“What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Being an individual who lacked self-assurance in my abilities as a leader and a public speaker. I always have moments when I question my capacity for undertaking any task. Whether that meant speaking in front of my peers, speaking on the spur of the moment, or even taking on leadership responsibilities. Read more

It had gotten to the point that it prevented me from progressing. For instance, in my senior year of high school. We had a grade committee. At the time, I never joined that committee because I believed that I simply wasn't good at leadership. Additionally, it is inevitable that you will need to speak before certain individuals as a leader. Taking on that task wasn't something I was prepared for.

Eventually, something deep within me changed, and I decided to join Toastmasters. I joined Wolfville Toastmasters on October 1, 2021, when I was eighteen years old and enrolled in the second semester of university. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined where I am today. My spontaneous communication has improved, making it easier for me to provide responses to questions on the spot and I no longer feel the need to write out a full-fledged speech simply due to my increased speaking confidence.

As a result of my efforts to improve my leadership skills, I decided to join the club executive as Vice President of Membership and Vice President of Public Relations. I never expected that serving as an executive in Toastmasters would assist me in becoming a leader in society in such a short period of time. I saw that the issues I faced outside of Toastmasters were similar to those I encountered in Toastmasters. Since I had already encountered them, I was well-prepared to deal with them.

I am currently 20 years old and heading into my fourth year of university, and I never expected to gain so much knowledge just by simply taking the step to join Toastmasters. So, what are you holding out for? Join Toastmasters right away. The experience you will have will be unlike any other.