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The Fuel in Your Toastmasters Tank

by Kim Blanquie

When I was twelve years old, I was given Attainable, Realistic,
the huge honor of manning the guestbook and Time sensitive).
at my aunt Amber’s wedding. Even to this There is a reason for
day, it plays in my mind as one of the most us to remember the Toastmaster at Auntie
amazing events I’ve ever attended—perhaps Amber’s wedding, though. He was there for
due to my age and perhaps due to the lovely a PURPOSE! It was his honor to prepare and
high heels I was allowed to wear that day! show up and contribute to the biggest day of
When I close my eyes, I still remember the their young lives.
beautiful bridesmaids in their royal purple How do you want to show up? What is
velvet and the pristine white velvet of my your need from Toastmasters?
aunt’s fitted gown. Even with Every day the decisions
all that beauty, though, there we make and the actions we
was another person there who Our needs are not take are a direct result of
made that day unforgettable how we think, feel, and the
for me. desires or wants. They habits we indulge in. Most
I nudged my grandma, of the time we don’t give a
“Who IS that guy?” “The are psychological second thought to the values
Toastmaster,” Grandma said. behind our decisions. After
With that, I was smitten. “needs” that we all, we need to focus on our
I think he may have been constantly work to immediate need—work, food
a friend of my uncle’s, and and shelter. However, it is a
he obviously had put a lot of satisfy at our most huge advantage to know and
preparation into his job that understand what motivates
day. Donned in a tuxedo, I unconscious level of us. This is where courage
remember him as nothing and knowing what we need
short of AMAZING! Funny awareness. come into the picture.
and on-point, he kept the Our needs are not desires
flow of the party moving. He or wants. They are psycho-
ultimately made everyone feel good with logical “needs” that we
his funny stories and his sweet well-wishes. constantly work to satisfy at our most uncon-
scious level of awareness. They influence our
We all toasted the couple in love—and our deepest motivation and ultimately determine
Toastmaster that day was nothing short of how we prioritize our decisions and actions
fabulous! throughout our lives. In fact, every single day
So many years later, when my dear friend
Ginger invited me to visit her Toastmasters we strive to meet these “needs” with varied
success.
club, I was all in. After all, who WOULDN’T When met, we feel happy and fulfilled.
want to be a glamorous Toastmaster or at When not met, we are unfulfilled and
least hang out with a bevy of them? dissatisfied. However, because all this happens
Fun is one of my core values. As a on such an unconscious level of awareness,
professional life and business coach, I’ve we don’t even realize why we are unhappy.
urged my clients to always consider fun in Life seems okay on the surface, however
their business and life choices. So I signed something is just not right. When nothing
on the line, and my friend Ginger stepped makes you happy, get real and look to your
up to be my official Toastmaster mentor. driving force. You may have chosen goals
Thanks, Ginger! without considering your “why.”
A million articles have been written about So what might your deeper needs be and
goals and most of them talk about using the how can Toastmasters help you fill them?
SMART goal acronym (Specific, Measurable,

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 7 JANUARY, 2017 7