# Voted best speaker of the day at my Toastmaster club



## tomcoldaba (Jul 1, 2007)

Today, I gave my icebreaker speech at my toastmaster club. I was terrified but I practiced and practiced and practiced my speech. The icebreaker speech is for a new member to introduce themselves to the club. I spoke for 6 minutes and 47 seconds. I felt my legs shaking as I walked up to the lectern. Once I launched into my speech, I was calm. My evaluator said that I appeared confident and rarely used my notes. There were 3 speakers today. Both of them have been members of the club for over six months. At the end of our speeches, the audience is asked to vote for the best speaker. I won!

Btw, I joined 3 toastmaster clubs last month. They meet 2 a month. After attending 6 meetings and dealing with 6 table topics (you are asked to speak on the spur of the moment on a topic assigned to you), my anxiety has disappeared. I notice that I am chatting it up with strangers, answering the phone, going out for walks, eating in public etc. My avoidance is also way down. I am walking with my head in the clouds today. Finally, I know I can beat my anxiety :banana


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## Anachiel (Oct 21, 2007)

That is absolutely fantastic!!! :yes 
Your a champ, there's nothing more to stop you now!
What you have been doing must have taken you a lot of courage and now you know you have it inside of you.

Congratulations!


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## tomcoldaba (Jul 1, 2007)

Yes Anacheil, it takes lots of courage, time and persistence. Many times in the last month, I wanted to give up but I drove to the next meeting. In exposure therapy, it is called flooding when you experience feared social situations repeatedly. That is why, I joined 3 toastmaster clubs; they meet twice a month. That way I go for 6 meetings with different people.

I must admit my anxiety is very low. :clap


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## Hoppipolla (Apr 11, 2007)

Wow...you're my hero. lol

Congratulations!!

Is the toastmaster club like a meeting for people who have trouble public speaking?


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## FairleighCalm (May 20, 2007)

You are awesome!! Seriously awesome!! Congratulations.


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## Maslow (Dec 24, 2003)

tomcoldaba said:


> Btw, I joined 3 toastmaster clubs last month. They meet 2 a month. After attending 6 meetings and dealing with 6 table topics (you are asked to speak on the spur of the moment on a topic assigned to you), my anxiety has disappeared.


That's great! Exposure is the best way to overcome public speaking anxiety.


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## tomcoldaba (Jul 1, 2007)

Hoppipolla said:


> Wow...you're my hero. lol
> 
> Congratulations!!
> 
> Is the toastmaster club like a meeting for people who have trouble public speaking?


Yes, it helps people with public speaking. I have seen a few terrified speakers in the last month especially giving their ice breaker (or first) speech. You can also see toastmaster meetings on Youtube. A couple of them are terrified speaking.

But I noticed that by attending about 14 meetings in 3 months, my anxiety has disappeared. Not nervous in social situations. I am chatting up strangers even my fear of driving is low.


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## tomcoldaba (Jul 1, 2007)

Thank you FC and Maslow for your kind words.


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## free thinker (Nov 11, 2003)

That's great news. Keep up the good work. I think it is important to note though that the process of overcoming anxiety usually also involves periods of disappointment. So don't be surprised or discouraged if the occasional setback comes your way. These setbacks test our true progress. Hopefully, any setbacks you encounter will only be minor bumps on the road to success.


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## tomcoldaba (Jul 1, 2007)

free thinker said:


> That's great news. Keep up the good work. I think it is important to note though that the process of overcoming anxiety usually also involves periods of disappointment. So don't be surprised or discouraged if the occasional setback comes your way. These setbacks test our true progress. Hopefully, any setbacks you encounter will only be minor bumps on the road to success.


Thank you for your good wishes.

I agree. Social anxiety will be with me forever. I will encounter disappointments along the way. I figured if I attended 6 toastmaster meetings (member of 3 clubs) a month, it will keep my social anxiety to a minimum. My anxiety is non existant right now with respect to talking to strangers, talking on the phone, eating in public etc. Maybe after six months, I will attend 3 meetings a month to maintain the no anxiety level. But I am prepared for failure every now and then.


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## vicente (Nov 10, 2003)

Holy crap! Wow!

After this, you can do anything! Including beating social anxiety forever.


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## tomcoldaba (Jul 1, 2007)

vicente said:


> Holy crap! Wow!
> 
> After this, you can do anything! Including beating social anxiety forever.


Thank you vicente.

I talked about my social anxiety in my speech. The closing of my speech: 
"Since childhood, I suffered from crippling shyness. When I joined toastmasters, I came alive. I will never leave toastmasters".

The members came to shake my hand. No one talked about my crippling shyness. I felt really liberated that I had set myself free.


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## Anachiel (Oct 21, 2007)

Your even more braver for admitting to your audience about your social anxiety, now that is really courageous!!!!!


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## Hoppipolla (Apr 11, 2007)

tomcoldaba said:


> Hoppipolla said:
> 
> 
> > Wow...you're my hero. lol
> ...


After 16 meeting I could understand why you no longer have high anxiety; you're used to, and comfortable, with people looking at you and listening to you....

Again, great job. I seriously admire you.


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## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

There are language filters on this forum, so I'll just say this:

That's freakin' awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## tomcoldaba (Jul 1, 2007)

Thank you ardrum. Btw, I used a few of your pointers on public speaking like not memorizing the speech but knowing the outline. That helps with eye contact. I was anchored to the lecturn the whole 6 minutes 47 seconds. Next time, I will try to move around.


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## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

tomcoldaba said:


> Thank you ardrum. Btw, I used a few of your pointers on public speaking like not memorizing the speech but knowing the outline. That helps with eye contact. I was anchored to the lecturn the whole 6 minutes 47 seconds. Next time, I will try to move around.


Yeah, I just always thought of it as if I was just chatting to some friends. You don't memorize specific sentences in this situation, and I didn't think it would help to try to memorize in a speech situation either. I might have had an idea of what I was going to open and close with, but that was about it.

Did the time fly by? It seems like the time flew by as soon as I actually started my speeches.


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## tomcoldaba (Jul 1, 2007)

I gave my second speech at my toastmaster club. I was voted the best speaker by the club beating out two speakers. No anxiety during my speech and none of the physical symptons such as shaky voice, sweating, heart beating wildly. I was really funny. Some members thought I should represent the club in the humor contest in the fall.


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## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

tomcoldaba said:


> I gave my second speech at my toastmaster club. I was voted the best speaker by the club beating out two speakers. No anxiety during my speech and none of the physical symptons such as shaky voice, sweating, heart beating wildly. I was really funny. Some members thought I should represent the club in the humor contest in the fall.


That's f-ing awesome, tomcoldaba!! :clap

You must have some really entertaining speeches to get comments about representing the club in a humor contest!

I agree that the natural approach (as if you're just talking to a friend) is best.


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## free thinker (Nov 11, 2003)

It sounds like Toastmasters has made quite a difference in reducing your anxiety in a short period of time. This organization has been known to turn quiet and shy individuals into the life of the party. Congratulations.


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## yeah_yeah_yeah (Mar 27, 2007)

Yeahhhhh!!! Woohoo go Tom! :boogie Now you've REALLY lit the fire under my azz for going back again!

Nice one!!

Ross


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## tomcoldaba (Jul 1, 2007)

yeah_yeah_yeah said:


> Yeahhhhh!!! Woohoo go Tom! :boogie Now you've REALLY lit the fire under my azz for going back again!
> 
> Nice one!!
> 
> Ross


Thank you Ross. It is the worksheet you posted that changed my life.



free thinker said:


> It sounds like Toastmasters has made quite a difference in reducing your anxiety in a short period of time. This organization has been known to turn quiet and shy individuals into the life of the party. Congratulations.


Thank you. Once I lost my anxiety, I feel liberated. In fact the president of my club was extremely shy, now he talks up a storm.

I belong to three clubs. The more I speak the less anxious I have become. I give the same speech 3 times to 3 different audiences.


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## tomcoldaba (Jul 1, 2007)

ardrum said:


> That's f-ing awesome, tomcoldaba!! :clap
> 
> You must have some really entertaining speeches to get comments about representing the club in a humor contest!
> 
> I agree that the natural approach (as if you're just talking to a friend) is best.


Members in all 3 clubs think I am very funny. Of course, I have SA. I don't think I am funny. Thank you for your comments.


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## peach123 (Dec 13, 2010)

I am glad that this thread has been bought back because it reminded me why I should go back to Toastmasters. Congratulations Tomcoldaba on your public speaking success!!


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