wheel
This week I gave my first Toastmasters speech in several years, as part of a new club. I spoke about being weird, and how being different attracts attention. I learned this when I learned how to ride the unicycle as a kid. Unicycling isn’t a normal activity (shocker!), and when you cruise past on a…
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Spotlight Generosity
A friend of mine used to like to play this game. We were working at a camp, and after dinner, with 30 people milling around the cafeteria, she would announce: “Attention everybody! Brent will now be singing a song for us!” For the record, this game wasn’t my idea. Out of the shadows For many…
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Be Prolific: What I’ve Learned From 10 Toastmaster Speeches
Last week I achieved Toastmaster’s “Competent Communicator” (CC) award (I know, I’m officially competent, hooray!). I’ve been working towards this since I started the Toastmasters program early this year, so it felt like a big accomplishment. To achieve a “CC”, Toastmasters need to complete 10 speeches, most being between 5-7 minutes long. Each of the…
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The Fear and the Power of Connection
A discerning speech mentor recently pointed out that when I give a speech, I look towards the audience, but I don’t really look at them. My gaze scans the audience, but never really make eye contact with anyone. Why do I avoid eye contact? Speaking to a crowd, launching words into the air, is safe…