“WHEN LIFE GIVE YOU LEMONS, MAKE LEMONADE!”

Silvia introduced the theme, Resilience. Particularly now – with wars, global warming, and increased work stress, we need to find ways to turn the negatives into positives.

THE TOAST – Florence Resilience is the life skill that arms us to deal with whatever life throws at us. In order to be resilient, we need to let go of perfectionism and be happy simply to do the best we can. However, Florence concluded, it shouldn’t be a coping mechanism but a positive attribute.

THE STUMBLE CATCHER – Yannis The stumble count is designed to make you more aware of your habits (using filler words) and helps you measure your progress over time. What are filler words? Words, phrases or sounds that fill up space without adding substance. Examples – Hum, ha ,so , well, actually, right, like, I mean, you know, I guess, literally, okay “Oh I mean, I guess I totally agree with you, right ?” How can you reduce them? – Try to speak slowly and use a pause instead of a filler word.

THE JOKE – Davide The bird had two broken wings. It couldn’t fly; it could only walk, However, it was very resilient. Completely unflappable….

THE WORD – Vincent Gleeful – adjective – filled with happiness. Nine people used the word when speaking.

Vicki’s Table Topics

Vicki introduced the table topics by describing natural materials that are incredibly resilient, including diamonds and spider webs.

Thinking about resilience in people, she warned us not to confuse courage and resilience.

What event brought out your resilience?

MARTIN told us that his young son’s “toxic, angry behavior” took the family to counseling. The advice given was that Martin should bring up the child on his own, a role he knew would be extremely challenging, but to which he nevertheless agreed. The therapy included “love and lullabies and dancing” with the boy – and today father and son have a wonderfully positive, healthy bond.

Has your resilience to trauma surprised you?

NATALIA told us that “Two years ago …an event… changed my life completely.” A patriot who loved her native Russia, Natalia was confronted with something she could not tolerate. “I had to give something up,” she told us, a decision that brought her to Paris to make a new life. “[I was} surprised how my mind and body could survive that level of stress.”

Who has shown great resilience?

AVA recounted a tale about her rabbit! Two years ago, the rabbit was ill with something akin to Alzheimer’s. It was so sick, it wouldn’t even eat. It took a month of medication and assistance at mealtimes, but with Ava’s help, the animal recovered.

I’d have said that by handfeeding a rabbit daily Ava showed quite a bit of resilience, too!

When life throws you lemons, what do you do?

EDWARD opened by saying that although the adage has it that we should make lemonade, that’s not always the case! With a background in the secret service, he can testify to the fact that even good plans go wrong. (“Everyone has a plan until they are punched in the face!” – Mike Tyson.) After giving an example of a plan that went wrong, Edward told us that “You need to be resilient – but be smart and resilient!”

The boss says you’re not needed. How do you show resilience?

TRISTAN told us that first you have to prove that the boss hasn’t made the right choice. You need to show that you have things to bring to the team. If you believe in something, you should fight for it. However, he concluded, it’s important to decide what’s worth fighting for.

Speeches and Evaluations

DEBBIE ON ALISON’S ICEBREAKER “100 METRES”

“A new storyteller in our midst!” Debbie opened. She praised the “crisp, colorful descriptions,” the way our attention was grabbed (How to be a loser!), and that we were “off and running” from the beginning. Alison’s story, which included a French-accented voice and well-handled suspense, took us on an emotional ride.

Alison had “specifically asked for a harsh evaluation,” and although Debbie said she couldn’t do that, she did have some suggestions. She liked Alison’s use of gestures and thought she could expand upon them. Noting Alison’s lovely accent, Debbie advised her to slow down a little so that nothing was lost, and warned against a tendency to lower her tone and increase her pace at the end of a section.

JOSEP ON MARIA’S “HOW TO GET NEW CLIENTS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

Josep praised Maria’s direct informational style, commending her ability to avoid over-complicated lawyer talk and make a complex subject clear. He added that she is obviously passionate about her work: examples such as “My day starts with…,” would allow the audience to understand exactly what she does. He noted the interesting use of promotional materials; if this information were on a slide, she could then have zoomed in to discuss certain sections. Finally, Josep noted that Maria could use her hands more and perhaps step away from the lectern.

JESSICA ON AMELIE’S “ULIO – SHALL WE GIVE HIM BACK?”

Jessica felt Amelie had fulfilled her goal of using more verbal variety. The delivery was confident and energetic, empowering us to feel the highs and lows of her experiences. Amelie had used the room, used photos, and acted out her stories – for example, the tussle with the dog to get her scarf back. Moreover, nothing – not even the waiters’ entrance – could stop her. “You go, girl!” she laughed.

Jessica had only one suggestion, removing the notes, before concluding, “We are expecting great things from you – but no pressure!”

TRICIA ON BENOIT’S “YOU ARE HEROES!”

Benoit had achieved his project goal of presenting unfamiliar material, Tricia claimed, and the fact that there was much laughter proved that he had connected with the audience. One of the strong points of the speech was the way Benoit had connected the material – Joseph Campbell’s ‘Hero’s Journey’ – by telling a story with a Toastmasters connection. She noted that Benoit uses voice volume very well and suggests he now explore going smaller, too. She also commended Benoit’s use of hand gestures and his simple and colorful visual, an exploration of Campbell’s ‘The Hero’s Journey’.

Tricia confessed she was somewhat lost at the beginning and argued that a better hook was needed. perhaps a question such as “Do you think you are a hero?” She would have liked Benoit to clarify the relevance of the hero’s journey and how we might use this idea in our speeches as he suggested.

Our Guests

Nokhaiz was introduced to TMP by Silvia and was on his second visit.
Susan came to find put what Suzanne had been talking about – “many times”!

Edward has known Suzanne since he was four – “The sister I never had.” He confirmed what his wife Siusan had said: “[Suzanne] talks about Toastmasters all the time!”

Antoine likes the professionalism and the ambience here. He’s hoping to feel more comfortable with public speaking.

Georgii was on his third visit. He wants to become a member and get to know people better.

Natalia said it was just “by luck” that she and her husband Georgii were able to join us for the evening. She realized that they weren’t signed up and was delighted that there were a couple of free places!

Natasha, on her second second visit, is considering membership.

Dawood, from Montreal, had heard about Toastmasters from Youtube, and was trying it out for himself.