There is something about district conferences that boosts your confidence forever. This year’s joint conference in Athens was my third one, but for the very first time I represented my division in the English evaluation contest. The experience was challenging, to say the least – I competed with several former district champions and finalists, the test speakers were renown toastmasters and we all know that 3.30 always seems to just flow by! The finals were a bit stressful – I had lots of remarks on the speech and had to make some difficult choices to avoid being disqualified. It was an excellent exercise on quick decision making, choosing simplicity over elaborateness and trusting my own judgment – skills that serve me well outside Toastmasters, too. When they called my name as the winner, I laughed on the inside – I always thought this category was “not for me” and never wanted to become a champion in it. This is why I value this trophy over my other wins in Toastmasters – it proves that there is more in us than we know. If you just focus on the task instead of yourself, even your own limiting beliefs can’t do much to sabotage you! So, whether you believe you can do it, or not – give it a go and take part in our Toastmasters contests. You never know where it will take you!
Author: Aleksandra Lewandowska, D95 Evaluation Contest Winner 2018
