To Mary Cheyne,

Thank You for an amazing weekend!

Would you choose Super Speed or Super Strength as a Super Power?

As I mentioned in previous audio blogs, I plan to share my public speaking journey as publicly as possible!
We all have to take baby steps and this is the starting point for this portion of my entrepreneurial journey. I thank you for tuning in and allowing me to use you, my audience, as my accountability partner!!

My right shoulder was ready to explode during the last 30 seconds of my plank, the weekend after the Thanksgiving holiday. I had not worked out through the holiday week and I was going to pay for that mistake in more than one manner!

I peeled open a package of air activated body warmers. Reusable heating pads always end up lost in our home…. disposable is the way to go for portable heat! I proceeded to then ignore every cautionary bit of advice provided by the directions. I placed it on my skin and used my bra strap to hold it in place for my shoulder. I sat down on the couch and fell asleep reading.

Would you choose Super Speed or Super Strength as a Super Power?

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The blister was the size of a grapefruit by the time I woke up!

I knew I was risking a serious infection if I put another bra on!! Eerily, there was no pain, almost as though I burned every nerve ending clean off!

It’s winter in New England and under layers and scarfs, who would even notice if I didn’t wear one until my back healed? This was probably the only thought that carried me through to the next week and the following Toastmasters meeting, at which I intended to sign up.

Toastmasters International is a global network empowering individuals to become effective communicators and leaders. 

The Toastmasters meeting was fast-paced, well-coordinated and super compelling as was the first meeting I had ever attended, two weeks prior. Table topics are in improvisational public speaking exercise, during which members, as well as non-members, are randomly chosen to speak. That evening the Table Topics were comparisons and I was up next. Which would I prefer, super speed or super strength as a superpower; was my prompt.

I began comparing the two powers and the advantages. I then began to relate them to my life and how they would each apply. I demonstrated my lack of strength for the audience with my struggle to open a very large, heavy imaginary door. As I began to pull the imaginary vertical door handle, the reality of the lack of a bra hit me!!

I’m flailing, under layers no doubt, but flailing about I front of an audience, my first real audience ever!!

So if you thought your first public speaking experience was a wash….. just take a moment to think about what I just said????

Yes, flailing about!!!!

I was mortified, I could feel myself beginning to tremble, I wasn’t sure if I could even speak another word! No one seemed to notice, I think they thought I was going for a dramatic pause, and boy was it! I politely and honestly stated that I  had run out of words and my hope was for the time to run out and it did! The audience laughed with me, they just had no clue what I was truly laughing at.

The next Toastmasters meeting was scheduled for January 8th and my internal critic scared me out of attendance!! I was ashamed I didn’t attend, I knew I should have been there, I just allowed my inner critic to win that night.

Last weekend, Mary Cheyne’s was hosting her 2-day Magnetic Podium public speaking boot camp. I enrolled in the fall and promised myself and you… Tech = E community that I would attend!!! I was nervous and my inner critic was screaming loud and clear the entire drive up to Woburn, Ma… but I attended!

As you can imagine, I was hoping I wouldn’t end up with yet another embarrassing experience. As this was my focus all morning in route to the boot camp, can you guess what I did? Upon walking in the door, before taking a seat, I spilled coffee all over the table!

Heather, thank you again for helping me! I was mortified, but a helping hand and a smiling face helped me to put the moment into perspective, at least there were no chances of flailing around in front of everyone, I had to be grateful!!

I immediately tried to apply the concepts from Mary’s book to calm my nerves and clean up as quickly as possible.

I pushed past my inner critic, I attended the boot camp, I pulled off semi-embarrassing actions all weekend, and I survived!

The weekend was all about application of the tools and techniques Mary shared. I have “emerged” from Mary’s boot camp feeling ready to truly take on my public speaking journey.

If you are looking to adjust your communication patterns, learn the tricks of the public speaking trade, connect with a community of like-minded individuals, gain a little confidence or ‘Silence Your Inner Critic.” Be sure to register for Mary’s next Magnetic Podium boot-camp this coming April 7th & 8th. 

Thank you again, Mary! Thank you, Garrett, Maria, Shoun, Lithinia, Deanna, Tom, John, Robin, Annemarie, Heather, and Anna! I truly enjoyed meeting and having an opportunity to connect with each of you! I feel honored to have each of you as a part of my journey as a public speaker and as an entrepreneur.

I intend to join my local Toastmasters group this coming Monday evening. I will be sure to keep you updated with my ‘public speaking’ journey.

Thank You all for being a part of this community!

Feeling Blessed,

~Lori B.