Toastmasters International -

Morag Mathieson, DTM

Do you remember what prompted you to join Toastmasters?

I love that there is no single answer to this question! Every member’s answer reflects our individuality as people, and the circumstances in which we find ourselves. I joined because I needed to meet people. I had moved to a new country and needed a new network. Toastmasters was just the place where I could do that.

Engaging in the education program and participating in my club by taking on meeting roles, being a mentor, and later serving as an officer, I was able to meet people who helped me understand the culture of my new country, who helped me build connections and feel at home there. This gave me the confidence to try new things.

Being a member of a club is about so much more than developing communication and leadership skills. How we choose to use those enhanced skills is what helps us transform as people and grows our confidence to enrich our world.

When I look at the opportunities I took after joining Toastmasters, both in my club and beyond at Area, Division, and District levels, I realize how much the organization has changed me. It gave me the confidence to step out and say yes to new leadership opportunities and to change my career direction.

Growth in confidence is the biggest single benefit to be gained from Toastmasters.

I wouldn’t have done that before because I wouldn’t have had the confidence.

While working through the Toastmasters program, the reassurance of understanding the culture, knowing more people, and being more connected through Toastmasters opened doors, and made it possible for me to do something different, something that has had an impact on the world I live in.

Christian D. Larson, the American thought leader, teacher, and author, said, “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.”

Being engaged in Toastmasters makes it possible for us to develop that self-belief and not be afraid of the challenges we encounter. Growth in confidence is the biggest single benefit to be gained from Toastmasters. By establishing and extending our competence in all forms of communication and leadership, we are able to make a positive impact through all aspects of our lives.

Building your confidence may not be the reason you came to Toastmasters, yet I hope you’re discovering that as your skills grow, your confidence is also growing and supporting your personal transformation.