8th September 2015: Why I choose to come down…
Why I choose to come down to NUS Toastmasters.
Last Tuesday, the 8th of September, was my second day of work. However, I always remember that Tuesday nights are reserved for NUS Toastmasters. Despite living 20 MRT stations far away, I felt that I have to take this opportunity to go and learn more about my speaking skills. Late as I might be, I came just when it started.
It was there when I heard from our club treasurer, Perry Chia, opening the meeting saying that on this Tuesday night, we could choose to be at home, going out with friends, or maybe studying, but instead, we choose to come to NUS Toastmasters.
Although I just came in as a member without any appointment roles, I reflected on why I chose to come here, and I felt that I have to speak up. With that in mind, I volunteered myself for the Table Topics session. Turning the fear of speaking that builds up inside me into courage, I raised my hand, stepped to the front and did an impromptu speech. This is where I felt the magic of speaking. As I speak, it feels as if I am releasing all the fears of speaking. The warm atmosphere of NUS Toastmasters makes me to enjoy speaking on stage as well, spurring me to go on. Surely, that was the only chance for me to speak, but by listening to the prepared speeches and the evaluation, I definitely learned valuable speaking pointers as well.
As the meeting was concluded, everyone gathered to put their eyes together on members who achieved the educational milestones, and indeed I was convinced that NUS Toastmasters is indeed a good environment to learn speaking skills. Every journey begins with a single step, and the journey to become a better speaker begins with a speech. I truly am grateful that I have taken the step towards becoming a better speaker by doing a Table Topics speech today. I believe that I can still improve my speaking skills, and look forward to coming here again on Tuesdays.
Written by : Michael Yonathan
Reviewed by: Neoh Tse wei
tsewei
