Recently I attended my first Toastmasters’ meeting since I became pregnant last year. I was a very active of the Al Noor (All Women’s) Toastmasters meeting up until I became pregnant – and the pregnancy fatigue hit bad!
It was such a pleasure going back to Toastmasters and I took the role of General Evaluator – the person who evaluates how the whole meeting went. I was so privileged to be surrounded by inspiring women who had come together to improve their communication skills, and do what I call “finding their voice”.
It takes a lot of courage to stand up in a room of people to give a speech you have spent time perfecting. It has been a long time since I gave a speech but I remember how my heart would begin to beat as I started, how my hands would start to sweat and my throat would go dry. But then, before the very first word of my speech, I would take a deep breath and say this to myself: “Smile…You Can Do This.” And then I would resolve to simply enjoy myself as I shared the message of my speech with the people in the room. And you know what? I really did!
I believe very strongly in the importance of honing your communication skills. My philosophy is that each one of us has a unique gift to share with the rest of the world. However, if you are unable to speak the message of your gift, or articulate what your unique skills are, then that gift could risk the chance of going to waste – never having the fortune to be shared with the world. Each one of us has a duty to improve our communication skills, to find our unique voice, so that we can share our unique gift.
If the thought of speaking up in a crowd terrifies you, if you remain silent in a group for fear of drawing attention to yourself – then YOU are the one that I’m talking to. Don’t be afraid to find your voice and share it with the world. We are all waiting to hear what you have to say.
If you would like to learn more about how coaching can help you to find your voice and improve your communication skills, please contact me at info@empoweredwomencoaching.com.
