Stage Time: What Will You Do With It?

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What Will You Do With It?

by Darren LaCroix
2001 World Champion of Public Speaking

Last week I was flying Southwest Airlines on my way to speak at a conference in Columbus, OH. The flight attendant handed out a flyer about our pilot. This was to be his last flight before "regulations" forced him to retire at midnight that night. Within moments, fire trucks approached our terminal and began squirting a rainbow of colored water onto our plane in celebration for him. We were asked to stand and applaud as the pilot came from the cockpit. It was quite an emotional scene, especially for those close to him. Everyone was smiling along with shedding some tears.

I could hear people about the plane murmuring. "It's too bad he's forced to retire." Others said, "Well, now he's got more time for golf." People wondered, is it bad thing? To no longer be doing what he loves for a living? Is it a good thing? Now, he can slow down and take it easy. He has so much experience, so much value, and a new chapter in his life about to begin. I thought: What's he going to do with it?

Anyone who has given many presentations knows that there will be great connections, and horrible experiences. It is inevitable. Even the best speakers still bomb. It has been said by many in the industry, it is not a matter of "if" you will bomb; it is a matter of when.

Since I coach and give e-Critiques to many competitive speakers in the Toastmasters International Speech contest, this is the time of year when I get e-mails and phone calls from around the world. Some say, "I won, and I'm moving to the next level!" Others say, "I came in second." or "I did not even place in the contest, but people told me I should have won." My response to all of them is this: "What are you going to do about it?"

If they did win, I say congratulations! That's great! But, I also ask: What did you learn from the process? Did you truly understand what you did right? Do you understand how to apply that knowledge to the next speech, and to any professional speeches you might have? As a winner, you will now have the privilege of another audience. But as the trophy gets bigger, will you let it get between you and your audience?

Or maybe they came in second. Some tell me, "Maybe I will compete next year." Next year? What are you going to do with it next week? A contest is only one moment in time. It does not define you. A speech that goes poorly is only one moment in time. It does not define you.

Did you know that some people who made it to the finals and did not win now have bigger professional careers than some of the winners? Even winning does not define you. It is what you do with what you learned.

Heather Racano, one of our Champions' EDGE members, has the perfect mindset. She left me a message about her disappointing second place. She was obviously a little bummed about her placement, but what she said next impressed me. She said that Craig Valentine, the 1999 World Champion, was in the audience when she spoke. She told me she was going to send him the speech and get an e-critique on it to make it better for when she used it in her professional presentations.

Recently, as I was coming home from another speech for a Disaster Preparedness Group of amazing people, I, rather ironically, stumbled upon a quote from Will Rogers that I just love. (It is close to my heart.)

"Live your life so that whenever you lose, you are ahead. That's all there is to success is satisfaction." -Will Rogers, Memorial Claremore, OK

Whether it is retirement, a win, a loss, a great presentation, or a bad one, the question I have for you is this: What will you do with it?

Stage time, Stage time, Stage time,

Darren LaCroix

Darren LaCroix
2001 World Champion of Public Speaking

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