Toastmasters Pathways Projects Impact Lives Outside of the Club Setting
Has a positive impact been made in your life by a Toastmasters Pathways project? If so, yay! Me too! Recently, I completed the “Focus on the Positive” project in the Leadership Development path, a Level 3 elective. I am a pretty positive person by nature, so I wanted to enhance myself by seeing where areas of improvement are.
The project addressed strategies for improving my personal interactions by understanding the impact of my attitudes and thoughts in my daily interactions. I kept a daily record of my moods and attitudes for two weeks. I noted when I felt positive or negative, my successes and efforts, and my daily gratitudes. I also recorded and evaluated any changes in my behavior and the behavior of those around me.
After day six of keeping record of my thoughts and feelings, I noticed an area for improvement. I was feeling annoyed with my dear husband’s driving. I love him, and I don’t want to feel that way, so at that moment, I thought, “What can I do to shift my annoyed feeling to a feeling of peace?” Then the acronym B.E.S.T came to me. I can, take a Breath, Exclaim my feelings to The Divine, Surrender the outcome to The Divine, Be Thankful that the situation is blessed.
The next opportunity that I drove with my dear husband, I was able to practice “Doing my B.E.S.T.” Instead of reacting to my loved-one with annoyance, I was able to practice B.E.S.T. I cannot believe how free I felt that I did not have to “fix or “solve” an issue. My loved-one can do just fine without my commentary on driving. When I am finger-pointing, I have three pointing right back at me. It’s not about how I can change my loved-one, it’s about changing me, and how I respond to them. Once I changed me, I noticed that my dear husband has changed positively, too, and now we’re both not annoyed driving together! I apply the B.E.S.T. acronym in all areas of my life now.
I am grateful for Toastmasters International, for I found another avenue to love myself and others more. I especially enjoy Pathways lessons and projects and look forward to taking them. The projects allow me to practice real-life situations outside of a Toastmasters club. How has a Pathways project impacted life for you outside of the club?
I have been a member of the Buffalo Club in Golden, CO, since 2017. I happily serve as the VP of Membership and I really love Toastmasters! More information about our Wednesday lunch club is at https://www.
