Enthusiastic, But Also Nervous

I just found out that I will be Area Governor for our local Toastmasters district. Toastmasters is a non-profit organization where we practice communication and leadership skills. The meetings focus around public speaking, but there are many other aspects to the training, including project management and group leadership.

I'm looking forward to being an Area Governor, but I'm also nervous. It's something I've never done before. It requires a higher level of responsibility than being a president of a club. And I'll suddenly be working with a lot of people who I've never met.

On the other hand, I know enough people who have served as Area Governor, that I have mentors. There are also several other responsible people working with me, so I won't be doing this alone, or working against the grain.

Having a strong team of experienced and knowledgeable people is something I value in general, but I'm seeing that the higher up we go in responsibility and authority, how essential it is to seek out people who are smarter than we are, and who we can get help and advice from. This is not only true in an organization, but also in our personal lives. I'm experiencing that truth there as well, but that's for another post.

When we dare to grow, push ourselves out of our comfort zone, and do something brave, surrounding ourselves with people who can help makes it far easier to weather the challenges. Being brave alone is doable, but it's so, so much harder to push through without a support crew, especially in the long term.

This past year, I've questioned my strength, questioned whether I'm as brave as I thought I was, and questioned whether I had it in me to do things that are important. Accepting this position is a chance for me to explore this about myself again, to remind myself how strong, brave, and capable I am, while at the same time, doing something I enjoy.

I enjoy working with people to attain a common goal, I enjoy communicating, and I enjoy seeing people succeed. I also enjoy project management, getting things organized, and increasing efficiency. So, this role as the Area Governor should be a good positive challenge. It will also be a good chance to practice mindfulness, compassion, and acceptance.