5 things I learned from Qonverse
A non-exhaustive list my learnings from my Toastmasters club - Qonverse
People say choices mold you into who you are today. Boy, were they right!
I had not thought that my choice to join Qonverse would lead me to this day, with me writing this piece. It has given me a lot more than I had hoped for. Here are 5 learnings listed in no particular order.
1. Perspective
The walk from the aisle to the stage seemed nothing less than a Herculean task
A cliff might seem too difficult to climb. You sweat and sulk. You are fatigued and fall. I usually draw inspiration to carry on imagining the view at the summit. The cool breeze washes away the sweat and the warm sun rejuvenates you. The breathtaking view distracts you from the pain it took to make the climb.
Before Qonverse happened, you could find me sitting opposite to the stage — A Spectator. The walk from the aisle to the stage seemed nothing less than a Herculean task. It was only when I was on the stage — A Speaker — facing the audience, I had a change of perspective. The cool encouragement from my fellow Toastmasters and the warm applause left me wanting more. I wanted to conquer more cliffs.
2. Confidence
I realized confidence is not just about “I can do it!”
The Toastmasters path I started myself on, was not always a cakewalk. All I wanted was to be more confident be it while on stage, or while talking to people. The fear of embarrassment had been stopping me from taking the first step. I remember the first few times I had to go on stage, I had watched TED talks to motivate myself. The reiterated the phrase “I can do it!” before I go on to the stage. This provided instant gratification and I’m thankful for that. But it also meant I was just putting more pressure on myself. I was told as much by my few Qonverse members that I’m stressing out and that is not allowing my words to flow.
I realized confidence is not just about “I can do it!”, but it is also about “I might fail, but I’ll not stop. I’ll rather learn from it and do better”. This thought shielded me from the compulsion of being perfect. I did not need to watch those TED talks anymore. I was confident enough to make mistakes, own them, and learn from them.
3. Give to get more
You just need to be a sponge and soak it all in.
It sounds counter-intuitive. How can you have more while you give something? That’s the beauty of Learning. It is not a zero-sum game.
I cannot think of a Qonverse meeting where I walked out without at least a few tidbits of wisdom. Every meeting, I see people. I see them taking roles, taking the stage, and excelling at it. If you give your time and you pay attention, there’s learning all over the place. It might be someone’s gestures, storytelling abilities, evaluations, expressions, voice-modulation, or just what the speaker has to say.
At Qonverse, we stay back for 10–15 minutes after the meeting. And while sipping tea and munching cookies, we discuss the process that went through. You just need to be a sponge and soak it all in. Some day, when it is your turn, you squeeze out the learnings to help more people.
4. “This is your experiment lab”
My first Club President when I joined Qonverse had said this. It means that if you want to try something, or work on a skill, use the platform of Qonverse to experiment. It is not necessary to succeed in the first attempt. Even for Thomas Edison it took several failed attempts before making the electric bulb.
Within four months of joining Qonverse, I wanted to experiment with a Leadership position. I chose Vice President of Public Relations (VPPR) and I was elected for the same. I had set three goals for myself to do in my term and I promised to achieve them during the first Executive Committee meeting. But I achieved only two of those three goals. I could not publish the Club Newsletter.
The Club Newsletter aka the Crown Jewel of a VPPR. While the first experiment did not spectacularly fail, it was not a stunning success as well. Determined, I ran for VPPR for the consecutive term and Qonverse gave me a second chance to prove myself. The final two months of my second term marked the planning of the “Sesquicentennial” meeting (150th). We planned to release the newsletter on that day.
My Editorial Squad and I started early this time. It started with gathering articles from several people. Then there was the editing, exchanging and proof-reading, and finally designing. We poured our hearts out in making the newsletter for a solid one month. All this was done while not compromising on my first two goals. I look back at that newsletter with a puffed chest and brimming pride — The Crown Jewel. Our precious!
5. Lift each other
At Qonverse we don’t lift weights, but we lift each other
While I was contemplating joining Qonverse, one of the key reasons for finally doing it was the positive environment I could see all around. Everyone was willing to help each other in whatever way they can. Sometimes it is through words of encouragement, and at other times it is offering constructive feedback. Our current President likes to say “At Qonverse we don’t lift weights, but we lift each other”.
Over the course of my Toastmasters journey, I had two official mentors. They may have their differences in the process of mentoring, but they had one thing in common. They were always ready to help. Not just your mentors, I believe that you can ask for help from absolutely anyone from the community and you would get it.
Help will always be given at Toastmasters to those who ask for it.
The club is helped by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee empowers the Mentors. The Mentors uplift the members and the members in turn improve the quality of the club. It is this ecosystem that I was a part of at Qonverse and I can say that I contributed at each level. I have helped and was helped at each of those stages to reach where I am right now.
There are innumerable learnings that I take back from my journey. A journey that was made more beautiful, and more enriching because of the people I am associated with. To each and every one of you, this post is a page from the Qonverse chapters of my life that you have helped me write. I humbly present it back and thank you!
Cheers to more chapters with Qonverse!!
