How is Your Attire?

Recently in our Cottonwood Toastmasters club we had an evaluator tell the speaker that he liked  her state of presence, it drew him to her. Concerning this comment, he was referring to her attire. Have you considered that the way you dress, the jewelry you wear, and the way you present yourself have an effect on others?

One of the things my mentor told me when I first began my speaking moments in Toastmasters was to leave my name badge off  because it would distract from my speech. She also mentioned to avoid wearing loud jewelry and distracting clothing, clothing that would be too busy and colorful, or too immodest. 

In an article titled "Who Am I Now" by Karen Hudson CL, Karen states the following:

How Do You Choose the Garments?
Always consider three important guidelines when choosing what to wear for a presentation:

1. The clothes should not take focus from you, the speaker.
2. You need to be able to perform comfortably and effectively in the costume and accessories.
3. The costume should not tell more story than you have time to present.

Karen states that there are many ways your clothing and jewelry choices affect your presentations. She challenges us to look in the mirror and ask "Who am I now...What is my story? Am I projecting the image of a person who is qualified to speak on this subject...Do I convey the story I want to tell?"

This is a great article and worth taking the time to read. Karen is the founder of the Mindful Communicators Club in Woodland Hills, California. She is a retired costumer in the film and TV industry.

Have fun and remember who you are!

Laina Lloyd ACB, CL
VP PR
Area Governor N5

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Cottonwood Toastmasters meets every Monday 12:00 to 1:15 at the Cottonwood Village, 201 E Mingus Ave. Guests are welcome. For more information call Laina at 928-300-8638 or Dave at 634-6540

The Three Sisters of Agriculture

One of the things I enjoy about attending Toastmasters is the knowledge you gain from the speeches given. The learning is priceless. For example, this past Monday in our Cottonwood Toastmaster's club  Merle spoke to us about "The Three Sisters" which are "Corn, Beans, and Squash". Who would have guessed those plants are sisters! From the web site titled "Bird Clan of East Central Alabama" Merle shared with us the story of the three beautiful sisters who lived together in a field. These sisters were different from each other in size and dressing. The little sister was young and could only crawl at first. She was dressed in green. The second sister wore bright yellows and had a way of running off by herself when the sun shone and the wind blew in her face. The third sister was the oldest and always stood very straight and had long yellow hair. The three sisters were the "Corn, Beans, and Squash".

We learned that when these three crops are planted close together the corn creates poles for the beans to crawl up, eliminating the need for poles. The beans provide nitrogen to the soil that the other plants utilize, and the squash spreads along the ground blocking the sunlight which helps prevent the growth of weeds. 

The following is taken from the web site "Bird Clan of East Central Alabama" 

The Iroquois Legend of the Three Sisters

Erney, Diana. 1996. Long live the Three Sisters. Organic Gardening. November. p. 37-40.The term “Three Sisters” emerged from the Iroquois creation myth. It was said that the earth began when “Sky Woman” who lived in the upper world peered through a hole in the sky and fell through to an endless sea. The animals saw her coming, so they took the soil from the bottom of the sea and spread it onto the back of a giant turtle to provide a safe place for her to land. This “Turtle Island” is now what we call North America.

Sky woman had become pregnant before she fell. When she landed, she gave birth to a daughter. When the daughter grew into a young woman, she also became pregnant (by the West wind). She died while giving birth to twin boys. Sky Woman buried her daughter in the “new earth.” From her grave grew three sacred plants—corn, beans, and squash. These plants provided food for her sons, and later, for all of humanity. These special gifts ensured the survival of the Iroquois people.

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Cottonwood Toastmasters meets every Monday 12:00 to 1:15 at the Cottonwood Village, 201 E Mingus Ave. Guests are welcome. For more information call Laina Lloyd at 928-300-8638 or Dave Ellison at 634-6540