One of my favorite movies during this time of the year is “It’s A Wonderful Life” the reason is I believe there are some great Toastmasters and life lessons that we can glean from this movie. Just in case you are not familiar let me give you a brief synopsis of the crucial life lesson parts.
The main character George Bailey is given a once in a lifetime opportunity by his guardian angel, Clarence, to see what life would be like if he had never been born. The first thing he sees is the druggist, Mr. Gower, that he stopped from poisoning a kid has become a homeless ex-convict. George’s wife, Mary, is a spinster who works as a librarian in the town library. The small town, Bedford Falls, that George remembers as homey and sweet is now a city of ill repute and is called Pottersville, named after Mr. Potter, the meanest richest man in town. Probably the most important and significant thing he is allowed to see is when Clarence shows him the grave of his brother Harry and the tells him that “your brother Harry died as a boy when he broke through the ice and drowned”. George says to Clarence “that’s a lie”, “Harry went to the military and saved an entire crew of men on a transport” and Clarence says “every man on that transport died, Harry wasn’t there to save them because you weren’t there to save Harry.”
Clarence tells George “each man’s life touches so many other lives and when he isn’t around it leaves an awful hole, you really had a wonderful life don’t you see what a shame it would be to throw it all away?”
I am not an angel, well some say I am not an angel, and I can’t show you what your life would be like if you were never born, but I can give you an opportunity to know what your Toastmaster meetings and events would be like when you’re not there because you are “BUSY”.
“BUSY” is the meanest, richest, most often used tool in our tool box. “BUSY” changes our meetings from a positive safe learning environment to a negative disorganized mess. First, it makes us scramble to fill meeting roles and creates stress and distractions. Second, it keeps us from getting the maximum benefits from out meetings. When we don’t show up to the meetings because we are “BUSY” someone else has to compensate for our absence and they don’t get the maximum benefit either. Finally, the most significant thing that happens when we are “BUSY” is the speaker doesn’t get practice in front of a live audience.
Often times we think “if I miss what will it hurt?” While Toastmasters focuses on the individual it requires a team. With some performing double roles and roles left unfilled due to absence no one gets the full experience of the Toastmaster program.
Each members life touches so many other member’s lives and when we are BUSY and don’t attend the meetings it leaves an awful hole. Toastmasters has given us a wonderful program can’t we see what a shame it would be to throw it all away?
Every member’s contribution has purpose no matter how big or small. Even if it is showing up to the meetings to be a part of the listening audience.