As
I planned on introducing group coaching as part of my life coaching services, I
thought it was a good idea to brush up on my public speaking skills and did a
Google search on Toastmasters clubs in the region. I picked out Bangsar
Toastmasters Club as I live in Kajang, and the club was close to public
transport amenities. I sent an email of inquiry to Lucky and was pleased to get a very prompt and welcoming reply on
the same day!
From the first meeting that I attended,
I realized that Bangsar Toastmasters Club was a nice blend of quality and congeniality.
The members are friendly, warm and often witty. And amongst them are many very good
speakers. Though I was soon to realize that I had a hitherto unknown fear of
public speaking (the increased heartbeats and shortness of breath before I
delivered a speech attested to this...), my fellow Toastmasters were very
encouraging and helped with many suggestions to help me overcome this.
The good thing about Bangsar
Toastmasters Club is that the members are serious about improving their public
speaking skills and helping their fellow Toastmasters do the same; and they do
so in an atmosphere of encouragement, genuine constructive feedback and fun!
The tagline ‘Where Leaders Are Made’ is very clear to see here as everyone is
encouraged to hone their self-leadership skills
As I was to leave for India in a few
months, the seniors of the club – my mentor, Lakhmichand (Lucky), President,
Lourdes and VP for Education, Ranjit made it possible for me to deliver all of
my first 10 speeches in just 3 months!! (2 of my speeches were delivered at the
Advanced Toastmasters Club – another good club with friendly members).
Joining Toastmasters has been one of the
best decisions I’ve made recently. Being
a life coach, I can appreciate the healthy environment for self growth that
Toastmasters provides. I look forward to hearing and delivering more speeches
at the club and encourage folks to join a Toastmasters Club near you. You’ve
got a lot to gain – not just improved leadership and speaking skills but the
bonus of learning from able mentors and cultivating new friendships as well.
