Speak with Arek

You never know if it's good or bad for you.

There are breakthrough moments in life, both in the positive and negative sense, e.g. a promotion at work or being fired from a job, the birth of a child or the death of a loved one.

One of the turning points in my life was joining the Toastmasters International over 5 years ago. I then decided to improve my public speaking skills. Each such situation was extremely stressful for me and my intention was to control the feeling.

The basic part of the learning process in Toastmasters is to implement educational projects with the preparation and public delivery of a speech and collecting feedback from your audience.

After completing over 100 such projects, I can categorically say that I am a poor public speaker. I can't prepare well for the speech I am giving, I forget the order of issues that I am supposed to cover during the presentation, and I often get lost in my own thoughts.

Does this mean that 5 years were simply thrown away? Of course not!!!!

When thinking about Toastmasters, many people only visualize a speaker on stage. But this organization is more than that. The main strength of this organization is not educational paths. For me, its greatest value and driving force are PEOPLE.

During my Toastmaster trip, I met plenty of people, the vast majority of whom were there to - like me - get out of their little boxes and spread their wings to fly. Very often, they drive and inspire me to do something more every day than just the daily: "get up-eat-work-home-bath-sleep".

It is together with them that I have created a large network of contacts that result in mutual assistance in emergency situations.

Example: I received the attached certificate due to a sudden shortage of judges for the Toastmasters inter-club speech contest. A few days before the event, I wrote to about 200 of my friends - experienced Toastmasters members - asking if they could support us as judges during the contests.
Effect: after just 2 days we had a full panel of judges.

This is the magic of support. Soon someone will ask me for help, I will gladly do it, because I know that it will come back to me multiplied.

You never know if it's good or bad for you.

At Toastmasters I learned that I would probably not be a speaker who had the audience hanging on every word.
But I don't have to be the best to be happy and fulfilled. What brings me happiness, among other things, is cooperation with this developing and supportive community. I find fulfillment in many life situations and new ideas and projects, both within and outside the Toastmasters organization.

It is difficult for me to list all the people who have stood by my side many times in need to solve a problem together. Therefore, I hereby send a huge THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all of you. :)

P.S. Next time when I wrote to you with the assistance request, don't be irritated with: "Oh no! That Cwiek wants something from me again."
And of course, don't hesitate to contact me and ask for support.

Would you like to learn some methods to overcome your fear of public speaking?

How to train at home to get used to the stage? Check what worked in my case. It may work for you, too.

Let me know in the comments if you have any other methods or ideas. I'll be happy to test them!



Project by Monika Niitti Cwiek

🚨My last mugshots are proof that learning always pays off🚨!

Here are the first results of my mentoring sessions: the title of Best Speaker🥇 and the title of Best Table Topics🥇, i.e., an improvised speech competition at the last meeting of the Toastmasters club.

Is this a coincidence? I don't think so.

However, there is still a lot of work ahead of me. I love learning and spend almost every free moment improving my public speaking competencies💪.



Project made by Monika Niitti Cwiek

Are you shy❓ Does this make it difficult for you to interact with people❓ What makes you shy❓ What does the path from shyness to confidence look like❓

This is what I think about it. And you? Share your opinion in a comment.



Project made by Monika Niitti Cwiek

The more I know, the more doubts I have about my knowledge...

Even though I have many years of experience as a public speaker and even though I know a lot about public speaking, I am just starting a mentoring program👨‍🏫 with an excellent guide to the world of public speaking.
My mentor will be guiding me through the structure of speaking, memorizing speech text, logical sequence of thoughts, and how to control and effectively deliver the purpose of the speech.

Our many years of experience do not give us constant and unchanging knowledge for life. We should refresh and update it all the time.

I will be happy to share the fruits of my learning with you, so stay tuned!



Project made by Monika Niitti Cwiek

Are you an entrepreneur? Keep reading👇

You are probably technically brilliant since you have decided to turn your many years of education and knowledge into a business. But if you don’t have this specific skill set, you are not able to show the best part of yourself...

Communication skills shown on a graphic play a vital role in the success of your venture. Effective communication can help you in various aspects of your business, including:
🔸 networking,
🔸 pitching ideas,
🔸 negotiating deals,
🔸 managing teams,
🔸 building strong customer relationships.

As an entrepreneur, you should continuously develop💹 and hone your communication skills to enhance your chances of success in the competitive business world.

Communication skills are a fundamental skill set for you because the ability to communicate effectively, connect with others, and inspire others can lead you much further than you have ever expected☝.



Project made by Monika Niitti Cwiek

Do you prefer to be authentic or professional when speaking in public❓

Many believe that the most important thing on stage is to be authentic. But what does "being authentic" really mean? Does this mean "being yourself"? When are you really yourself? In pajamas and slippers at home🛋 or dressed up at a business meeting👨‍💼👩‍💼?

We are ourselves when we feel best, most at ease, when we don't have to pretend to be someone else. But there are many situations or circumstances where we can feel this way. Even on stage❗ Since we cannot behave the same in all cases, there is not only one version of the "true self". But definitely, we can still be authentic in any situation.

Authenticity means:
🔴 being true to our values,
🔴 being honest in communication,
🔴 not pretending to be someone else.
Being authentic in public speaking can:
🔵 improve your connection with your audience,
🔵 build trust,
🔵 make your message more effective.

However, while authenticity is valuable, it doesn't mean you should share overly personal or irrelevant details during your speech. It is crucial to TAILOR YOUR AUTHENTICITY to your audience, depending on the situation and with particular consideration to who you are speaking to. If you change the way you talk, it doesn't mean you change who you are. It means you adjust how you communicate the information you still believe.



Project made by Monika Niitti Cwiek

What really is self-confidence? Is it about arrogance, or is it a skill worth developing?
I talked about this during my last workshop at the conference in Wrocław.
What do you think about this definition of self-confidence and this approach to it?



Project made by Monika Niitti Cwiek

Have you ever wondered which path to choose❓ Have you ever been afraid to take the first step❓

I've had it many times, and probably we all do. We often don't know what path to choose because we're obsessed with making the best decisions😣. We don't start doing something because we don't want to make a wrong decision.

I went to study banking💷. I spent 5️⃣ long years there. I haven't worked a single day at the bank. Why? It may be the wrong path. Have I wasted these years?

No one can make just the right decisions. We usually think that more thinking creates clarity in our heads. But that's not true. Thinking more only makes you think more😵. Transparency can only be achieved by action🏃‍♂️, only by trial and error. You can't think and think about the future to make the best decision.

To see what's beyond the second hill, you have to go over the first hill first. Will the view be captivating in the end? You don't know it. And if it turns out that the view is not beautiful, then you have not wasted your journey because you have walked some path where many small, barely noticeable things have happened, but they have shaped you.

Every road🛣 is well-spent, even if it is in the wrong direction. Even if you have not found your path this way, you know which direction is wrong for you.

Failure is the price of growth, so don't be afraid to make mistakes. Act on what your intuition tells you.



Project made by Monika Niitti Cwiek

"A real man is never perfect, and a perfect man is never real."

Every day, for years, I have been working on building my confidence👨‍🏭. Training public speaking skills is one of my tools for working on myself. I know I'm not perfect, and I also know that it's often hard for me to accept that.

How do I deal with it ❓

✅ I'm learning from my mistakes because they provide valuable lessons and insights. By analyzing what went wrong, I can identify areas for improvement and make adjustments.

✅ I'm building my resilience by accepting my mistakes. It keeps me confident and motivated to keep going even when things don't go as planned.

✅ I reduce my fear because when I accept that mistakes are a normal part of life, I am less likely to be paralyzed by the fear of making them.

Don't try to be perfect because a perfect man isn't real. Instead, accept that making mistakes is a natural part of learning and growing.



Project made by Monika Niitti Cwiek

📌Tips when speaking in public🗣

I bet you don't know what to do with your hands when speaking in public.
Here are some tips that I use every day that will make you feel more comfortable and confident😎.

Do you have any other proven methods? Share them in the comments, and I'd love to test them!

If you want more of this kind of content, tips, and advice, please like👍, write a comment✍, or share with others👩‍👩‍👧‍👦.



Project made by Monika Niitti Cwiek