by Emily Murray DTM District Director
I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands, saying how do you do
They’re really saying, I love you
I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself what a wonderful world
Ooh, yes
What a Wonderful World, as sung by Louis Armstrong
This is one of my favorite songs, I could listen to it on repeat for ages (here’s a link if you would like to as well). I find it calming, reassuring and frankly, it just makes me happy. I love the positive outlook and the hope for the future, gratitude practice, and inner reflection. By the end of it, I feel calm and usually smiling.
The lyrics remind me that it’s the small, everyday things in life that have the most impact on us. Creating intentional awareness of positivity and always assuming the best of others and positive intent allows us to accomplish much more together than alone. This is ‘Share Your Sunshine’ all over the place!
We have so much to be grateful for – our friends, growth, mentors, fellow members, reliable meetings, and opportunities outside our club. Leadership, training, and fellowship at events contribute so much. At every meeting, every event, we all have the opportunity to help each other as well as ourselves, and there are very few places around where altruism results in growth on both sides without significant cost!
During our meetings, there is honest, undisguised joy at seeing each other. If you come to an in-person event, there’s a high probability you’ll get a hug or a shoulder squeeze. We may not say we love each other, but we sure show it abundantly.
We welcome new members – our “babies” – and help them through their first-time jitters, knowing that their whole journey is in front of them with no way to know how far they will go – and oh the places they’ll go! Our encouraging support and willingness to share our confidence in them gives them the confidence they need to step out, step up, and step into their future selves.
There is so much kindness in Toastmasters – it’s the fundamental base of all we do. We are kind to each other, help each other, support each other, and sacrifice for each other (it’s all volunteer after all!). We create and maintain “supportive and positive” spaces no matter what. Not only are we kind to each other, but we learn to be kind to ourselves. We learn to stop comparing ourselves to others and instead find excitement in the different journeys, successes, and growth that we each have.
As we officially enter 2024, with Toastmasters turning 100 in October, it’s clear that it wouldn’t still be in demand if it didn’t work. The Pathways program is designed to be flexible so you can use it to best support your goals and dreams. It’s “New Year, New You” time. You’ve had a tremendous journey to get where you are now, and anything you can imagine for your future is absolutely obtainable. I hope we Toastmasters can help you get there because I know we all want you (even if we haven’t met yet!) to make your dreams a reality. So…new you…what are you going to do this year?
