A Pathways Ambassador, revitalized?

Most of you following me, know that I am a Pathways Ambassador. Have been REP Ambassador from the day it was officially created, more then 2 years ago. 

Month after month, waited to know more about it, more then just the Education and Leadership Track, will be merging - again. That for itself for me was a major selling point. And also that we will be access it through Web. I tried to tell about it, a little and most I ended up telling about Smedley and the recent program's first six projects.

Finally, 10 month ago, joining a club in Virginia, I begun my Pathways journey!

From then on, I never looked back or really asked myself "what it is in it for me?" And never stopped asking, till now, "what I get from it"? "If I take this role, if I pay that price, if I spend so much time" as I hear for my taste too much on some discussion forums. 

What do I get from it? I found the answer just before the 1st February club presentation. Pathways, called before revitalized education program, revitalized me. Changed my life. 

Here it is that the Ambassador role asks from us, "In order to get it recognized as a district role". We have to do all this, in plus what we already did:

Communicate with a minimum of eight clubs - I do have ten - at least once each month, for at least three month after the rollout. At least once a month with 10 clubs, how? 

In December and January, I emailed them, and called some on phone. At the time, trying not to replace the Pathways Guide role. He was to negotiate in fact the date of our visit to explain Pathways launch details. This month, I will visit them, so far three done, seven to come in the next two weeks. 

In March, they will need a visit or a communication around 20 when it is supposed to launch here. As I heard from those already launched, "after" they will need even more information. The Pathways Guide gives them by a total of 15 Virtual Support Sessions, gathering all from different clubs together. But it seems, we have to do it club by club? 

Verification? A copy of my presentation in each club? I could record it, as I never give what I write down, and when I write it whole, then write again part and outline only. Will our Chief Ambassador read 25 ambassadors, each 40-50 presentation? or 60 for me? So much more then 15 which already seems a lot for the Guides. 

How many clubs can I visit? How many times, after February, after the launch? In fact, I should also keep in contact through Virtual Support, through Zoom. It is not enough on one hand, and it is taking out something from the Guides roles. A bit confusing.

A copy of emails, I save. Send it one by one or have it available all together? Perhaps, the date is enough, as some wrote on the Pathways Presentation Forum. 

A screenshot in social media? Like this one? "Keep them aware of the news and what is happening in Pathways." 

Here comes for me the great question. What is considered "Social Media post"? 

For me, a blog post is already Social Media, as much as Linkedin or Facebook or youTube. That would make it only "at least once a month" not 10 times! Would it? Of course, I do write 30 times a month and could publish every day, even if it gets boring pushing it on my page instead of waiting for all of you to come to me.

But how do I keep contact specially with "my clubs" and not "all the world" through Social media? Should I be specific to each club, or "just" invite all of them to come and read? 

Going to them is so different from letting them come! 

Personally, my Ambassador role is not so much to get a "district role recognition" even if it is also important this time for me, as I do want to get a Pathways DTM, but more. A lot more. The clubs, the District, the online clubs, and all their members, will need help, as I did need and a few I helped at their beginning. They will also need a strategy to really begin. Once inside, usually you get going, pleasure arrives. Realization, of all that is there for you. All is how to get them to that point. 

One of my three guides told me "you just have to make them enthusiast  and I as Guide explain the rest". That "just" hurt, even if the role as described is not so easy as it sounds. I looked, and the REP Ambassador role, as it is still in TMI, is not at all till June 2018 or three month after launch, depending when it arrives in each region, but till 2100! 

What it is for me? It can be also for me to oblige me to get out of the house more often. The pleasure to meet more people, speak with toastmasters, help more. I can and will organize Pathways Workshops in my Area, inviting others to come, or offer a Workshop Online and invite participation. Active participation. Feeling and getting even more "revitalized" then before. 

Each time, in my life, I found - at long last some times - something to be passionate about. Learning, love, children, and so on. Last years, discovery of Personal Computers, of Hypercard and Applescript, of Postscript and HTML, then the joy of writing and learning about writing. Blogging and photographing. Rediscovering Toastmasters, Telling stories in Public settings, Standup Comedy, making laugh and creating Workshops, creating online club specialized in Storytelling. Lately, Pathways, and all I read for and around it. 

At Zaldy Emperor Online meeting yesterday, she talked about finding her passions. A husband, a work she loves and getting addicted to stage. The feedback was "speak about one of your passions" Why not about all three? Some try to put us in a box. We can have more then a passion, and present ourselves as having... at three. More in 5 minutes is too much indeed, but three ! do remember well and what she told us remains with me.

Perhaps, I am also addicted to stage like her? Even if I also love to speak nowadays through Zoom that lets me meet people like her or others from all over the world! I have new ideas and that makes me feel so alive! I indeed fell "revitalized" by my paths.

Badges earned, badges received

Yesterday, I should have finished showing the Level recognition badges. We decided with Samir to pass him the presentation after I show the badges on screen. 

I forgot. 

Instead, I finished my part of presentation on Pathways speaking about different kind of Evaluations and how they can be send. Here are the badges. These badges are mine from end January 2018. Notice a discrete number: how many times.

Each time we pass another level 2 for example, the number increases. I got 5 Level 2 but only 4 level three and four. There is no Level 5 here: instead, you get a Proficient badge. I got three of those, even if for the moment, only two are declared on club central. The third, awaits we launch in London, UK, all region 11, then I will ask my VPE from my base club to use it for our club.

I got two other budges from my fellow club members. The first one, 5 month ago, "Collaborative" (after I helped him with a problem) and another last month "Inspirational" (after a speech I delivered about my online club's pathways journey). I did not send yet to anyone, an appreciative badge: I believe it would be the time to do so! 

When I got my second "Proficient" signaling the end of my path achieved, I copied them both, pasted them together with Adobe Photoshop Elements, and copied them to my signature. Very proud of them. 

After a while, I decided, it is not worth to brag, and it is not in me to do so. Besides, a picture is heavy on a mail-box. So, I took them out. Now, my badges exist only in my e-portofoliio and in this blog. 

The projects behind any level each time are my gain, I never do it to get an award or one more tick higher number near a level! 

My real joy are when I read on Facebook a note like this:

or this:

Or, this one bellow from my Mentor who at the beginning wrote me "blogs are past" recommending it now on a Facebook forum as an useful resource to read.

When I discover notes like the three in this post in a notification from a forum I follow, suddenly it seems that the effort, and pleasure of pathways and projects discovery and writing this blog day after day is really recompensed! 

When I get a picture of a Level earned with "thank you Julie!" from those I once or a few times helped. 

It is great to be able to help each other!

Storytelling Creates Connections | TEDX Doug Lipman...

5 years ago, his book was already for a while on my book-self, together with the Power of Personal Storytelling by Jack Maguire, the Improving your storytelling by Doug Lipman where my two preferred books about how to create, embed and tell good stories.

At that time, I have just finished my DTM and my HPL was a 7 month long Personal Storytelling Workshop in my Area. Going from club to club and involving many. It did create connections!

Beside, getting many Toastmasters on stage in 2013, and giving them courage: many visitors joined, just to be able to follow our Storytelling monthly Workshops.

What storytelling can teach us about creating connections?

Storytelling, is "just" one of the Elective projects of Level 3 for now, (of course, in my first path the first I did chose) but I hope, in the future we will have a whole Path dedicated to it. We dedicated a whole Path to storytelling, me and Paul White in parallel, with Storytelling Toastmasters Festival at it's end. Onsite, from Virginia, online, from my Witty Storytellers Online club we told stories, one after other. It did create connection and also interest to online community.

Doug Lipman, Master Storyteller, have been telling stories and coaching for many years. He also wrote books about both. His book, I have had on my self for many years. Also, got to one of his online classes perhaps 7 year ago. Doug come to our Witty Storytellers Online club last year, and delivered a wonderful workshop, free. Alas it was not well recorded then by me. We were using then GoToMeeting, not Zoom where recording video is a click. But Doug's workshop remained in our heart. All who attended it, would never forget it. 

This TEDx speech, Doug was prepared together with many listener's reactions, I was one of them. He did listen to all, and added back or modified and then told it again. And again. To arrive to this masterful presentation.

I believe in his method of telling many times our stories,  'letting it grow'. And even more important, or as important is not to tell all but let each add to it. Thirdly, when telling, be in the moment, and let yourself feel the emotion, express it, let yourself be vulnerable - to create a real connection.

True also for blog writing: I let myself be vulnerable, believing that it will connect us better, faster. And try to write, as much as possible, "in the moment".