Ich bin ein Berliner!
I joined Toastmasters for 2 reasons: people and international exposure from an educational point of view. In my mind, public speaking and leadership have been already taught from other organisations…from work…from colleagues…from books. In fact at the end of the day, if you have more than two listeners, it's already public speaking. And each of us is a leader at certain times - at least at home or their own personal leader.
It has been a while since the trip to Berlin at the 95th District conference ended - where 16 European countries were represented by over 400 participants. An eclectic group: different experiences and huge knowledge. I let the time pass from my trip until I am writing this article hoping that I will not be so subjective while I share my notes here. But just trying to order ideas from my agenda makes my heart beat a little bit faster: so much learning in only 4 days spent with those Toastmasters.
My first personal experience was carrying the Romanian flag to the official opening ceremony - representing not just the club I belong to - Idest, but also the entire Toastmasters movement in my country: people from whom I learned that when I listen amazing things come my way and create wonder.
The second and most important experience was to listen the inspirational story of a world's public speaking champion - Mark Brown. He opened the conference talking about the trip that started in 1995 when he beat over 20,000 contestants from 14 countries and went home with a cup that testifies to his oratory skills up to the present time! An amazing speech about love, children, his better half, a stroke and a clinical death. But also a voice that brought to us a story about second chance - tomorrow, what you leave behind and the ability to "forget". Goose bumps are raising on my skin everytime I think of his words and the inspiration I felt for more than an hour while he was on the stage.
After that I join great training session, public speaking contests and speech evaluations. Each small event came with lessons about things you do in your business, in your day-to-day life. Learning pills you can apply in your personal life - those obvious things that sometimes you forget to use it on daily basis - during these session a reminder was received.
The trip to Berlin was about the leadership and example that you give to people around you, even when you do not consider yourself worthy of at least one follower. To create for others a space to develop themselves so you become a main character in their speech. Being in Berlin was also about emotions and the story that your phone's wallpaper tells about YOU. A few days about memorable presentations and how they should be supported visually, kinesthetic and audio. Vielen Dank für die Erfahrung, Berlin!
Being able to see live the best speakers of Eastern Europe, listening speeches that gave me butterflies in stomach - it's a really hard-to-explain-in-words experience. As a public speaker or a fan of public speaking you owe yourself to to live it for once in your life! Either on the stage (as a competitor) or on the chair (as an audience) - because both roles will offer you so much learning material.
I came back from Berlin with the desire to be for the people in my life, as I am for those in my training classes: a giver of unconditional support and patience - as part of my daily interaction with them - because in the end, thanks to them, I am the person that I am today.
