Speaking or Dying – Which Do You Fear The Most?

Hans — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:25:59 +0000

I once heard that most people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of entertaining a visit from the grim reaper. I don’t belong to that crowd, but I can certainly sympathize with anyone who does feel that way. Be it a small group of friends, an auditorium full of people, or an intense business meeting, the apprehension that I feel when I have to speak to an audience can tie my tongue and send my knees a knockin’. Thankfully there is a remedy for this ailment: Practice. As with any skill, the more you do it, the more competent you become, and with public speaking, the more confident you become the less you suffer from the rush of fight or flight hormones coursing through your veins when you see all those eager faces waiting to hear your words of wisdom.

Now you could find a busy street corner, set up your soap box, and start speaking, but there is a less traumatic, more humane way of achieving that competence. Toastmasters International is “a world leader in helping people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience…offering a proven – and enjoyable! – way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills.“

So, recognizing that I have a need to become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience, and submitting to the regular reminders from Kamran, a Toastmaster friend of mine in Zurich, I decided to join. Its been about 2 months now since I began attending the almost ridiculously early Tuesday morning event every other week. I’m impressed with the format of the meeting which covers both individual prepared speeches and short, sometimes whimsical, impromptu topics everyone can take part in. The crowd is friendly, constructive, and very competent both at delivering speeches and encouraging each other in delivering theirs.

This morning marked a milestone in my level of participation, which I felt warranted this post. First, I volunteered to provide the impromptu speaking topic for the day making me what is called the Table Topics Master. With a little help from Timi, I selected a suitable topic and went prepared with the necessary props. The resulting creativity from my victims was great, and knowing the topic in advance gave me an advantage which I lacked in previous weeks when I was profusely punished by the “um’s and ah’s” clicker. I was also happy to help out today by recording the podcast reporting on the proceedings.

So, if any of this sounds like something you could get into, check out the site of the Budapest Toastmasters if you live near here, or go to Toastmasters International to find a club near you.

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Bahá’ís of Hungary to the Bahá’ís and Government of Iran

Hans — Sun, 10 May 2009 21:36:10 +0000

This video was created by the Bahá’ís of Hungary to express their solidarity for their bretheren in Iran the cradle of the Bahá’í faith where persecution and descrimination are, sadly, an inescapable reality.

Hungarian Bahá’ís for the Bahá’ís in Iran from Bahá'í Magyarország on Vimeo.

Each day Bahá’ís endure negative propaganda from the Iranian media, they cannot practice their religion and they are deprived of their fundamental human rights.

Former Miss North Dakota Arrested in Iran The 31 year old Roxana Saberi, a freelance reporter for news outlets such as the BBC and National Public Radio and the 1997 Miss North Dakota was arrested in Tehran...
7 Bahá’í "Spies" to Stand Trial in Iran The center of their faith lies in Israel. It is a twist of fate orchestrated by the Persian authorities and the Ottoman empire in the mid-1800's that has now become...
An Interview with Me on A Baha’i Perspective A Bahá'í Perspective is a radio program of biographical interviews of people who have chosen the Bahá'í Faith as a way of life or who have a relationship with the...

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Speaking or Dying – Which Do You Fear The Most?

Bahá’ís of Hungary to the Bahá’ís and Government of Iran