Crisp, canny and catchy - well French
fries are not the thing of focus. It's much bigger and intangible -
Communication. From the rather candid description of communication in
Wikipedia, the word literally means 'to share' in its parental language.
Numerous other definitions from old school textbooks to wikis and web pages
spamming the internet explains it as "a two-way process...","
the method of conveying..." and making it more complex "a channel of
information exchange.." and what not.
From the vast complicating sub arrays of what communication is, let us settle with considering it as a verbal interaction or a chat between two sensible life forms which can think(that's what our species is right?)
The intention to broadly reproduce points on communication is almost zero and will very clearly be not welcomed. Then the option is to use the 'biographical' tactic which popular folks with good writing skills do - express their wildest imagination, their wackiest fantasies, their much-desired outcomes from events which actually dropped a hole in them as real time did-happen ed’s in their so-called autobiography. Following are few tips, in fact proved to be 'pointed' tips on relatively better way to speak (communication has now converged and shrunk to speaking) extracted from the long-lost(later found) diary of a Toastmaster who once decided to achieve this streak of attending a thousand different TM clubs traveling from Seattle to Auckland; of course through India. She coveted to see to the varying mix of listeners she would see and what imminent change that will bring to her way of vocabulating. To those who really love to ask questions let's assume all her TM sessions were in English and all those Chinese, European and African club members also knew English.(Got a question why we are not referring to Braille, sign language and other modes of communication? Just assume everything lives and breathes English)
Dreams are fast. Amazed to know that the dream that you had last night on dropping out of office with your gorgeous looking colleague, making it to a movie, topping it with a dinner and ending with that cute peck on your cheek was actually just crossing 50 seconds? Well your prepared speech can end much faster. Going in with a checklist of points to speak and devouring them within seconds will make you a feast for the hungry Ah-counter. It's a safe and efficient solution to wrap your honored points with witty intros, crafty endings, and interesting countenances. Your short list of points are now a full blown balloon. With one bread you are feeding many - a charlatan of words. It is always daring and creative to add these additional wrappers on the fly as it gets you accustomed to moderately risky situations and vacuum up those words deeply buried inside you. The best place to face such risk, make mistakes and still feel convivial undoubtedly is your Toastmasters' dais.
Well begun is half done. Are you the bloke of the 21st century who is still driven by this medieval old theory of negativity? A Toastmaster is never the one who falls back after a seemingly bad start believing one-half is already down the drain. Like the famous comparison goes, the battleground is for those who get back on their feet shaking off a fall. ToastMasters are professional listeners and have all ears on you and is not a gory battleground but a symphony where you, the vocalist, climbs the peak of those melodious notes gradually and winds up the performance with an ovation. If words are just not enough and you always need a Spiderman movie to believe spider webs are sticky, crash on your couch with some popcorn, a classy brain, and 'The King's Speech'. You all begin your speeches far better.
Few of every callow Toastmasters new to the arena have their yet to be disclosed primary fear, a savaging one - The first red carpet walk from their seats to the dais. There are expectations in abundance from our clique to pilot them through that red patch, which still demands a stir from the bloke. If you seriously think you are a tamed lion while there are wild, smart ones, those who dance, those who juggle around you, in the name of those who made it across the speech barrier, it doesn't really matter when we are facing the cross hairs of a nasty hunter. Pick yourself up, face those who walk around you daily and speak. It is the Next Big Thing in your life, only after you've done with it.
A Toast always rises above the head and a Master gains control over the least expected. What Stops You?
No comments:
Post a Comment