I would start by ranting against the ill feeling towards extroverts. Look up things about introverts and extroverts online and you'll see how everyone tries to say introverts make better leaders, better speakers...etc. I would NEVER say introverts make better speakers. I have seen them speak, they sweat, they forget words, they become silent and their body language is horrible. I am not saying extroverts are always good at public speaking, they need to learn and prepare, but as they "enjoy" being with people and they "enjoy" the attention, they feel much more comfortable in a large group. If introverts always made good speakers, there would be no need of the tons and tons of articles to "help" them overcome the shyness.
I love public speaking. I think I radiate a glow when I speak to a group. I did not know this happens because I am an extrovert, but I realized that I love the attention of a whole group of people. When I walk to a stage, or behind a podium and look in front of me, I have a warm fuzzy feeling inside. I feel like I have so much to say and so much to impact. It can be the "I" thing in me, which I admit might not be a good thing, but it is there and it motivates me. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't prepare my speeches, I do. I write them quite a few days before my presentation, read them over and over again, get other people to proofread, make notes and check the time. But I never go up to the stage with my notes. NEVER! It spoils the impression. I have slides if needed, but never any notes. I trust my memory and I know the guidelines, that's all I ever need.
I have recently joined ToastMasters' club at work and I just completed my fourth speech today. I was told that the topics I chose show my passion and it also is very much apparent that I love to speak. I love this audience as well. I see them listening with serious attention, they smile, have constant eye-contact, laugh when I say something funny and in general the whole atmosphere is very positive. It is easy to speak in these situations, people are willing to listen to you. Things were not this pleasant all the time. There have been incidents where I was not encouraged to speak, well to ask questions to be specific, but of course those people couldn't stop me! (bwahahahaha - evil laugh)
Once was a seminar we went to from school. The thing was going on very smoothly until a religious debate sort of thing got in. One lady was saying that the minority is treated in a horrific way in India, to which I had to get up and protest. My points were that most of the minority still doesn't consider India to be their homeland and I went back in history of 1906 when the Muslim League was created till the Partition. I also brought up that under an able leader like Netaji, religious issues never cropped up. It comes up only when political leaders fan those flames to separate us instead of unite. Then I ended with an open question - why do we need to have a seminar on this topic after fifty five years of India's independence? Nobody could answer. People applauded, some got real mad at me, one lady started crying... it was a mess. But I loved that thing. That mess and the failure to answer was worth more that all the applause because it told me that I hit the nail on the head.
The second incident was tougher. That was challenging a so-called eminent speaker at his own house on a very sensitive political issue. It can be called a conspiracy theory in India. That is about Netaji and the person I had this fight with is Netaji's descendant. They didn't ask me for my opinion, and I anyway was a second year student in college at that time, but I pushed my way forward and asked them why exactly they are coming to this specific conclusion when all the evidence proves the opposite. They did not have any answer, they were tongue tied. The best part was the audience cheering. I didn't expect that to happen so I was a little shocked, but when an elderly gentleman encouraged me by saying "carry on young lady" I realized that not many people would have the courage to say these things. What I just said was not very common. Later I thought that the whole incident of speaking up for Netaji, a hero I admire standing at his own house is probably a thing I would remember fondly all my life. Netaji sacrificed his entire life for us, maybe I could just do this much for him?
I love public speaking. I think I radiate a glow when I speak to a group. I did not know this happens because I am an extrovert, but I realized that I love the attention of a whole group of people. When I walk to a stage, or behind a podium and look in front of me, I have a warm fuzzy feeling inside. I feel like I have so much to say and so much to impact. It can be the "I" thing in me, which I admit might not be a good thing, but it is there and it motivates me. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't prepare my speeches, I do. I write them quite a few days before my presentation, read them over and over again, get other people to proofread, make notes and check the time. But I never go up to the stage with my notes. NEVER! It spoils the impression. I have slides if needed, but never any notes. I trust my memory and I know the guidelines, that's all I ever need.
I have recently joined ToastMasters' club at work and I just completed my fourth speech today. I was told that the topics I chose show my passion and it also is very much apparent that I love to speak. I love this audience as well. I see them listening with serious attention, they smile, have constant eye-contact, laugh when I say something funny and in general the whole atmosphere is very positive. It is easy to speak in these situations, people are willing to listen to you. Things were not this pleasant all the time. There have been incidents where I was not encouraged to speak, well to ask questions to be specific, but of course those people couldn't stop me! (bwahahahaha - evil laugh)
Once was a seminar we went to from school. The thing was going on very smoothly until a religious debate sort of thing got in. One lady was saying that the minority is treated in a horrific way in India, to which I had to get up and protest. My points were that most of the minority still doesn't consider India to be their homeland and I went back in history of 1906 when the Muslim League was created till the Partition. I also brought up that under an able leader like Netaji, religious issues never cropped up. It comes up only when political leaders fan those flames to separate us instead of unite. Then I ended with an open question - why do we need to have a seminar on this topic after fifty five years of India's independence? Nobody could answer. People applauded, some got real mad at me, one lady started crying... it was a mess. But I loved that thing. That mess and the failure to answer was worth more that all the applause because it told me that I hit the nail on the head.
The second incident was tougher. That was challenging a so-called eminent speaker at his own house on a very sensitive political issue. It can be called a conspiracy theory in India. That is about Netaji and the person I had this fight with is Netaji's descendant. They didn't ask me for my opinion, and I anyway was a second year student in college at that time, but I pushed my way forward and asked them why exactly they are coming to this specific conclusion when all the evidence proves the opposite. They did not have any answer, they were tongue tied. The best part was the audience cheering. I didn't expect that to happen so I was a little shocked, but when an elderly gentleman encouraged me by saying "carry on young lady" I realized that not many people would have the courage to say these things. What I just said was not very common. Later I thought that the whole incident of speaking up for Netaji, a hero I admire standing at his own house is probably a thing I would remember fondly all my life. Netaji sacrificed his entire life for us, maybe I could just do this much for him?
2 comments:
I still remember the faces of those people - the villains and the people cheering - that was some protest! I was also quite stunned!
"Villians".. yes for certain. I so cherish the memory of his face bearing a blank and weird expression for the few seconds when I finished :D :D :D
I also laugh my "evil laugh" when I remember how the second documentary on Gandhi's ashram just did not play :D :D :D
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