Communiqué December 2021

TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club

COMMUNIQUÉ

F

U

BY YOU

R O

YOU

OF Y O

VOICE VOICE

DECEMBER 2021

Are you with me to make this world a happy place?

Bread, Butter and Anxiety To win the day Dear Parents How to boost your credit card score?

Finding 'D' An Introvert Speaker You are more than what you think Mani - My Bosom Pal The midway Tension Thoughts become things Who am I? Let's Move On

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Leadership Conclave Can you be a Chai Partner?

20 22

Toast-tomasters

Unique Meetings Level Completions Pathway Completions Hall of Fame Contests People's Choice Award Ice Breakers Less travelled by

24 26 28 29 30 31 32 33

The goodnight talks

#3AM Musing The Fish Pond The Newest Stars of our Galaxy

34 36 38

Last But Not The Least

The Podium Talks

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The Grand Division Meeting Executive Commitee Jan-July'22

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(Trending Toastmasters Talks)

TTT

Unplanned Noons

Editorial Team Message President's Address The Steering Group

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EDITOR'S NOTE

NEWSLETTER TEAM

KEJAL

SARAL

SHREYASI

SHRADDHA

Dear Readers, Introducing “Voice”, the 21st Communique’ Edition, carrying the slogan "OF YOU, BY YOU, FOR YOU". It upholds the brand guidelines since it's inception.

Along with that it has the regular features such as the President's message, the milestones reached in the past six months. Apart from that this newsletter also encases a blend of articles, stories, poems, open letters penned down with such passion that you can not only feel the emotions embedded in them, in fact you can visualize them.

Do not miss out the two interviews, where both the interviewers and the interviewees have put their best foot forward. There's a fish pond which gives a chance to you for fishing. Check out the people's choice awards, might be you are the lucky one. The musing of 3 AM done has diversified content.

Our main aim was to not only reach out to as many members as possible but also to persuade them to pen down their thoughts in any format which suited them. The reason was to make them believe that they possess the potential to write too. At the same time to show case their talent in the newsletter being read by the toastmasters.

An editorial team, headed by Kejal Ranka, has put in a lot of effort and time to compile this edition of Communique so that you all enjoy reading it.

THE

SNEHAL

BHAKTI

Happy Reading!

PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

When Abraham Lincoln uttered the first words from the Gettysburg address, little would he have known that he'd be the cause of liberation from slavery, racism, and injustice for millions. The founder of Toastmasters International - Ralph C. Smedley was no less a visionary. Four score and seventeen years ago, the first-ever Toastmasters meeting at the YMCA building in Illinois set free many youngsters from the clutches of public speaking phobia and leadership skepticism. His vision has now branched to more than 16,000 clubs and 300,000 members.

TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club has always been at the forefront when it comes to upholding the democratic values, and our club is truly, "of the people, by the people, and for the people". It has been an honor walking with you all on this journey for the past 6 months as your Club President and I am eternally grateful for your trust and the opportunity.

Our first challenge at hand was bringing in new members and making them aware of the importance of an online public speaking forum. VPM Devendra organized two membership campaigns which saw a huge influx of new and talented people joining our club on a not-so-membership-friendly term.

VPPR Kejal's story is no less than an inspiring biopic. She had creative artist mind and a wandering adventurer attitude. Her work attracted laurels not just from club members, but also from the District. Secretary Divya set new records for the pace at which a person could note down the minutes and release them. She is a fast-learner and was a key player in our team.

Treasurer Himanshu, our go-to guy, wore many hats every time the club needed him, juggling between work and Toastmasters very graciously. Sergeant at Arms Utsav is a powerhouse of talent. From managing the meetings effectively, to taking up roles when the club needed him to, he set the bar very high for the future SAAs. And and and, our VPE Simran. This term has been slick on many fronts thanks to her sheer dedication and the efforts she has put in. She braved the storms and steered the club so effortlessly. Her innovative ideas and risk management strategies helped our club to benefit from the duties of a VPE to the fullest. Our IPP Raj always had our back.

Be it taking up roles or helping us find role players or advising us using his experiences, he was always there for the club.

The newsletter team of Shraddha, Bhakti, Snehal, Saral, and Shreyasi led by VPPR Kejal has been instrumental in documenting the term that was and the club is extremely proud of their service. It is through people like them that legacy of this great club keeps shining!

When we started our term back in July, we had a vision: to revive the fundamentals and to focus on the things that matter the most - quality meetings, a continuous addition and retention of members, and to accelerate self-growth of members.

The result? First club in District 98 to be eligible for the President's Distinguished Status. We pulled this off in just 2 months and 10 days!

While our entire team believed that awards and recognition go a long way, it is still the effect and not the cause.

The last 6 months have been an enriching journey of learning, leading, and grooming new leaders to take this club's legacy forward.

I am confident that the newly elected ExCom leaders will take the club to new heights. I wish them and all the club members the very best.

IHSAAN MUHIYADHEEN

PRESIDENT JUL-DEC 2021 #thepodiumtalks

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The Steering Group The term of achieving goals in no time, full of continuous level completions, blockbuster contests, increasing the horizons for giving speeches outside the club for diverse experience, joint meets and various special meetings with various challenges made the last 6 months as the most happening months of my life. From being reluctant of doing this role after hearing the myths of burnout to feeling nostalgic to sign off and yet accomplished for being able to

Simran Chauhan (VP Education)

serve the club and the members who have helped me to be a better person in the last 2 years. Being VPE with the responsibility of managing the education curriculum of the club, I have not only learnt planning & organising but I have been able to interact with n-no of

people & understood that age and experience is just a number in front of a Will to bring a change in ourself. I've had a splendid time. Thank you for giving me the opportunity and the constant support throughout.

My journey with TMTC is almost more than two and a half years and I feel its my privilege to be the VPM for a diverse club like TMTC. Being a person who loves to interact with people, I enjoyed every moment being the VPM.During this period I got an excellent opportunity to interact with people from different backgrounds and regions which helped me in expanding my horizons. I believe success of any club or a team depends on its members and I am fortunate enough to have such supporting people around me. With all the collective efforts of the club Devendra Villa members and the ExCom we, as a club, have achieved many accolades and recognitions which I could cherish and remember for a long time. This (VP Membership) journey is memorable,fun- filled and I enjoyed every moment of this.

“Every artist has a central story to tell, and the difficulty, the impossible task, is trying to present that story in pictures.”

— Gregory Crewdson

Kejal Ranka (VP Public Relation)

Well, The above line did fit well while serving as a VPPR. Being able to come up with a poster that could speak the story for the meeting did made me challenge my creativity. These challenges enhanced my skills and developed a wider outlook on things.

Definitely, An experience worth living!

The biggest reward of Toastmasters is that you practice group and individual communication. I really enjoy our monthly officer's meetings. You get to brainstorm with your fellow officers on ways to improve your club as well as upcoming initiatives. Toastmasters meetings allow you to connect to your fellow human beings in a way that’s just not possible with social media. You’ll get to know them, see the world from their point of view, and share in their personal struggles and victories. I’m constantly looking for new speech ideas, and as a result, I’m examining life much more closely, noticing things that have previously escaped my attention, and looking for patterns in everything.

Since joining Toastmasters, I’ve been experiencing the world more vividly and taking in more details than before.

Divya Dialani (Secretary)

#thepodiumtalks

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The Steering Group I always thought I am accountable to my wife to answer where did I spend all my pocket money. (Un) Fortunately, I am not married yet and I am thankful to the Treasurer role for filling that void in my life. I have learned many new things during these last six months and now welcome the comments like 'Dude you have become calculative', 'Such a money-minded person' and 'Soo cheap' remarks as compliments and I give full credit to this role for bringing these remarkable changes in my life. Earlier I used to think budgeting is just another new (FY) year plan and now I no longer wonder or get surprised when my cards stop working, cause I can easily predict it's somewhere in the third week of every month. I am thankful to all my other Ex-Com members for not just restricting my learning experience limited to my role but also giving me ample opportunities, exposure regarding overall working of the club and promoting the environment where each one of us can grow together as a team. Special thanks to VPPR for working hard and keeping me busy during this term ; ) I thank you all for the trust, support and guidance. I wish our journey becomes more cherishing with each passing day.

Himanshu Rane (Treasurer)

The best takeaways from the role of SAA for me will be developing a sense of discipline and multi-tasking within a limited time frame. The discipline to turn up on every Saturday and making sure the event goes smoothly day in day out occasionally requires taking up more tasks along with our regular tasks. Being a part of the executive committee gave me an opportunity to see how a club of such scale operates on a day-to-day basis. Just by observing the more experienced members carrying out their tasks taught me how to plan Utsav Jena my own tasks in a structured manner. Also, through this opportunity I got to learn how to handle small scale online events. I shall whole (Sergent At Arms) heartedly recommend everyone to take up any role you can get and make the most of this wonderful platform since whichever role you get, there’s learning aplenty!

The positive and supportive learning experience is a culture of Toastmasters.

Appreciation, encouragement, motivation, and support uplift a person. A person who feels appreciated always does more than is expected.

When I started my journey in the club, I was amazed by the people of the club.

Every member of the club was very encouraging, supportive, and helpful. Very first time I was experiencing such amazing people in my life.

Raj Bharat (Immediate EX-President)

Club members' selfless service is the key which has developed the club with a very high standard and has produced champions in Communication and Leadership.

Wishing everyone a great journey in the Toastmasters, A place of selftransformation.

#thepodiumtalks

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ARE YOU WITH ME TO MAKE THIS WORLD A HAPPY PLACE? - MANJU JACOB

THE NEW YEAR began and wishes came pouring in - "Happy New Year!". How many sincere wishes did you share? How many wishes came across that touched your heart and really meant with a genuine feeling?

I bet it would be one or very few out of the tons you might have received! Your Facebook, Whatsapp, Emails might have been overflowing with forwarded New Year wishes wrapped with glitter, music and enthralled you for a few seconds or minutes. If there was a simple genuine one-liner message that could put a smile on your face, that could remain etched in your memory, then that's THE ONE that will make you HAPPY. Remember next time you want to wish your colleague, customer, or a vendor - let it not be for the sake of it but make a positive difference by sending out a wish that has a genuine feeling, the one that would touch their hearts.

No wonder, our company TCS has a beautiful mission statement that says, "Make it a joy for all stakeholders to work with us" Now the question is, are we practicing to implement this mission in its truest sense!!

On a lighter note, would like to share a WhatsApp joke about the movie "Dangal". In case you haven't read before, this is how the joke goes - In the movie Dangal, the daughters are forced into wrestling. Maybe, if they had followed their passion, they'd have been software engineers at IT companies.

There is more fighting in IT companies than Dangal ;-)

Two things that I want my readers to ponder on about making the world around you a happy place, bringing happiness to your next-door neighbor or the colleague in the next cubicle, the team you are working with, the customer, the vendor, or any stakeholder for that matter in your ecosystem1. Strive for harmony, no matter what sacrifice is required from your end, it might even mean letting go of your ego.

At the end of the day, if it gives satisfaction to the other person as they have won and you have maintained harmony in the existing environment, then you are THE ONE who WON the battle. (As Mahatma Gandhi had said "An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind") However great position you attain or the wealth you might have created, but at the end of the day if a smile of a passerby makes your day, then get the grumpy look off your face and smile at everyone you come across during the day :-D (Big grin! or that girlish/boyish impish smile.

Believe me, it does wonders!)

Let us retrospect and examine. Are we working towards making JRD's words come true “ I want India to be a happy country."?

Let me take this as an opportunity to wish you from the bottom of my heart that the coming year is filled with happiness, good health, and peace. May everything in your life sparkle with a radiance that comes only from happiness!

“For the sake of Harmony, a good soul with good intention will do good” (an extract from my published book ‘The Trinity Quotes’)

#theunplannednoons

5

Bread, Butter and Anxiety How to deal with Anxiety?

For a long time, I have dealt with anxiety. By running away from things that caused it. If I had to give a talk or a presentation, I’d suddenly get “sick” and escape it.

Now, A very long time ago, when we were hunter-gatherers, if someone was standing alone, with a set of strange eyes (wild animals) staring at them it was probably because they were in danger. The amygdala — part of the brain that regulates fear — would kick in the fight-or-flight-or-freeze mode, pump up the adrenaline and we’d escape. This response helped us then and that is why we exist today. For a modern-day human, the eyes of the audience may not represent a threat, but the fear response is wired into us by evolution.

Almost everyone I know, with a fear of public speaking has met with a negative shameful incident that reinforced their fear of being in the spotlight.

For instance, when I was a middle schooler, a teacher told me to stand up and speak on a topic. I was thoroughly unprepared for it. All eyes were on me and I started panicking. My heart was beating very fast, my voice quivered and I uttered words without thinking. The teacher announced to the class that I couldn’t speak well and told me to sit down. I remember feeling so ashamed at school that I couldn’t even face my friends. Like a fool I believed what my teacher said for a long time.

Sometimes you cannot avoid your fears because your bread-and-butter is at stake When I was in my final year of engineering, I decided to stop running away from speaking opportunities because I knew speaking effectively was a criterion in job interviews.

The only obstacle in my path to speaking mastery was anxiety and it came in the form of thoughts like “I cannot speak”, “what would they think of me if I stammered?”

Anxious thoughts trigger Anxiety.

#theunplannednoons

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I traced back to how those anxious beliefs emerged and it led to my middle school and I had this epiphany that if I were a teacher and if a kid couldn't speak on something, I would help them instead of taking a jab at them. I would teach the child how to structure their thoughts, how to back up their statements with concrete proofs or facts, how to introduce or conclude their sentences. I would never declare that their first bad attempt meant they couldn’t speak!

So, with butterfingers, I dropped the belief that I couldn’t speak and this greatly reduced my anxious thoughts.

It’s the same fire that melts butter that hardens the egg Public speaking is not like putting a knife through butter, you have to put in the effort, practice…practice…practice and face the fear head-on.

After joining TCS, my project manager Anurag Sinha suggested I join the Toastmaster’s club.

I wish I had known about Toastmaster’s when I was in middle school. When I joined the club, I was shocked to see how encouraging everyone was. And when I became serious about fixing my speaking ability, I realized how fun it was, giving a speech is almost like giving a performance — you have to be creative in writing, organizing and delivering your speech.

What other fixed beliefs are making you anxious?

As I got better at speaking, I decided to fix other things that made me anxious. The process was more or less the same, you realize you have certain negative or shameful beliefs around an event that leads to anxious thoughts. Once you stop falling victim to those distorted narratives, you realize that there is always a path that leads to selfgrowth and you can take it.

And you are not alone, there are many people who suffer just like you and are trying their hardest to conquer their fears.

While we may not be able to conquer our fears completely, facing it head-on definitely makes the next attempts smooth like butter!

- Shreya Sinha

#theunplannednoons

7

T

O WIN HE DAY

- HARSHALA

This was what I dreamed about last night. My mind was scraped in two.

It was a cold war that I saw with closed eyes.

Negative mind was overpowering and my body started shivering with fear.

It hid somewhere inside and the positive one was in search of the negative mind.

And all I could hear was this before I went into a deep sleep

An inch in the core of heart Or may be a little below Undeniably not sure Where damn reclined this fellow

Absolutely not in the fists And of course not inside the limbs But I apprehend the biological structure Has a little leeway where it hid

Out of it comes grudge, anger and self conceit as well I'm in hunt of it but can't assimilate where it dwell I know criticism and envy are it's right and lefties And with their help, it plays everything at ease

Peace, love and happiness are all my powers With which I can fulfill all my desires Once I find the evil, I will teach the perfect lesson, Bother not about the time, it will be a long session

Till then sleep well, be calm and stay strong Trust me, everything will be fine and nothing will go wrong Good things take time, but once they are on The mind will be all set, just like a newborn

And then in the morning, ........ .I woke up with a smile on my face and a fresh mind to start a new day..

#theunplannednoons

8

OPEN LETTER

DEAR PARENTS, Here's your beloved child. The one you love the most. The one you want to be the happiest in the world and want to achieve all the dreams you have dreamt of.

Since my birth, I have been on your mind the most. Right from keeping a tab on me when I'm asleep, entertaining me once I wake up, to guiding me through adult life to face life's challenges.

While doing all of this, you've made sure I get all the things I wish for, and so to make that possible, you only focus on working well.

My dreams become your dreams and you, at times, forget to think about your happiness. You sacrificed the things you love for me.

I want you to know that I have grown up. I know how much each dream means to a person. Since my childhood, you've only thought about me. I now want you to think about yourself. I want you to take the shovel and unearth the dreams you have buried to make my life better. I want you to take that course because no one is ever too old to learn. I want you to go take that opportunity you’ve been wanting to, but have refrained from thinking you should give me more time. I want you to go on that trip you've been planning for ages now.

Please, live your dreams. Please don't keep that last bite of chocolate for us if you've been craving it all day. Live in the moment and enjoy the beautiful scenery rather than thinking about how I'll deliver that presentation tomorrow. Now focus on yourself and make your dreams a reality.

Yours lovingly, The Mature Child.

#theunplannednoons

9

?

WHAT IS CIBIL AND WHO AUTHORIZES IT?

Are you about to take a loan? Or wondering if you are eligible for it? If yes, what is a credit score and should you even care? All such questions are interlinked and to answer that let's understand about credit score.

WHAT IS A CREDIT SCORE?

A credit score is a measure or a numerical representation of all the past repayment records.

In other words, it determines the probability of you getting a loan as per how good your credit score is.

WHAT IS A GOOD CREDIT SCORE? A score that is up and above 700, is generally a decent score for the approval of loans or credit cards that is a form of indirect loan entity offered by banks.

For secured loans like home loans, vehicle loans etc. where you are mortgaging something, it requires a minimum score of 650 or above, else it will be denied or will be charged at a very high interest rate.

But, is there a difference in interest rates for different credit scores?

Yes, and the answer to that is as simple as knowing the risk that the bank is taking by offering you a loan. If your credit score is low, then it means the probability of you repaying the loan as per your past recorded behavior, is low.

Therefore, the higher the risk, the higher the return in the form of the interest rate charged by the banks.

Credit Information Bureau India Limited is a third party private organization that is responsible to maintain the records of all loans & their repayment history of the individuals.

To understand why a CIBIL score is needed, it is essential to understand that banks need some benchmark information based on which they can approve your loan requests.

Whenever you apply for an educational loan, home loan, car loan or maybe even personal loan, CIBIL generates a credit report known as the Credit Information Report (CIR).

This report is primarily a personalized report of your repayment history, rating you in a 3-digit score known as the CIBIL/ credit score. This score is then provided to the bank where you have applied for a loan.

#theunplannednoons 10

Now that we have learnt the basics of CIBIL score, let us understand the factors that impact the CIBIL or credit score, which are as follows:-

HOW TO CHECK YOUR CREDIT SCORE? You can check your credit score online at cibil.com at no cost. It is advisable to at least check your score twice a year.

You can do your bit to increase your credit score by1. Pay all your dues on time 2. Acknowledging the miscellaneous amount that may arise due to service cost, or charges etc 3. Balancing your credit cards and limiting your loans 4. Efficiently using your credit card for a positive credit history can be rewarding in terms of score and points.

1.Repayment History- It simply means how diligent you have been with settling your loans and past bills. The more steady and regular your history the better your score.

2.Mix of loans- Here, We have to understand unsecured & secured loans. If you have nothing mortgaged against your loan it falls under an unsecured loan like a credit card. Whereas, if you have something in collateral like car loans then it is a secured loan. So it is always better to have a mix of loans with a lower percentage of unsecured loans for a better score.

3.Credit Limit- When it comes to your credit limit, it is calculated as Approximately amounting to, Monthly Salary * 50% multiplied by 100 This means the amount or the limit that you can service, but how does this limit affect your score?

Simply by understanding how much you maxed out.

4.Multiple loans at a time- The credit score does get affected gradually if you have applied for too many credit cards or loans.

Apart from that, there is one factor that also suggests that if you are linked to a person who is a defaulter, it can impact your credit score. So, it is advised to check your score regularly.

In a nutshell, diversification is the key but so is awareness.

Stay updated with the recent developments and mobile applications like Cred, Zerodha, & Groww etc. as they not only offer you compatibility but financial insights at your fingertips.

0000 0000 0000 0000

Neil Ravindra Singh #theunplannednoons 11

FINDING

D

ADIOS AMIGOS!

SHREYASI RAO

I want but one thing from you, and that is my freedom. Freedom to make my choices, freedom to live, freedom to walk my path, freedom to breathe, and most of all freedom from myself and all my limitations.

And you cant give me that, even I know that. For it only comes from within and through the ‘d’ word . I’ve abhorred it all my life and naturally haven’t gotten much far. I’ve been in shackles of my moods all my life. Because not a single bone, nerve ending, or cell in my body is predisposed to ‘d’. My mind shrieks when I try to ‘d’. Like so many seeds that must break completely to give way to its blossom. So must I give myself at the altar of ‘d’. And if you haven’t guessed my life’s nemesis. It is but Discipline. My walk to freedom ends at the altar of Discipline. So until I reach there.

FINDING "D"

Let me ask you this - why work at all? Why. Work. At. All. All this work, day and night, for what? and at what cost? You hoard all and it all goes down the drain. You’ve worked hard mindlessly to lose your mind. Built yourself a spaceship to a future of permanent hell. Every day you decay and try to hide it. Where are these dreams of “paradise on Earth” leading to? Our illusions of work have given birth to demons of destruction. Being philosophical and sitting under a tree will solve nothing you say. There are no trees left to sit under I say. Hasn’t man worked enough for himself to wreck havoc on everything else? Hasn’t the cumulative ambition of the civilized man of 400 years led us into this dark abyss of climate change and freshwater crisis? Why keep working? Let’s not get so worked up now…

AN INTROVERT

Can a speaker be an Introvert? Take a moment and think of all the speakers you have heard. Are they all introverts? Or, do they seem to fall under extroverts’?

I, as an introvert in my school, would have the same questions revolving. These did take my steps away from speaking confidently in front of people. But, being a speaker on the stage made me fe el on cloud nine. After feeling that, my heart started finding moments to relive that moment. Face the audience, look into the crowd and speak on your topic with all ears on your words made my heart skip a beat. And, there I became an Introvert Speaker.

#theunplannednoons 12

The world is waiting for your next awesome speech!

You are more than what you think, Just embrace your real self & all your fears will shrink, You are more than what you think.

There is nothing which you can't achieve, Just keep moving forward with courage and belief.

Never be dependent on others, You are born to fly with your feathers.

Fly so high, no one can pull you downwards, not even gravity, You are strong enough to fight every calamity.

No matter how adverse the situations are, They cannot overcome your courage, your power.

You are tougher than the toughest situation, Nothing can break your armor of determination.

So bear all the pains, fill courage in your veins, Never cry on your aches, Just keep working hard, whatever it takes! Whatever it takes!

SANKALP SINGH

ARE MORE THAN WHAT YOU THINK

You are more than what you think

YOU

KEJAL RANKA

SPEAKER

AN INTROVERT SPEAKER

The personality trait of either being an introvert or Extrovert or a mix of both doesn’t describe the quality of being a speaker. Many great speakers that you thought of, are actually introverted personalities. May it be Barack Obama or Bill Gates.

Let’s stop looking down on ourselves for not being able to be successful speakers because of our Introvert Personalities and rock the world with our words.

#theunplannednoons 13

Mani - My Bosom Pal

-Saral Mehrotra

Julie, the sweet tame street dog, gave birth to a bunch of puppies, all of them very cute and tiny. I randomly chose one of the many sweet brownish puppies and named him “Mani”. Thankfully my parents agreed to owning him as a pet.

The advantage of living in a bungalow in the Steel township – Durgapur, was that it consisted of a huge well-maintained garden. The big lawn was the place where Mani and myself spent endless time playing with each other. Raising him up, right from the stage of a puppy was like raising a newborn baby. Letting him out when he whined at night to play with Julie. It was a treat to watch both of them play during the night. Chasing each other on the lawn, sometimes Mani chewing Julie's ears, Julie teaching Mani how to fight and defend himself. I was so lucky to see all this.

As much as I loved Mani, Mani loved me back. He would come to my side of the bed and softly talk to me in his own language, to wake me up and to accompany me to my school bus stop. He used to be right there waiting for me when the school bus dropped me home. One should have seen Mani when mamma bathed him. His eyes used to plead, "Please, mamma don’t give me a bath I enjoy rolling in the mud."

Four years flew away when one early morning, I had my first epileptic fit. I fell down hurting my head, which started bleeding profusely. Mani immediately started barking, ran towards the kitchen, tugged at Mamma's saree and brought her to the TV room. He sat by my side throughout the day with a sad face. After seeing my first fit Mani tried to follow me to each and every place I went. This was his level of concern for my safety.

One fine day Mani came home with a female dog and stood in front of my mother, as if he was telling her, "Look at my girlfriend, Mamma, How do you find her to be?” Mani’s girlfriend was just a replica of him lookswise, many a time we would end up giving her the food which had been prepared for Mani. Then we would find Mani coming from behind along with Julie.

16th November 1993. When other houses were celebrating Diwali, my home was enveloped by darkness as God had called my father to look after God's Steel Plant.

Suddenly everything changed not only for me but for my whole family, which means Mani too. I was due to appear for my class 10 Board examinations so we were given 6 more months to stay in Durgapur.

Mani used to show his sadness at the loss of my father by staying tucked away in a corner of the house. Whenever a guest paid a visit to our house to offer his condolence, Mani would silently sit at the entrance of the drawing-room with a sad look on his face and tears in his eyes.

The D-day came to bid goodbye to Durgapur, leaving behind a truckload of memories. The most difficult thing which I faced was leaving behind my bosom pal – Mani. There were no chances of him going with us. We couldn't afford to take him with us to Delhi nor did we want to separate him from Julie.

My last memory of “Manna pyara, sabka nyara” as I used to sing since we adopted Mani was of him sitting in the corner of my bedroom. I caressed him several times and got up calling out to him, to come outside, but he did not budge from his place. He was communicating his brokenheartedness through his eyes. We both left each other with a heavy heart and silent tears streaming down our faces. I never saw Mani again after that day. But he'll always be my bosom pal.

#theunplannednoons

14

THE MIDWAY

"

"

"There’s a time, there’s a time. Both for sowing and for reaping there’s a time."

Rome wasn't built in a day hatheli pe sarson nahin jamti We all are familiar with these proverbs and hymns. But when it comes to something that takes time, we are out of breath and fidgety. We constantly cross-check our checklist to measure our progress, set new goals to ensure we are better than before. Only one question bothers us, are we there yet?

Whosoever is doing this, needs to calm down! The person needs to get a hold on oneself.

First of all - never expect anything to happen too fast. We have all seen biopics of sportspersons having several montages. In one the protagonist's life story from 5 to 15 years is covered in 4 minutes, in the next she/he trains relentlessly for 1 year in 3 minutes, with inspiring music blasting in the background. The slow-motion of dripping sweat and flexing of muscles.

To hell with these montages. Life doesn't happen in a time lapse. It is of course an oversimplification of things because a 2 hour movie encapsulates the life story of a sports person. In real life achievements come momentarily after a lot of prodding. Real life is slow, full of mundane activities and silences. Amidst all the daily chores, inconveniences and detours, we have to keep stoking the embers of our aspirations. Life is the same for sportspersons too. We glorify their success. Fast forward and gloss over the excruciating details, the tiny bits of decision making and the actual living of life.

Secondly, don’t define strict goals. It is useless to say I am going to achieve a particular target within a given time frame. Well! No one can tell you how much time it will take or even the precise number of tasks to be carried out in order to reach your desired goals. The problem with setting strict deadlines is that they raise our anxiety levels. We constantly ask ourselves - Am I 'there' yet? Reassessing our stand every day. While in reality one figures out things on the way. It is impossible to calculate what is not in our hands. Life is not a 3 days 2 nights "Make My Trip" package.

What matters is that we make a start and head towards the right direction. To get disheartened because we fell short of a strict goal is foolish. Just not doing the wrong thing is hard enough. To do the right thing always might not be human. It is the overall trend of our decisions, sometimes big, mostly small that matters. All you can do is be a little different for a few moments, as per the need of the hour.

Sometimes, not setting strict goals doesn't imply that you stroll through life aimlessly. You should do this to give yourself a broad goal and work towards it without thinking exactly how things will unfold. It is seamless productivity.

As daunting as questions like 'Where do you see yourself in 5 years' seem, sometimes even planning a week ahead might be unnerving. We just have to make our day better and that may be enough to reach goals which were not so meticulously planned in the first place.

Anu Jain

#theunplannednoons 15

TENSION The moment you are in Tension You lose all your Attention, Then left in total Confusion You feel complete Irritation

Then you spoil personal Relations You don’t get any co-operation, Then you make Complications And have to take Medications,

Instead, understand the situation, Try to think of a Solution, Many problems get solved by Discussion, Which works out better in your Profession

Don’t think of this as a free Suggestion, It is only for your Prevention, If you understand my Intention, You’ll never again get Tension

-Ashwini Vaidya #theunplannednoons 16

Thoughts become Things We live in a society where mental health is almost neglected and a person is considered fit by only looking at his physical health. We forget to remember 'Sound mind gives sound body'. In order to be fit physically, and for external medicines to work we must believe in our recovery. We must assert that “yes after eating the medicine I will recover”. The wish to become fit again creates power. I used to think that these concepts might not prove to be as effective. But when I tried it myself, it worked like magic.

What is the concept? you ask. Let me explain to you in a very simple language. We have two minds. Conscious mind and the Subconscious mind. Our thinking and planning are done by the conscious mind. While the subconscious mind stores our long-lasting memories. Whatever goes into our Subconscious stays there for long, and only with great efforts can it be removed. Our feelings are generated from the subconscious mind. Our habits, our weaknesses, the way we maintain relationships with others, our creativity, our knowledge, all these things are related to the subconscious mind.

All decisions and conclusions are carried out by Conscious mind. While the Subconscious mind behaves like a collection bag. Whatever you put inside the bag, it gets stored without any filtration and then influences our conscious mind in making decisions. Our life is heavily lead by the Subconscious mind. Repeatedly said things or repeatedly done things, get fed automatically into our subconscious mind.

Law of Attraction says that 'like attracts like' Whatever we think, becomes the reality. I could witness this phenomenon when catching the local train. I used to worry a lot thinking, “I might miss my local train”. And at times missed because of it. Then later I started thinking- “I am reaching on time”, and this confidence and assertiveness made me reach on time.

I started giving auto-suggestions to myself. Self-commands, creating self-awareness is a very good technique for self-healing. Previously I used to cry a lot. People used to tease me saying I am a 'Cry Baby'. So I kept giving commands to myself that 'I am strong’, ‘I am not crying’, ‘stay calm’, ‘don't react’, ‘I have to stay happy’, ‘I have to stay patient'. I kept repeating these assertions to myself again and again, sometimes thrice in a day. And slowly my perspective of life changed.

For every small target that I want to achieve, I repeatedly give commands to myself without any lingering doubts or negative thoughts and then almost magically I start seeing things come true. It's not a joke, it's real. Thoughts do become things.

- Snehal Shah

#theunplannednoons 17

WHO AM I? I have been trying hard and for very long, to identify where I belong.

Am I an introvert or extrovert or an ambivert?

And finally, today I realized I am All of these and also None of them Let me tell you how...!!

But first I would like you to ask yourselves this question. Have you guys ever thought of taking a personality test. Just to see what your personality type is or see which group you belong to, what are the traits of your personality types, etc. This leads me to another question, Why? Why did you want to identify your personality as one among the defined set of categories? If you say just for fun, then let me tell you, I am 95% sure that it did not stop there.

You thought about it - verifying, checking, analyzing that whatever they said was true or not. And if your answer was that you actually wanted to know about your personality, then in both these cases I derived one basic reason behind all this. I feel, the result of this interest/curiosity to understand yourself is the result of a latent need within ourselves, to Fit in.

To fit in the so-called Normal/Standard category.

When we are born, we are different, unique. As we grow-up we run around finding, associating and settling for company that is more similar to us. And do you know how we identify them? Not by identifying their categories, but by identifying our trait’s that fit in those categories. Isn’t it funny, it is we measuring our personality, behavior, traits, characteristics and so many more things, just to understand who we really are or where we actually belong? And in all this process you forget one important thing, Being Yourself. We are so engrossed in understanding the standards, that we forget to actually look within. To understand who we truly are? What makes us special, unique, different from others? Loosing ourselves just to Fit In. We forget that we as a person can never be similar to anyone, not even to our siblings. Well even siblings are a distant comparison. You are not similar to yourself a minute ago. This is because we become who we are through various experiences in our lives and our perception of those experiences, the society we live in, the people we are associated with, how we are brought up, our principles, our values, our ways to life, etc.

So, through this letter, I would just like to call out to Everyone reading this.

Don’t try to FIT IN and appreciate the difference in everyone. It has now become essential to put this in words that Being Different implies you are Unique in your own way and have a lot of different views, perspective and skills to share. You are different don’t become indifferent to yourself - Bhakti Tiwari

#theunplannednoons 18

Let's Move On In our life we come across through different situations and in every phase, we learn something and move on. I personally faced tough challenges in my life, and it taught me a lesson to learn and explore new things. In my second-year college, I failed in one semester and I was completely shocked. That incident not only affected my academic career but over all life was shattered and I always regretted of that past. My selfconfidence was low, and I was not able to take the right decision. This dark patch continued for many years till I joined service industry. In organization I was not a good performer because of not being confident enough to deliver with customers. As it is said there is always end for everything. six years back one good opportunity knocked my door. I was introduced to a platform where we all are here today called Toastmasters.

Again, Toastmasters was also not a cake walk for me, because I had to work very hard to play all roles. Slowly and gradually by attending meetings and taking roles I started to improve my communication and leadership skills. My role from Club officer to district officer was an enriching experience where I learned to make so many friends, build my connects through networking. Today after completing six years in Toastmasters journey, I never looked back and regret the past, live with the present, enjoy your life and Move on.

- Saikumar Iyer

Dear Friends, Life Moves on, So Should we.

#theunplannednoons 19

L E A D E R S H I P

Interviewer - Shraddha

Could you please share with us about your leadership journey in Toastmasters?

I started my leadership journey as Seargent at Arms and then I was glad to serve as VP of Education. Later I got the chance to serve as the Treasurer and thereafter as the President.

Currently, I am serving as an Area Director. The responsibility for the same is to be able to make the clubs under the area, form distinguished clubs and also form new clubs.

How did Toastmasters help you become a better leader?

Confidence is the most crucial quality of a leader. Toastmasters has such an atmosphere that made me feel that I was heard and someone is keen on listening to me. We gather our courage and stand in front of everyone. Then we try to speak in front of others. Eventually, we get more confident. I also got the opportunity to take up roles in other clubs as well, which helped boost this confidence.

Delivering speeches were a way for me to help people by sharing my experiences and by getting a positive response I was able to get that confidence that I can speak with any person and hence helped me become a better leader.

Interviewee - Raj

Other than confidence, what do you think is an important quality a leader should have?

Everyone has a different leadership style. Understanding your leadership style to be able to first lead yourself and then lead others is important.

One should also keep in mind that everyone thinks differently, have a different perspective on things and act differently as well. Being able to work with such a diverse set of people, help them become better and make them aware of their leadership style is crucial as well.

How did you overcome the moments of hesitation one faces before taking a leadership role?

A mentor plays an important role in these times. Before any ExCom election, a mentor reaches out to their mentees and suggests they nominate themselves for an ExCom role. For my first ExCom role, my mentor did the same. He insisted a lot each day and in the end, I had to nominate myself for the role of Seargent at Arms. Taking up one role gives you the confidence to take up others as well.

#TTT 20

We’ve always seen you so calm and composed. At times when work is stressful or there are multiple commitments, how do you manage to stay calm, composed and clearheaded?

I feel this is common to many people.

When we make a promise to ourselves or take up responsibility, we must fulfill them. We should keep in mind that we are setting an example, a standard for others. We will be representing the whole Toastmasters culture, our family or our organization.

We should take ownership of our responsibilities. To stay calm, maybe yoga and meditation can help.

How do you bring a change to something that has been going on for a long time in a club?

First, we need to understand people’s mindsets. How they think, what expectations they have and what they want to achieve. As a leader, one must keep everyone in their mind and make sure the change brings value. One must discuss with the whole team and help them understand how the change will help every club member.

The roadmap to achieve this change must be discussed with the team and conveyed to the whole club to be able to implement it.

It’s said that all the ExCom roles are actually for people to take ownership and responsibility of different tasks.

Do you believe the roles that are played by any ExCom member can be played by any other member as well and need not have a title for that?

True. As an ExCom role, you must fulfill your responsibility. Either you can do it or you can open that responsibility for fellow club members. As club leadership, the major responsibility is to prepare future leaders of the club.

DOCUMENTED BY - SHRADDHA

responsibility is to prepare future leaders of the club. The ExCom members always encourage other club members to explore these roles.

Do you think as a leader sometimes some skills overshadow your other skills? How do we bring them on the same page?

When you get more responsibilities, it is common that at times other things are left behind. At times like these, one must be mindful of what are all the things they need to achieve and give equal time and priority to each of them.

When one leg comes forward, we have to move the second leg forward to move ahead. Similarly, we need to take all the things together to be able to move forward.

What is that one lesson you will never forget that you learned during your leadership journey?

A lesson I learned through this journey is that as we move forward and make ourselves uncomfortable by stepping out of our comfort zone, we have people that support us since they have been through it all and that is very helpful.

Something I learned the hard way is that help others and be there for others and move forward. Do not expect others to be there for you as well.

What message would you give to the aspiring leaders of tomorrow?

Have your vision. Develop a helping and giving nature. Don’t expect back.

Have trust and faith in each other.

Understand and accept the differences of people because everyone is unique.

Build a vision for yourself, your club and help others achieve their vision and be better in their Toastmasters journey.

C O N C L A V E

#TTT 21

Interviewer - Bhakti

Interviewee - Utsav

Job Description Title: Chai Partner Eligibility Criteria Loves chai Hates coffee Hates green tea Responsibilities • Available all the time to accompany anyone, anytime and anywhere for a Chai Break.

• Make chai breaks interactive.

• Encourage people to take chai breaks.

• Ability to convert coffee lovers to chai lovers.

• Report to the nearest chai wala for every chai break.

How important do you think this role is in multinational companies?

I have never been to the office but I have experienced this during my undergrad projects. We’d be engrossed in our work and then after a few hours, we’d decide to take a break.

During this break, we won’t talk about work but other topics. Like we would talk about football and rumors surrounding different teams. This helped us charge ourselves and get the energy to slog through for the next few hours. Similarly, I think we need breaks during our work in the office and hence I believe this role will be very crucial in a multinational company.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I like reading articles related to politics. The majority of my time goes into gaming. I like to play FIFA. All through this, I have a cup of chai with me.

#TTT 22

Interestingly there is a saying that most of the UPSC students are created during these breaks as this is a place where most of the political and intellectual conversations are made. We get to learn a lot and have a lot to take away. crucial in a multi-national company.

Do you think you will be able to balance all the responsibilities you will be entrusted with? Have you had any prior experience doing that?

During my undergrad, I have dabbled with many things like college fest, extracurricular, and college projects. Also, I have recently graduated and so have a youthful vibe and the energy and capacity to balance things out.

Do you think there might be chances of social engineering attempts during these breaks or your attempts to talk be taken in that way?

I believe these breaks should be restricted to only one organization. The chai breaks can happen with or without me but with me, it’ll act like a catalyst to improve the experience and make it an official thing. And each organization has its own set of rules and code of conduct that I believe each employee follows. And since we will be in a professional setting, the chances of this happening will be less.

Why would you choose a role like this over What do you think is a unique quality that any high-salaried roles in the market right you will bring to the table that will benefit now? our company in hiring you?

Money can be chased an entire lifetime and Since my childhood, I have lived in different we can never get enough. I have learned states of India. From Haryana, Gujarat, Uttar these lessons; I have seen it in my family Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra to Tamil and friends. But the experience, stories Nadu. This will help me connect with people you share with people, and the bonds and from different states which is very crucial relationships that you make with them because as a chai partner I should be able to are immortal. distract them from their work and help them Another reason is that as a Chai Partner recharge themselves. you get to interact with different people. You are not domain or areafocused. No matter where you are, How will you manage to do your role in the there will always be conversations virtual environment since everything has shifted while having a cup of tea. to work from home culture and might be hybrid from now on?

I will first approach people who are willing to take breaks or have fewer thresholds to say no. We will get on video calls and discuss things. I’ll suggest them to bring their friends along. The word will go around and slowly it will be a big movement. The engagement is important, so I will create discussion threads and polls. I believe this will be a welcomed change and since break boosts productivity, it will be a win-win for both the employees and the organization.

DOCUMENTED BY- SHRADDHA

#TTT 23

UNIQUE MEETINGS INDEPENDENCE DAY MEETING The Toastmaster of the Day Divya, set the tone for the meeting emphasizing that the 75th Independence Day was being celebrated with a sense of freedom both in our mind and words as well as pride in our souls. The spirit of patriotism was displayed by appreciating the remarkable performance of Indian athletes in the Tokyo Olympics 2020, where they won 7 medals.

The same fervor was mirrored in the speeches given by the speakers. The meeting showcased one's pride to be an Indian. Their wish to make India climb the ladder of success in all spheres.

REVERSE MEETING Darn the wheel of the world! Why must it continually turn over? Where is the reverse gear ?- Jack London The Reverse meeting based on this saying had the MOM issued before the meeting had been conducted. It was a welcome change as the reverse order consisted of a taste of humour. Everyone enjoyed the summing up of the meeting in the beginning, followed by everything going in the reverse order. Creative because one needs to think out of the blue to get such ideas which will not only make a meeting interesting. Also attract people to attend an upcoming meeting, maybe turn guests into members.

JOINT MEETING WITH ECLECTIC IMAGE TOASTMASTERS CLUB "Stronger Together" the theme of the Eclectic Image club meeting was visible through-out the meeting. Lying oceans apart, in different time zones, both the clubs came together to spread the message of harmony.

Smiles, coming to know members of a different club, their style of conducting a Toast master meeting marked the occasion. The atmosphere was such that everyone interacted with each other without ever feeling uncomfortable.

This meeting was a feather in the cap for both the clubs. It came to an end with a confirmation that the clubs would continue this trend and have joint meetings whenever possible. Technology when used properly binds people.

#toasttomasters 24

UNIQUE MEETINGS PANEL DISCUSSION & DEBATE TMTC, Mumbai celebrated their 725th meeting by holding an hour long panel discussion with 3 panelists. Each one of them having their own way of maintaining fitness.

This helped the club members to learn new methods of becoming fit and fine. This was followed by a healthy debate on the topic "Electric Vehicles are the future". It made both the participants and the spectators aware of how a debate needs to be conducted. Everyone enjoyed how both the teams tried to tilt the audience into their favour.

EVALUATION TIPS MEETING The evaluation tips meeting held to provide members the proper method of judging a speech by expert evaluator Sri Ram turned out to be a great knowledge session for budding evaluators and honing the skills of existing evaluators. It also included a round of mock evaluation so as to make the attendees familiar with the procedure of conducting an evaluation when a speech is being delivered. Mr. Ram also taught them how to give a feedback to the speaker in a manner which would highlight his good points but also point out the areas which could be worked upon to make him/her a good speaker, making sure that they do not discourage the speaker.

HUMOUROUS SPEECH TIPS MEETING "The humourous speech tips meeting had a Distinguished Toast Master who is known for the humour in his speeches in the international clubs too. He gave many useful ideas even to convert a boring or serious topic into a humorous one. as to what kind of jokes, punchlines will be suitable to be included in the speech depending on the audience being addressed.

The members not only enjoyed the session but were glad to receive the tips as they tried to apply them in the Humorous speech contest held sometime later. One thing became crystal clear one does not need to be a person who goes around cracking jokes to be a humourist even a serious introvert person can make you laugh.

DOCUMENTED BY- SARAL

#toasttomasters 25

LEVEL COMPLETIONS

LEVEL 1 KALPAK

RAJ

RAHUL

JYOTI

SARAL

DEEPAK

LEVEL 2 ASHWINI

DIVYA

SHREYASI

MANSI

NAMRATA

DEVENDRA

TUBA

KSHITIJA pAGE nO. - 00

#toasttomasters 26

LEVEL COMPLETIONS

LEVEL 3

NEVATHIKA

NAMRATA

SAIKUMAR

SMRITI

TUBA

LEVEL 4 SAIKUMAR

NAMRATA

NEVATHIKA

SIMRAN

TUBA

LEVEL 5 SAIKUMAR

NEVATHIKA

TUBA

pAGE nO. - 00

#toasttomasters 27

PATHWAY COMPLETIONS SAIKUMAR

TUBA NEVATHIKA

The journey of completing my second path!

- Tuba Mansoor

When I started on my second path of Motivational Strategies I was not sure how much it would benefit me. After all a lot of projects were similar to the projects in my first path of Leadership Development. But surprisingly, the learnings were much more and different than expected. The best way to gain maximum learnings from a path is to use it in conjunction with a leadership role. Think of it as - the path is your textbook and the leadership roles (Excom and beyond) are your practicals. For maximum learnings use the path as the theory and your leadership journey as applying that theory.

For motivational strategies the path spoke about the different ways people are motivated and how as a leader one can use those strategies. For me as a volunteer who was interested in organizing events and worked with some active Toastmasters, it was fun to see how district was making abundant use of motivational strategies. It was like a live case study – the good and the bad effects that these strategies were having on the district members and clubs. And trust me anything in abundance might not be a good thing in the long run – not even motivational strategies!

Toastmasters is a great program! The number of different people that I have met – inside and outside the country, learning how humans act and react, how to plan for success and failures- it’s been great! Don’t treat the path as something to be completed – it’s the journey that matters. Take up leadership roles and mingle with people, help organize events- these will give you a chance to apply the principles you learn in the path.

Experiment and make mistakes- because the stakes here are low! Think of Toastmasters as a platform to learn and grow so that you don’t make mistakes in real life where the stakes could be much higher.

#toasttomasters 28

TOASTMASTER OF THE MONTH - JULY

RAHUL SANKHE

TOASTMASTER OF THE MONTH - AUGUST

NEIL SINGH

TOASTMASTER OF THE MONTH - SEPTEMBER

SARAL MEHROTRA

TOASTMASTER OF THE MONTH - OCTOBER

BHAKTI TIWARI

TOASTMASTER OF THE MONTH - NOVEMBER

SHRADDHA JAJOO TOASTMASTER OF THE MONTH - DECEMBER PRASHANT

SHREYASI

SNEHAL

SANKARANARAYANA

PALLAVI

ARMAN

#toasttomasters 29

1 2 3

1 2 3

IHSAAN MUHIYADHEEN

NAMRATA KENI

PRASHANT KARKERA

NAYAN JAIN

ASHWINI VAIDYA

DEVENDRA VILLA #toasttomasters 30

AALIYA ALI

Unstoppable Evaluator Speaker cum standup comedian Unstoppable Speaker Video Call Phoebic Grammar Nazi

Flawless Speaker Jack of all The Savior

The Perfect Host The Artist

UTSAV JENA

SARAL MEHROTRA

SHREYA SINHA

Diligent Role Player

The Storyteller

Flawless Role Player Best Table Topic Speaker

KEJAL RANKA

Best Table Topic Speaker

BHAKTI TIWARI

SHRADDHA JAJOO

Most Cheerful Table Topic Master

Bubbly Role Player

#toasttomasters 31

SARAL MEHROTRA

ASHWINI VAIDYA

DEEPAK SHUKLA

JYOTI PATIL

NEIL SINGH

BHAKTI TIWARI

SNEHAL SHAH

UTSAV JENA

SHRADDHA JAJOO

FORAM KAMANI

VIBHA

JAWED

NEHA KIRVE

NEHA SING H

JATIN SATI

RAJ BHARAT

NISHANT JAIN

PALLAVI MANE

SANKAR

#toasttomasters 32

TWO ROADS DIVERGED IN A WOOD, AND I TOOK THE ONE LESS TRAVELLED BY, AND THAT HAS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. -ROBERT FROST

You all must have come across these lines somewhere, thanks to the internet. But if you haven’t, let me tell you that these lines are from a poem “Road Not Taken” written by the famous poet Robert Frost. These lines were very dear to me when I first read them in my 9th standard (2011). They have aptly suited every scenario I have faced till date and off course in every decision which I have taken fearlessly because you never know which decision of yours will bring in you the transformation.

After serving as a Treasurer for the club from Jan-2021 to June-2021 and earning a lifetime of experience, I also got the basic idea of the functioning of the club which further got me interested in knowing more about each role. I connected with Raj, the then President, understood the challenges and opportunities associated with 4th June 2021 - I had to decide whether to contest in elections or not. Only two lines echoed in my mind: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I will take the one less travelled by, And that will make all the difference."

I became VPE elect and hence came the great responsibility of handling the education curriculum of the club. The whole term has been fantastic, full of fun and lovely memories built alongwith my excom mates who became more like a family. We have laughed, brainstormed, enjoyed, learned, experimented together which again taught me the power of Cooperation and being a flexible leader like our Mr. President.

Let me give you a Situation, You are given a task to guide a blindfolded person to move from one corner of a house to another. What will you do to complete your task?

You can do the following to complete the task: Give guidance at every step / Support/ Hand Hold / Be Calm and careful while guiding / Give Examples/ Be an example / Give feedback at various steps wherever it is required / Empathize All these ways are to build trust, be it our real life, within a team and while handling people.There are times when some of us are not that active, feel disconnected or feel demotivated to continue. But there will always be a person who will do the hand-holding, whether it’s your parents, friends, colleagues, managers or you. There will always be a humble person who will lower his/her status to understand yours, make you feel comfortable and then raise your status.

These 6 months have motivated me to be the one in real life. This is the difference a responsibility can make in our lives.

Today, when I receive a text from my fellow Toastmasters praising our Excom Term and referring to it as one of the best. Before signing off, I just want to say: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and We took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference."

- Simran Chauhan

#toasttomasters 33

#3AM_Musing...

Do we always live in present?

Do we enjoy the present ?

Do we leave the past behind and enjoy present?

Are we worried about future?

Today watched a movie "Dhamaka" and there was this song 'Koya Paya tunhe hai kya ab tu ginti kare jiya tha tab jiya nahi ab jina ki vinati kare" This song touched my heart 💖 It made me realise no matter what your past was and what your future will be Do not ruin your beautiful Present

When you love someone, give them what they want and not what you think they want.

- From a K Drama

It's funny how when you like someone, you think about them a lot and they don't even have a clue. Do all one sided love always hurt? I wish the fairytales we hear about were true. It's said one sided love has a lot of power. Maybe it's a dialogue from one of those Bollywood movies. I wish just like those fairytales, the one sided lovers could find their love.

I wish no one would've to go through those one sided heartbreaks.

No one desires pain. But he can think that pain is pleasure. No one would avoid his happiness. But he can think that joy is painful, threatening and dangerous. He can get addicted to that pain and find it to be the new normal. So much that when someone is gentle and loving, he runs away fearing the unknown.

Is everything either good or bad? Right or wrong? Who defines something is right or wrong. I think everything depends on perspective. Because something might seem right for me but wrong for someone else. I think these are also defined as we grow up. Some we take on from our family and some we build as we grow up. Right or wrong also depends on the circumstance. We can never always definitely say this is right or wrong.

#thegoodnighttalks 34

This question is to that kid with uncombed hair -who lives in a tiny room with a large desk - reading books and always has lo-fi music on : "Do you apply the concepts you have learned in the real world?" I know you read books on creativity and creative people but why do you shy away from novel situations? I know you have joined the TM club to become a better speaker but do you participate in speaking gigs outside the club? What's your ratio of learning something to applying it in real situations?? Why do we fall back to our everyday habits and cannot recall the beautiful concepts of books when we need them the most? Why do we fail to recognize that an event or a problem that's in front of us is not so new? We must have read about it in a textbook or a novel or heard about it from somebody.

It is strange how some people get the stage to tell their story and grab the spotlight. While there are those with their silent brilliance who are better humans than anyone of us will ever be left in the dark. Fame has nothing to do with inner substance really.

3am and here I'm in bed awake 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♂️ Pindrop silence outside 📍 Chaotic mind inside 🧠 Flashback of the past 🔦 Hope of the future ✨ Fortunate me to made it till day 😇 Empowered me to make it everyday 😎 Curious me to know what comes next 🧐 Calm me to face anything with smile 🧘‍♀️ 🧘‍♂️ Tensed me to sleep soon before the sun rise 🌅 Snehal! sleep. Shouting my brain. 😴 But time at its best to create a poem 😉 🤭😅 And thoughts in abundance to feel the beat. 🎶 🎵 🎶

I have done the graveyard shift, which is Australian Shift 🦘 starting at 3 AM. I have been in the night shift which has a coffee break ☕ at 3 AM. I have participated in marathons for which I have caught the first Mumbai local 🚅starting at 3 AM. I have enjoyed the bonfire🔥with my family while partying at New Year with them at 3 AM. I am now going to enjoy my sleep 😴 as now I love sweet dreams at 3 AM.

I wish life was a movie. Building up to a plot twist. Every character becoming ready for the crisis. Our stories making us ready to meet the biggest challenge of life only to come out victorious on the other side.

It would be gripping and everyone would have a purpose and direction. And once everything is resolved, all threads tied the story would come to a definite end. Unlike carrying on and on... aimlessly like life does. One problem after another. Maybe it isn't life that is aimless but me. I am just too ill equipped to deal with life and meet it at the depth that I ought to. I can't even blame my parents for giving me a happy childhood. Not sure if setbacks in childhood make you resilient or scarred for life. But it is so hard to learn once you grow up. Is it the ego? Or am I just too stubbornly set in habit.

#thegoodnighttalks 35

Raj Bharat

Aaliya

A down-to-earth person. He is ready to advise others as well as learn from them. Would gladly give opportunities to the new members and one of the very active toastmasters I know.

You are a wonderful human being and have grown so much as a speaker, leader, mentor. Yet you managed to stay humble even after all your countless achievements. Lucky to have met a person like you!!

Your love and dedication for Toastmasters will take you places. All the best.

Have been a little judgmental about your dialect for which I am extremely sorry but seeing you grow so much and being omnipresent in toastmasters makes me feel good. Huge respect!!

Raj patiently listens to queries and answers them. His guidance helped me to make decision on my pathway selection. Thanks for all your support so far!

I really look up to you when I think about being a TMOD. The way you had conducted the meeting with Origami theme was amazing. You handled everything so well with your bright smile. Thanks a lot for being a great example!

You are one of the most talented persons I’ve met. I haven’t had the luck to meet you in person but we had a great time in these online meetings. I love your stickers that u send on whatsapp chats. The picture that you use especially in campaign posters🤩

Simran Chauhan She is an idol for me. I just love her positivity and her passion towards the work in club.

She is doing a marvelous job. Whenever I see her ping, I get sacred what new she will tell me to do now.

But it's because of her I was able to take many roles, so, a heartfelt Thank You to her.

The effort you put in for each meeting is commendable. Although it is a part of your responsibility being the VP Education but you do it so well. Also, thanks for helping all the new club members patiently understand the process. Please keep messaging us for the roles :D The first time I saw you, virtually, I was a bit hesitant to have a conversation with you. But after I started working with you i got to know the other side of you.

The things you do and the way you crack jokes really made me laugh for hours even now when I recollect them. You are such an amazing person, one quality that I really like in you is your straightforwardness.

Bhakti Tiwari She has excellent team building and leadership qualities I love your enthusiasm. The way you have handled the responsibility of being a table topic master in multiple meetings is very much appreciated. Please stay your cheerful self always.

Nayan Jain Although you often speak above the time limit while giving the evaluation, I always catch you telling how well the speaker spoke and always praise them specifying every details of the speech. It shows how attentive you were and that you just want the speaker to know how well they did. Appreciation helps every speaker do well and want to deliver a speech again. Thanks a lot for all the evaluations you've given!

Mithron ...

I really love the way you explore the nature and the wildlife. If you are planning for a trip any way sooner post a status or a story with Rafis song I’ll join you .

Do reply to the messages Nayan😂😂

Sameer Patil

Anu Jain

The Incident had happened in March 2018 at Yantra Park. I was new to Toastmaster and I was playing the role of General Evaluator the very first time. Sameer was one of the speech Evaluators. During my role execution on the stage, I forgot his name. I still remember that awkward moment but thanks to Sameer as he had saved me by saying his name.

I absolutely loved your evaluation during the reverse meeting. It was humorous and I can never forget about it. Thanks a lot for an evaluation that I can never forget although it wasn't based on the speech.

I think whenever you take up a role, you do it so well. You always try to add extra things when you report something that is very useful. Thanks a lot for playing all the roles so well till now,

Manju I am a new member of the club and I have heard a lot about you from the senior members. You are a legend and would love to hear from you in a meeting!! Hope to see you soon!!

Devendra I think you are doing a great job as a VP Membership. You talk patiently with all the guests or any other associates who wish to join the club while also answering their queries. You've brought many new members and you also push them forward to get involved. Thanks for all the small nudges you've given everyone.

Divya Helloooo Divya , such an intersting personality I really love listening to you especially your voice during evaluations.

You have a magical power in your eyes and can attract anyone.

Ashwini Vaidya Heyy AV, when I first interacted with you I felt you are bit silent but with your ice breaker I realised it's not the case,I could still remember your ice breaker, the speech was amazing

Prashant You are such a great speaker whether it is being a host or evaluator.Always loved your perspective and the way in which you make your point. Looking forward to hear more of your speeches.

Harshala One thing i would say for Harshala, you are an all rounder. A sincere request from me pleass tell me whats the secret behind such sweet voice😍

Himanshu Glad to have you around, to whom I can rely on at times when I am stuck. Waiting to design pages with you soon, again.

Ihsaan Muhiyadheen A complete allrounder and an extraordinary guy. Being very closely working with you I've really learned a lot from you. You are on your path to great success, keep going. I have never told you this personally though

#thegoodnighttalks 37

The Newest Stars of our Galaxy i in w sh A

l ei N

Curious, Creative and a Learner for life, a social learner to be precise. I can be as ordinary as the person next to you but an entirely different and unique person the very next moment

I love to have limitless talks with anyone. Simplicity ,smile and positivity are the best qualities of mine

ya d ai V

gh n Si nt a h is N

al r Sa

PART 1

I believe in working hard to achieve my goals. Always curious to know new things and like intellectual people. I refrain myself to give any political opinions and always try to help n everyone. ai

J

am r FIoam a curious kid.

An honest, simple, straightforward and congenial person who is passionate about gardening, travelling, photography, reading books and recently participating TMTC Club ra t Meetings. ro

eh M

a h e N

Interested in meeting new people, reading books, experimenting food recipes, explore new places and learn new tech. I enjoy working with NGOs being an active part of The Robin ni a hood army

am K

I am too impatient to procrastinate and a micro manager. And this leaves me with enough free-time to do what I love like listen to music or simply dance on my favorite tunes and watch Friends on repeat mode

h g n Si #thegoodnighttalks 38

The Newest Stars of our Galaxy ha

PART 2

INTRODUCING NEW MEMBERS

ta i an r P

dd a r h S

I'm that short, crazy friend almost everyone has. I believe everyone has a story to tell and I love to hear them. I wish to make a significant impact in the society.

I am very determined and enthusiastic person. I have recently joined toastmaster club and looking forward to deliver my 1st speech in coming days. de

ak oo j p al Ja K

in h S

I am a bibliophile and feel that i am a people's person and an avid listener, probably that makes me a good husband too 😉I love storytelling and listening to old bollywood classics. I am easily approachable and have an extremely optimistic view to solve problems. Toastmasters gives me an opportunity to hone my storytelling skills and connect with a lot of people

vi a ll a P

I am honest, loyal and little introvert person. I like trustworthy people. My life's principle is 'If you can't help them then at least don't hurt them'. I open up with those people I am e comfortable with. an

M

p ili D I am very generous person and strongly believe that success is always about persistence, determination and the stubbornness to never give up. I love to do hiking, cycling and a little e sarcasm. an

ah h S

M

a it h c Ru

an rm A

Arman Lalani | 21y | Mumbai | Fresher | Cooking | Robotics | Tech Fanatic | Introvert | Love listening to music

ni a l La

I would describe myself as approachable, organised and honest. I like travelling and listening to music. Adventure sports like bungee jumping, sky diving, para sailing excites me. I love spending time with my kid. He makes me smile, makes me laugh and helps me to live life in present and find joy in little things.

a al nw a h k hu B #thegoodnighttalks 39

THE GRAND DIVISION MEET Although Toastmasters have quickly adapted to online meetings as new normal, the flair of face-to-face meetings is still longed for by many of us. When District 98 leadership announced the “Grand Division meet”, I could not hold myself back. The event was scheduled at a convenient location that was easy to reach. The event was as grand as the name suggested. It started with a game to introduce members with a twist. It was followed by a panel discussion with District trio – Mukta Nadkar (District Director), Hardik Shah (Club Growth Director), and Sapna Ohri (Program Quality Director). The trio not only shared their valuable insights and their take on the current situation as well as the way going forward. They also spared time to answer questions from audience members. The enthusiasm of the trio rubbed on the audience as well. The event ended with a photo session and provided an opportunity for informal interaction. I was personally happy to interact with many members and hear interesting stories. I was surprised to know that it was the first offline meeting for many members. It was a pleasure connecting with fellow TCSers over a cup of tea and sandwich wondering when our club would start offline meeting.

- Sameer Patil

#lastbutnotleast 40

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE JANUARY-JULY'22

SIMRAN PRESIDENT

SANKALP VP EDUCATION

UTSAV VP MEMBERSHIP

BHAKTI VP PUBLIC RELATIONS

ANU SECRETARY

ASHWINI TREASURER

SARAL SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

IHSAAN IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

#lastbutnotleast 41

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