In August 2019, after four years of being a committed Toastmaster, I reconsidered if I wanted to continue my membership for 2019-2020. And believe me, it was a callous decision to make. But before I tell you more about it, let’s take a ride down the memory lane.
I have been a toastmaster since 2015, and when I think of it, it’s almost half a decade, Wow !! I vividly remember my first meeting as a guest at Everest Toastmasters Club. I, along with 7 of my colleagues, visited the club on a rainy evening with a purpose to understand Toastmasters. Honestly, it wasn’t my choice; I was following the instruction of my employer. Looking at the crowd of middle-aged men and women (I was 23 at that time), I already felt out of place. I thought to myself, let’s get over this, quickly !!
To burst my bubble, I was so impressed with the meeting. One and a half hours went by in a jiffy. Compelling speeches, warm ambiance, friendly people, and great food, what else do you need? I immediately decided to be a member and aspired to be a stellar speaker.
Fast forward to May 2019, not only had I been a dedicated Toastmaster, but I had also already established a club in my alma mater as the Chartered President, and I was serving as the first Secretary for Division A in Nepal. I was expected to go further, especially in the leadership front.
But in that process, I realized that I had thrown my communication goals out of the window. I had completed my CC, CL, and ALB from the legacy program in January 2018, but I didn’t move forward with the Advanced manuals, and I had barely completed speeches from Pathways. I had become stagnant. I wasn’t growing as a communicator that wanted to be. I was dejected.
Amidst the whirlwind of thoughts, I asked myself, “To be or not to be?” a member that is. I seriously re-assessed where I stood as a Toastmaster.
However, I came across a quote by Confucius. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” And I felt I shouldn’t stop as well. Hence, I quickly renewed and reinvested in myself to be the Toastmaster that I aspire to be.
Mahim Singh, Everest Toastmasters