No Pressure: Learn to Write A Speech in Five Minutes

Have you ever been asked unexpectantly to deliver a speech? This morning, Colette shared some tips and tricks behind writing a speech in five minutes. Not only did the Toastmasters write a speech in five minutes; six of the nineteen in attendance delivered their speech. To boot, there was even breakfast served buffet style.  Early Bird Ocala holds an annual workshop on "How to Write a Speech in 5 -minutes".  Perhaps, YOU, will be at the next one. Caw-Caw!!

The Power You Are Supplying is Electrifying

Every once in a while a bundle of high-powered energy crosses our path and I am not talking about lightening bolts!!  Meet Gina H. an all-around grounded individual who loves life and experiences it to the fullest. She is electrifying!

Gina hails from Washington state. She paints her state as one “When the sun shines there is no more beautiful place on the planet.  It is so blue it’ll hurt your eyes, and when it’s overcast and the sun is low on the horizon and slanting underneath the clouds the light is a pearly impressionists dream”.  Oh, so true Gina!  Not only did she live in Washington state, she has also spent time in California, Arizona, Nevada, Virginia and now Florida. 

So how in the world did this west coast gal end up in sunny Florida?  "Have you ever drawn a smile across the bottom of a [U.S.] map and set up a list of criteria": - that is what she and her husband did and guess what, Florida ticked all the boxes: "cheap, warm, lots to do, airport, and good restaurants". Internationally, Gina hopes to travel to other counties - like ALL OF THEM. With her tenacity and determination, I bet she will to!

Not only is Gina a go-getter, she is a go-giver.  She loves to help people uncover their greatness and wisdom that is within themselves and through this process help them achieve their goals. She believes, "the world would be an amazing place if everyone understood who they really are”. When I asked her what she was passionate about she said, “pretty much everything but beets. Beets are gross.” She continued on, I  like “real people the best; unreal people freak [her] out on some level - like who’s under there?” Her hunger for life is catching. Her goal in five years, besides being five years older, is “infecting the world with wisdom, peace and whole-ness. Passing along the legacy of road monkey to [her] grandkids. Looking for loopholes and marveling at the stars.” 

I suppose that is why Gina does not have a bucket list, but rather a tea-cup list.  When her and the hubs wants to do something, they just do it!! No moss growing on the souls of their shoes! Moreover, she wants to positively affect one million people. She believes, “the average person [will] know approximately one thousand people in their lifetime.  If we positively impact everyone we meet, and they do the same, that’s one million” individuals. 

Based on what we have learned about Gina, it is no surprise that she is a coach.  When she is not coaching others she is  an author and story-teller. One of her favorite quotes is from Rory Miller, who asked, “Why is a caterpillar wrapped in silk while it changes into a butterfly?  So, the other caterpillars can’t hear the screams. Change hurts.”  

There is so much more to share about Gina; so instead of regurgitating all that she has shared with me, be sure to pull her aside at the next Toastmasters meeting and invite her out for a cup of coffee – this woman's love for life is outrageous and contagious! 

One last item of business before I close.  I asked Gina, Why Toastmasters?  Why Early Bird Ocala?  When asked how she found Early Bird Ocala  she stated as a matter of fact, "Google, Baby!" Gina was looking for a club that would help her grow through “love, honesty, grace, wisdom and feedback.” Gina said, “she LOVES it HERE”.  The Toastmasters are “serious about [their] craft, but completely tempered with love and grace… We have room to grow and improve in a safe place.  All the opportunity lies in a Who, not a What or a How. Early Bird Ocala is the right Who." 

Leveling Up!!

Congratulations to Carmen and Gina for completing levels in their paths. Carmen completed Level 1 - Presentation Mastery, while Gina completed Level 2 - Visionary Communications.  Keep moving forward!

gniteeM sdrawkcaB A ?tahW

No fooling here!  This morning, Early Bird Ocala held their traditional 'gniteeM sdrawkcaB' aka our Backwards Meeting.  This is a time when we all Come together and run the meeting in reverse order.  Has your club ever tried this?  If you haven't, you are missing out. A mind is a powerful tool, but boy can you mess with it when you change the order of things!  The ability to adapt and overcome is challenging, but the laughter that ensues is worth the work.

Our Toastmaster of the Day also brought us a challenge on the use of 'backwards' and 'backward'.  It appears that if you are British you will tend to use the 's' to words like backwards, forwards, upwards and downwards.  Their American counterpart drops the 's' and tend to use the words backward, forward, upward and downward.  Backward can either be used an as adverb or adjective.  As an adjective it is used to indicate something or someone as underdeveloped, less progressed or regressive.  Used as an adverb the word means the opposite way, or  direction behind someone.  The bottom line is both versions are correct and have the same meaning but the usage depends on where you live.

Now you know, and knowledge is power!

Source:  https://capitalizemytitle.com/backward-or-backwards-whats-the-difference/