Where Do You Find Inspiration?

Have you ever wondered how others find inspiration? Often it’s through their life’s purpose.  What’s your mission in life? Do you have one? If not, then how do you find it?

Purpose is what motivates people to achieve their goals. Focusing on your objectives to achieve your goals can be the first step towards inspiration. But once you feel inspired you need to maintain the feeling so that you remain focused on the steps towards success.

When a goal is attached to a positive feeling the likelihood that you will achieve it is strengthened. Reflecting on your original purpose can inspire you to continue when faced with obstacles. If you find it difficult to motivate yourself then you could be looking at a shift in priorities or perhaps you have wandered off course and are not sure how to get back on track. Reflecting on why you made the initial decision to embark on your journey towards your goal may be the catalyst that steers you towards inspiration.

Taking stock of where you were, where you are now and the journey you have undertaken can be a stark reminder of how far you have come and what lessons you have learnt. Consider past wins, no matter how small. Revisit those moments. How did it make you feel? Relive the emotion, feel the sensation of satisfaction.

What impact do you want to have on the people around you? Use your life mission and purpose to form the basis of your inspiration.  When others see you are inspired and achieving it will awaken them to the possibilities.  Inspiration is what helps us to see our own capabilities with clear vision. This clear vision forms the reason behind the individual taking the necessary steps towards their goal. What precedes inspiration? An interest in new experiences, a passion for mastering something new or improving on an existing skill set.

Inspiration is something that happens to you, it’s a form of intrinsic motivation.  Where does if come from?  It starts with a belief in your own capabilities, a healthy self esteem and an optimistic outlook. Inspiration is often accompanied by creativity, leading to problem solving, innovation and accomplishment.

Preparation is key. Your mind must be prepared to be inspired. This can be be achieved through small successes. Use strategic vision to motivate you towards your desired goal. We all have dreams and ambition. Achieving them is what inspires us to take the necessary steps to succeed, to stimulate us towards personal growth and to fulfill our life’s purpose.

Have you ever been inspired by a professional speaker and wished you could be a better presenter? Or perhaps you wish to inspire others but can’t find the words…..Consider the opportunity to speak with confidence through a proven formula. At Picnic Point Toastmasters we help our members find their inspiration in a safe and supportive environment.  We meet at Club Picnic Point – 124 Lambeth Street, Panania every 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 7pm.

Toastmasters – What’s In It For Me?

Ever wondered what Toastmasters was all about?  Is it worth joining?  How will it help?  What are the benefits?  How often are meetings held?  For how long?  How often do I have to attend?  How much does it cost?….. so many questions! The best way to satisfy your curiosity is to visit a few clubs.  Enter your suburb at the Toastmasters International-Find a Club website and check on the days, times and venues that suits you best  Toastmasters International – Find a Club.

If you want an outlet to practice speaking before a group then this the best place to do it.  It’s a great experience, meeting members of all levels of speaking, from beginners to advance speakers.  The club members and the Toastmasters program will gently guide and support you as you learn by doing. You will learn to prepare speeches ahead of time, as well as impromptu speaking and performing various leadership roles in the club environment.  You get out of it what you put into it.

It’s a good opportunity to learn and develop your own personal speaking style, practice what works for you and receive feedback that will help you to develop. Imagine how confident you will feel when you present at the next work meeting room or board room.  To be able to speak confidently in a professional setting is what many people strive for.  If that is your goal then this is the place to practice.

You need to take it seriously. Speak often, use the guidance material to develop your speeches, carefully consider the feedback you have received,  take the opportunity to practice giving feedback and take on the various meeting and club roles.  You will grow, learn and make new friends…. all for the weekly price of a cup of coffee!  Where else can you receive value for money whilst receiving some of the most important education you will ever receive?

It has the potential to change your life – this is not an exaggeration. The process is not painless, you will become intimately familiar with your public speaking tendencies, both good and bad and will learn how to improve your communication and presentation skills. Becoming a better speaker leads to becoming a better communicator.  Remember, the more you present, the more you will get out of it.

If you are ready to take the plunge, we would encourage you to visit Picnic Point Toastmasters to see what’s in it for YOU.  We meet at Club Picnic Point – 124 Lambeth Street, Panania every 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 7pm.

Public Relations Is Everyone’s Responsibility

Toastmasters clubs, like any business, rely on public relations – our main marketing tool. While public relations help reinforce our branding, there are a few things we need to steer clear of:

• misleading our target audience
• missing publication deadlines
• out of date contact details
• using the same run of the mill public relation procedures
• relying on the vice president of public relations to do all the publicity work.

Our club PR strategy must remain current and in line with Toastmasters International’s goals. With social media being at the forefront of communication, immediacy and transparency are two terms that should be of high importance to all of us. Due to the Internet-created 24 hour news cycle of our society, any news that an organisation makes—whether it is good or bad—can be spread all over the world in a matter of minutes.

Communication is important to ensure that everyone associated with Toastmasters is presenting a unified message. The smallest discrepancy or problem can make news, affecting the organisation’s brand. Given that social media is becoming an increasingly popular way to distribute information to the media, bloggers and consumers, it can be both an opportunity and a threat. Toastmasters clubs can take advantage of the free resources of facebook and twitter to generate good results by being active and creative with social media.

As practitioners in story telling, Toastmasters members have an opportunity to demonstrate our great training and what great value the Toastmasters program offers. One thing to keep in mind….PR is about creating relationships. Doing research on the demographics of your club’s surrounding suburbs helps you understand who you’re talking to and gives you the edge in building rapport. Social media is just one way to begin a conversation with someone. The key is to start building a relationship. Who do you know in your circle of friends or colleagues that could benefit from attending Toastmasters?

If you are reading this post and you are interested in communications and leadership then come and visit us at Picnic Point Toastmasters. We meet at Club Picnic Point – 124 Lambeth Street, Panania, NSW 2213 on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7pm. We look forward to meeting you!

Communication Matters

Do you take communication seriously? Are you looking to stand out from the crowd? A good place to start with is pronouncing names correctly.  It’s a huge deal in the communication game. By doing this, you communicate that you care, that it matters and that you want to pronounce a person’s name correctly, so that they could feel special.

Think about how bad it feels when someone mispronounces your name and once you correct him, he does it again. What does that communicate? Obviously, that he doesn’t care. There is no detail too small for the quintessential professional. The more you make others around you feel good about themselves, the more successful you are likely to be.

Would you like to know how to find your voice? Start out by taking the time to pronounce every syllable; diction matters.   You should be clear, concise, correct. Don’t sweat the small stuff when it comes to how you speak.  Details matter. Going the extra mile matters.

To communicate, you need to connect with others, to understand what they are feeling and needing at that moment. This is well illustrated  in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen Covey, specifically Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood.

People form opinions based on their own experiences, through understanding the other person’s perspective you show that your truly care. This leads to trust between you and the other person.

Regardless of your station in life, both what you say, and how you say it matter…It matters to an even greater degree for those in positions of leadership. Your choice of words influence how others perceive you and can impact important decisions. Don’t make the mistake of taking communication for granted – communication matters. Communicating effectively with others is often the difference between success and failure.

Clear communication includes:

1. Words that are consistent with your character

2. Words and actions that are congruent at all times

3. Words that are used to help others

4. Words  that leave room for others to engage with you

5. Words that start conversations.

Communication requires a well reasoned, authentic, specific, consistent, clear and accurate message.  Toastmasters teaches the arts of speaking, listening, and thinking which foster better communications skills.

American Psychologist Rollo May stated that communication leads to community – and there’s nothing quite like the Toastmasters community.  At Picnic Point Toastmasters you will  find a supportive learn-by-doing environment that allows you to achieve your goals at your own pace.

If communication matters to you consider joining Picnic Point Toastmasters at Club Picnic Point, 124 Lambeth St Panania. We meet on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7pm.