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/

Visitors are like a Pot of Gold!

Not sure if this is the luck of the Irish or not, but we are delighted to have Edwin and Mark visit the nest this morning.  Caw, Caw! 

Power of Culture

Early Bird Ocala very rarely has a dull meeting and today was no exception!   Latasha H. was our Toastmaster of the Day and her theme was the Power of Culture.  Her content and delivery were inspiring and noteworthy! To boot, we had a first-time visitor who joined on the spot!   Why?  Because she saw an opportunity to grow in an environment that is not threatening!  Why not come out and meet us and see what this club is all about.  We meet every Saturday at 8am (gavel down at 8:15am) and we have fun! Caw-Caw!

Pathway Achievements: Leaps and Bounds

"Every great accomplishment starts with the decision to try. - Gail Devers 

Look at these SMILES!!

Pictured above is Latasha H. and below is Charles B. 

Both are receiving Pathway certificates of completion 

from our VP Education, Steve Vaughn, DTM. 

Congratulations!

Spotlighting Member Achievement

Did you know if you complete three levels in your path during the club year you can earn the Triple Crown award from District 84?  Pictured here is Early Bird Ocala's VP Education awarding Melissa a certificate for completing Level 3 in her Dynamic Leadership Path.  Way to go Melissa!! 

Future Topics

What topics would you like to read about on this blog? Please post your suggestions in the comment box below.

Registration for D84 Annual Conference - Now Open

 

Check your email that arrived in your inbox on 28 Dec 22 for District 84's - 'What's Happening in January?' update.  The JOT form to register for the conference is embedded in that notification. The Full conference rate is $169 and the VIP conference rate is $195.  Space is limited so register early: the last day to register is 12 Apr 23. 

Save the Date

If you have never attended District 84's Annual Conference then you have missed out.  This year's conference theme is "Under the Big Top". Be on the lookout for more information about the biggest event of the year.  More information from the district should come to you by email and tickets will be on sale soon!  If your email gets bogged down like mine, then be sure to follow this blog for up-to-date details, other great information, and topics of interest.

Behind His Spectacles

There are many reasons I love being a Toastmaster, but one unassuming benefit is meeting others and learning about their life experiences. Behind his spectacles, is a man whose journey, in part, is much different than many of us have ever experienced.

In September 2022, Charles Beauregard joined Early Bird Ocala, but Toastmasters was not his intended target. Charles went to the social media platform ‘Meet-Up’ in search of a meditation group; looking for more social interactions.  But, instead, he found Early Bird Ocala Toastmasters.  He told me “he liked the picture, [the] description and figured [he’d] give it a try.” It didn't take long before Charles joined the rest of us birds; since Charles is not much of a morning person he must be getting up for our club's morning call, 'Caw, Caw - Caw, Caw"!  Kidding aside, Charles finds Toastmasters cool and knows it will "only help [him] be more comfortable with new people, events and speaking".

Charles has lived abroad for the majority of his life primarily in Melbourne, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand,  One of the perks of living in that region of the world is being close to Asia. This gave him the opportunity to make trips to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Korea. Moreover, Charles hopes to visit the Philippines, England, France, Ireland, and Scotland during his lifetime. I asked Charles if he had any life or cultural lessons, he would like to share from his time overseas? He said, “if you can, don’t bring up where you are from or how it is different”.  “People will judge your actions for being a foreigner, and accuse you of your country’s decisions”.  Charles went on to say that we should “accentuate the positive and don’t focus on what irks you. There is good in whatever place you find yourself; you just have to choose to see it.”  This is good advice right here folks; whether you are overseas or not – grow where you are planted.

When Charles is not dreaming about traveling you may find him engulfed in a favorite movie such as A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi, to name a few.  He is also an avid reader and has a few authors he is particularly fond of:  Phillip K. Dick, Neil Gaiman, Yasmine Galenorn, Lilith Saintcore, Chloe Neill, and more.  His favorite book is Idoru by William Gibson.

There is so much more I want to share with you about Charles, but let me leave you with two more interesting tidbits.  First, Charles is married to his wife Lucy of 24 years.  They have two children – Julian who is 19 and James who is 15.  They have no fur babies of their own, but he is known to “spoil, borrow and pay attention to everyone else’s pets when [he] visits”. Second, if there is one thing Charles would like to cross off his bucket list it would be getting his motorcycle endorsement. He would like to purchase a “Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 (not yet released), and bike around Florida and maybe even try some motorbike camping”.  Well, Charles, you are in the right state to make that happen. May next year bring you this joy.

It was a week before Christmas Eve 2022

It was a week before Christmas Eve when the birdies of Early Bird Ocala Toastmasters gathered together outside the nest.  This year our Christmas party was chaired by Carmen Cruz. A big thank you to Carmen for putting together a wonderfully organized party, but also a huge thank you to Mac Nicdergeses and her grandma for opening up their house for us to gather.  Each Toastmaster brought a side dish and true to fashion there was more food to eat than our stomachs could endure. After dinner, we sat in a circle and played 'Sue the Santa' (exchanged gifts) and then learned a new murder mystery game brought to us by our very own Mac, Morgan, and Tyler.  It was a good night!
 

Flocking to the Nest

Look at these SMILES! In the last few months, our club has had many visitors; some have even joined. Folks have found us through Meet-Up, students making up missed assignments, and Toastmasters inviting their friends and family to a meeting.  The education, experience, and ethnicity of our visitors have enhanced and energized our meetings and for that we thank you! We are so glad you stopped by.