It was about four years ago when I joined Toastmasters International or TI. For those who are not familiar with TI, it is a nonprofit, educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of helping members improve their communication, public speaking, and leadership skills. The initial reason I joined was to become a better sales person because I talked too much. I could not close the sale.
Over the years, my reason for staying in the club changed. The last reason I renewed my membership was in order to become a paid public speaker. It didn’t quite workout as I planned but I did learn one thing. I had the courage to get up and give speeches at club meetings and compete in local area contests which were all positives. However, no matter the size of the audiences I would speak in front of, the biggest critic in the room, was always myself until I focused on simply doing my best. The one person you most often have to please, is the one that lives within. As the famous African Proverb says:
When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.
References:
Photo Source: http://workwithadam.blogspot.com/2015/10/5-marketing-strategies-that-dont.html
TI Information Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toastmasters_International
Quote source: https://www.inspirationalstories.com/proverbs/african-when-there-is-no-enemy-within-the/
A few years ago I used to manage social media accounts for a few Hollywood clients. I had an amazing time traveling back and forth to California to work the red carpet events. It wasn’t until one evening at an event that I had a thought : Why am I so focused on following behind people who are busy following their dreams? That’s when I decided to stop working for other people and start focusing on me. I closed down my social media business and took time out to work on and discover the true me. I must admit, it has been by far one of the best yet hardest jobs I ever done. Working on yourself may not make you rich but it does have the greatest return on investment.
I stopped sharing most of my dreams with others not because I don’t think that they will not support me, but in actuality, their form of support is not helping but rather hindering success. I had someone say to me “be careful because things might not work out the way you want them to and you’ll get disappointed.” I thought to myself, isn’t that called life?
What I love about the new year is that it always brings new opportunities. There is always a sense of excitement and enthusiasm that is just so powerful. This is the time to set your goals and establish positive habits that will help sustain you throughout the year to meet those goals. My wish for everyone during this coming year is lots of happiness, personal growth and abundance.
I just finished another book and what I find so fascinating is my hunger for knowledge continues to grow each day. When I read these books, I imagine myself sitting in a classroom learning from some of the most inspiring teachers. It’s like attending college without the cost. The best part is you choose the subjects to study. How cool is that!
I worked with a civilian contractor early in my military career. Whenever I would say “life sucks”, Mrs. Brown would reply back with, “life is what you make it.” Now more than 25 years later, I finally understand what she was trying to say. What we choose to focus on, is what we attract, whether “good” or “bad”. In other words, like Facebook, once you begin a search, it will continue to feed your timeline with similar posts.
I used to argue, fuss and fight to voice my opinion. Those days are long gone. People are quick to offer up opinions based on what “they” believe. For example, if someone says that something you want to do is “impossible” it is based on the opinion that it is impossible for “them”. Realizing this, instead of arguing, I allow folks to “keep” their opinion and I go about with my own. I just say “watch me!”
In one of the books I read, it stated that we can not connect the dots unless we look back. Looking back is good once in a while, but your future is in front of you. Learn to reconcile and appreciate all of the events in your past because they have made you the person you are today. That means the choices you make today, will lead you to the person you wish to become tomorrow. How cool is that? You can become the master of your fate and the captain of your soul!
I have learned to enjoy myself at networking events once I focused on making connections rather than making sales. Most of the time, people are not there to buy because each of us have our own agendas in mind. Make the most of the connections and wherever you are, act like you belong there. Make your presence be known. Your energy alone will cause people to take notice.
At some point in time, we all have to take inventory of the baggage we have picked up and have been carrying throughout this journey called life. I found if we learn to identify ours and put down the ones that belong to others, the journey gets easier. I encourage you to sort through the bags you’ve been carrying, find your baggage and let others carry their own.
Sweet N Social 
