It wasnt what I expected, and Im glad.

I went to a Toastmasters event this weekend. I listened to a speaker regarding the basics. I had thought, before I went in, that Id be getting a lot of technical how-tos with respect to public speaking. Its what I thought I was looking for too.

He ended up sharing some of his journey with Toastmasters, and how Toastmasters changed him. He thought he was in it for the glory (he competed) and he learned his craft very well.

What he didnt expect was that Toastmasters would change him on the inside.

He shared that the most valuable lesson he learned from Toastmasters was that when you speak, you need to do it for the right reasons. It isnt about the glory in the competitions.

Its about your audience. Its about what youre sharing with them, and what they are getting out of it.

One of the things I wasnt sure Id like is the technical stuff in Toastmastersthe counting of ums and uhs, evaluating grammar, and things like that. I didnt want to study a dictionary and learn new bigger words to dazzle people with my intelligence.

After the workshop, I asked him about this. He shared that when he speaks outside of Toastmasters, hes not as careful about these things. He also told me that if Im not a big word person, not to try and do this. People will know. If I were to use big words to dazzle, then the content would not be coming from my heart. I wouldnt be sharing the information for the right reasons.

I felt so good after this conversation! I had always felt that my ums and uhs, and little grammatical blunders actually made me more human. I felt it helped me to connect with people. I felt it helped me to share my message from my heart. I wasnt trying to impress people. I was just wanting to share what I was learning in hopes it would support others.

When youre out there in the world, doing what youre doing, are you doing it for the right reasons? Are you sharing your message? Are you sharing your message from your heart?

Velma Gallant is an Author, Speaker, Trainer and Abundance Coach. She’s a co-author in a best-selling book series with Mark Victor Hansen, Deepak Chopra, and Wayne Dyer called “Wake Up Live the Life you Love: Finding Personal Freedom”. Velma is the creator of Living Abundant Joy where she interviewed 19 outrageously successful speakers, marketers and coaches on Abundance. She publishes a weekly e-newsletter called “Welcome Changes”. Velma coaches entrepreneurs and business people to be abundantly successful in both business and life. You can visit Velma’s website at http://www.WelcomeChanges.com, or reach her by email at velma@welcomechanges.com.