06/16/2017
Portrait of a Toastmaster
Raymond Brisebois, DTM, Les Orateurs Toastmasters - Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada
Sharing My Story
In December 2015, when my motivation in Toastmasters was at its lowest, a friend invited me to participate in the International Speech Contest. After testing a speech and winning the club contest, I did some soul searching and decided to come back to my signature speech. It was THE story I needed to share with the world.
Maya Angelou said: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Having that mission, I decided to share my story with no expectation of the outcome. I had so much fun in the process, and that led me to the semifinals last year in Washington, D.C.
I realized that you don’t craft a speech in order to compete. You compete because you have a speech inside of you. Don’t get me wrong; when arriving in Washington, District of Columbia I wanted the big trophy. I wanted so badly to be onstage as a finalist, and I prepared myself for that. But the lessons I learned along with the experience and camaraderie were so much more valuable than any trophy.
I have been involved as a contest official in my district several times; I thought I knew everything about contests. Yet, I learned so much at the 2016 International Convention about logistics, organization and how to be a good contest chair. Competing at the international level was a true privilege. I realized even more that although Toastmasters is a worldwide organization, we are still family. After 13 years in this wonderful organization, I know more than ever that there is always something to learn or to experience in Toastmasters.
For more information about Les Orateurs Toastmasters visit, http://bit.ly/2swL03q
Toastmasters International Raymond Brisebois,DTM Coach / Speaker / Trainer
