11/17/2017
So many times I have been discouraged and disappointed with myself and others on the journey. Most of those situations have occurred when I placed expectations of myself and others too high.
It is usually because somewhere along the way I subtracted the human factor. I forgot that perfection is rarely realized especially when we measure others by our standards.
Individuals can and will make mistakes. People will fall short of our expectations and we will fall short of the expectations of others.
Forgiveness begins first with acknowledging our own shortcomings and imperfections. It takes humility and the ability to laugh at ourselves for the unwise choices we have made from time to time. If we can begin with ourselves, forgiving others is easier.
The problem that many members of Toastmasters encounter is that it is forgotten that our club is a laboratory. It is suppose to be a safe and friendly environment in which mistakes can be made without real life consequence.
These mistakes will be made more in club leadership than that of presentations because there are so many variables in leadership that can produce errors in judgment. But that is how we learn. That is what Toastmasters is all about. It is about learning from our mistakes as well as observations of mistakes made by others.
Some mistakes were made recently that have discouraged some of our members. Membership has fallen because of those mistakes. I am very disappointed to see this because all of you have so much potential.
If you are among this group I am speaking about, please take a moment and think about your overall Toastmaster experience. I'm sure your gains outweigh mistakes. Further, I ask you to consider what you learned from your mistakes.
Second, I ask you to have faith in the knowledge that we all have learned from the mistakes that have been made and more than likely those mistakes will not be repeated.
Last, remember why you joined Toastmasters in the first place. You joined to either improve your public speaking, interpersonal or leadership skills. Consider how far you have come since you first joined the club. Remember that it is your journey, and a journey that was worth the effort.
We all deserve second chances to reach for goals when first efforts fall short. We should be willing to likewise give others the opportunity.
Next week I hope to see many of the faces that were not present for my presentation on Tuesday night. I will come committed to helping you become the speaker or leader you aspire to be. I will treat you with courtesy and respect. I will listen to your efforts and give you honest evaluation and feedback. I will keep the Toastmaster's promise to you as a fellow member of Toastmasters International. Let us REACH together for the next level of excellence in our lives.
