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From: Russ Hicks
Date: 15 Oct 2006
Time: 23:18:47 -0500
Remote Name: 71.252.204.114
Hi Anne, .... Thanks for your kind comments. ..... Ha, ha, ha! Actually there were FIVE such points... 1. After my first speech (Toastmasters calls this an "Icebreaker") I learned it wasn't fatal. <grin> ..... 2. After about my fourth speech, and after getting all sorts of feedback from my fellow Toastmasters about how interesting and inspirational I was (I still found that hard to believe, but that's what they said - consistently), I learned that I must be pretty good. Hmmm... amazing... ..... 3. After about my eighth speech, it dawned on me that I was really ENJOYING this! That was an AMAZING feeling! Me? Enjoying public speaking? You bet'cha! I couldn't wait for the next speech! ..... 4. Several years later when I actually WON the Southwest United States Humorous Speech contest over about 30,000 other Toastmasters, I distinctly remember about a 15 second realization that I WAS at least as good as any fluent speaker. Remember when Sally Field exclaimed "You like me! You really like me!" That was a total life changing experience for me. All these years of beating myself up - for NOTHING! I was WRONG! And they were RIGHT! I was good and it almost had to be rammed down my throat for me to believe it! ..... So with experience like that - surrounded by some of the most wonderful people in the world - would YOU quit? <grin> No way, Jose! I'll keep speaking for the rest of my life! ..... Did that answer your question? ..... Thanks for the VERY interesting question, Anne! I wish you the best! ..... Russ