I've been a Toastmasters member for two and a half years. There are 16,800 clubs worldwide with 358,000 members. We all practice public speaking.
With COVID-19, the clubs had to move their meetings and the annual international speech competition to the digital stage. And you know what? Many speakers didn't participate in the competition. Yes, it's difficult to look into a camera lens and feel very little connection to the audience. It's a completely strange feeling and a new situation. But it's so important to live with this digital world – because this is our present and it will be our future. Going online was our only chance to hold our club meetings and this competition. I'm so glad I took the plunge. I participated in the international competition and won at the club/area/division level, and my prepared speech, "3 Ways to Master Any Crisis!", earned me the title of best Austrian speaker. This week, I'm rocking the district competition and meeting speakers from Southeast Europe. How amazing is it to connect with people from all over the world, all from the comfort of my own home? Always seize the opportunity that comes your way, especially during challenging times. This is your chance to achieve maximum growth and emerge as a winner!