Why Join Toastmaster - For DTM?

Why should we join and continue in Toastmasters?

Is it not boring to have the same meeting structure in all the clubs? What fun do you have going to the meeting every time and listening to the same things over and over again? Why should I attend the same training every six months? What is the new learning that we are getting? What has kept you going and continue your Toastmasters journey over the years? And Do you get paid to do all this??

These questions keep on popping up from new members, guests, family and friends. Sometimes I give politically correct answers but this time when I started penning down my thoughts and reflected on my journey as a member?from 5?years, I realized the answer lies in the word “DTM”

One thing which has kept me going is my leadership journey. Even before I delivered my Ice-breaker I was in Ex-com and there has not been a time since that that I have not served as a club or a district leader and achieved the coveted Distinguished ToastMaster title on 20th June 2020. I have answers to all questions in DTM.

DREAM

Any journey starts with a dream. A dream to do something. Sometimes, these dreams are clear and sometimes they are not. But the fact is that we are trying to achieve something which is aspirational for us. A dream to do something which all believe we can’t. We all have dreams, small dreams, big dreams. Sometimes we are too shy to admit them, sometimes we are even shy even to dream a dream as we have self doubts on our capacity to dream. But, if we wish to grow and learn we must dream to do something which our conscious self believes that it is not achievable.?

I admit, I dared to Dream. Dream of making myself better leader and speaker.

TEAM

In order to achieve our dreams, we need resources. If anyone says that he is a self-made person, probably he is fooling himself. We all achieve something with the heart of a Team. The Team has many members, some play a bigger and significant part and some play a smaller part but both are equally important. Even a smallest of the contribution in a Team contributes to the achievement for a dream. Each one of us have some strengths and some weaknesses but as a Team, we should have only have strengths to achieve something as the weaknesses of one person in a Team must be overcome by the strengths of the other team members. What should be seen to the world is the Strength of the?Team. When individual members become more important in a Team, the the outside world sees weaknesses too.?

I am fortunate to have a Dream Team in my leadership journey professionally and in Toastmasters throughout and I am just a product of the efforts of my Team.?

MENTOR

If you have dared to dream and you have a Team, what else do you need? The biggest mistake that we do sometimes is not ask for help. Sometimes, we are complacent, sometimes we are hesitant but most of the times, we do not know whom to approach for help. We feel that a person would not be able to help us as we perceive him to be less competent or ourselves more knowledgeable. The smartest of the ideas have come from simplest and craziest of people. We just need to keep our eyes and ears open and be receptive. I am fortunate to have found mentors who have helped me in each step of my journey. These mentors are not only senior and experienced people, I learn from my mentees too.?

When we look around we would find Mentors everywhere, even a new member can teach us something.

Not only in Toastmasters but in our professional life too, these three principles are important for the success of a leader. In Toastmasters, by achieving DTM, I have achieved a Dream with my Team and support of my Mentors.?