Page 21 - 2016 September Voices!

When it comes to being successful,
confidence is a vital component—not just your
own confidence, but the confidence your entire
club has in you and in themselves. This club was
filled with confidence.
When I visited the club, they had already
completed their Club Success plan, had goals set,
and were avidly working on manual speeches.
Both the club and I had high hopes for their year.
As the year went along, the club was hit
with challenge after challenge. Layoffs and
a company that split in two, leaving less than
half of the members they’d started with. The
goal of membership was to hit 20 this year to
become a distinguished club. Their base started
with 16 members, they were down to 6, and it
was already late in the Toastmasters year. What
could they do about it? It certainly wasn’t the
club’s fault that so many members were lost.
(This is where my definition of success comes
in to play. ) Paula and the rest of the club rallied
and recruited 9 new members. They continued
working their manuals and were able to complete
6 of the Distinguished Club Goals. They would
have been a Distinguished Club. Unfortunately
the loss of 10 members still left them short of
the membership goal.
Did they give up? Nope they are at it again,
working hard in their manuals, participating in
programs when they are able, and getting right
back to recruiting new members.
I am not their Area Director this year, but I
can foresee another successful year for them—no
matter what the challenges!
I live my life by the poem Don’t You Quit!
When I read it, I am reminded of Symantec.
I hope you and your club will take it to heart.
GOOD LUCK SYMANTEC
YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL
Volume 3 Issue 3 - SEPTEMBER 2016
DON’T YOU QUIT!
When things go wrong, as they
sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems
all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts
are high,
And you want to smile, but you have
to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck
it out.
Don’t give up though the pace
seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
Whe he might have captured the
victor’s cup;
And he learned too late when the night
came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It might be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re
hardest hit -
It’s when things seem worst that you
must not quit.
(Author Unknown)
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