Another night of inspiration, motivation and information at Speakeasy
ANOTHER Thursday night and another fascinating night of inspiration, motivation and information at a Speakeasy Toastmasters meeting.
In the week that commemorated Martin Luther King, it was appropriate that Susan Hegarty addressed the subject of leadership. “Lead the way to a better future” looked at the different types of leadership - be it the political leaders or the lycra clad Operation Transformation to the unsung leaders in voluntary organisations who change people’s lives. She contrasted the different types of leadership situations she experienced in school and in the workplace from the rules obsessed bureaucratic model to the to the altruistic, democratic, innovative and empowering.
Empowerment was a central theme of Rachel Liston’s speech - “Hooked”. Asking herself the question - “How difficult could it be?” - she embarked on acquiring the skill of crochet. Like learning any new skill, it requires curiosity, enthusiasm, persistence and a desired goal. The persistence paid off with the finished article and a meaningful new skill. Other benefits included mindfulness - of being in the moment with total focus required.
Anne Marie Lehane outlined the challenging and empowering subject of “Health and Wellness at Work”. Setting up staff wellness committees can reap huge dividends, especially in the health care sector. Encouraging staff to “wear the wellness cap” empowers staff to enhance their working environment and improve the quality of their working life.
Michael Buckley had plenty “Food for Thought” in a detailed presentation on the significance of food combining. Citing the research of Dr. Howard Hay, Michael explained how the combination of protein and carbohydrates in one meal is both a counter productive and an inefficient way of eating as the food is not absorbed properly. By eating proteins and carbohydrates in separate sittings, the health benefits are many. And all this can be achieved with less dieting and a reduction in strenuous exercise.
Evaluations of the aforementioned speakers were provided by Jillian Harris, Marie Fitzpatrick, Verna Byrne and Michael Cronin who provided comprehensive feedback that was sensitive to the speakers’ needs. At the Meeting’s conclusion, awards were presented to Rachel Liston - Best Speaker and Michael Cronin - Best Evaluation.
The Speakeasy Toastmasters Season continues with their next Meeting on Thursday, February 6 in the Hibernian Hotel at 8pm. For more information check out the website speakeasytoastmasters.com or on Facebook.