noun: joy
1. a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.
"tears of joy"
Last week someone gave me a Christmas card with the word ‘Joy’ on the front. I haven’t been feeling much joy lately!
I work for a small company that personalises textiles and homeware, and the lead-up to Christmas is filled with long and stressful days. Managing 24/7 operations, additional staff, and demanding customers. Throw in the rollercoaster of a pandemic and I have not been feeling much joy!
However, on Monday night at our club meeting, I suddenly realised that the member I was evaluating (Mike) was achieving his Level 4 in Presentation Mastery that evening. It was a pleasant surprise - a milestone I almost missed. With a new club, my focus had been on our new members' development and progress so I hadn’t clocked that this was Mike's final Level 4 speech until he submitted his educational award during the meeting!
I know that, despite all the stress of work at this time of year, Toastmasters meetings give me a window of time in which I can forget about the outside world and have a window of pure joy. That joy is certainly increased when you get to congratulate a fellow member on achieving a new milestone in their development with Toastmasters.
While many of our members have a fear of public speaking, the JOY of Toastmasters is that our clubs create a place in which members can overcome that fear.
I wish you all a safe festive season and, if you celebrate it, a very Merry Christmas.
Joy to you all!
Amy
VP Education, Co-Sponsor