Stop worrying, start living! The negative beliefs in yourself that you are uncertain about should not be in question. This very special bonus episode exemplifies the power that going the distance, regardless of the "no" statements that you have received, is important when so many believing in you and do not even know after attending the District 38 Annual Conference in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Visit Our Website: https://speaking-from-the-heart.captivate.fm/

Visit Our Business Website: https://www.yourspeakingvoice.biz

Support The Mission Of The Business! Donate Here: https://speaking-from-the-heart.captivate.fm/support

Intro/Outro By: Michael Dugan, Podcast Host: Voice4Chefs

Welcome to the podcast where relationships, confidence, and

2

determination all converge into

an amazing, heartfelt experience.

3

This is Speaking From The Heart.

4

Joshua: Welcome back to this very special

bonus episode of Speaking from the Heart.

5

Now, if you have been a long time

follower of this show, you know that

6

I normally don't do bonus episodes

ever, and I've only done one before

7

this one has come out today, but I'm

recording this immediately following

8

the Toastmasters District 38 conference

in which I was a workshop presenter

9

on behalf of my business, plus a long

standing Toastmaster for over a decade

10

starting my journey within this district.

11

All I have to say to start out

to really wrap up this episode if

12

you just wanted to stop after this

is simply do not ever give up.

13

Do not ever think that you have squandered

any opportunity, and most importantly,

14

when you think that everything has been

given up in terms of your chances, Don't.

15

Don't ever think that.

16

Keep going forward and

seize that opportunity.

17

I don't even know what to feel because

of the things that have happened to me

18

over the last several days, in which have

been transformative, to say the least.

19

I think it's something of a mix of

not only gratitude, but also feeling

20

humbled, as I've put it to some of

the fellow conference attendees that

21

I've talked to after the conference.

22

Now, for those that have never heard of

Toastmasters, and you fell into Speaking

23

From The Heart before we even started

with the types of guests that we've had,

24

you have to understand that part of this

whole experience of being a Toastmaster

25

is that you're surrounded by not only

people that want to work on themselves,

26

but they want to also see themselves get

better in the long run; in other words,

27

become the best versions of themselves.

28

When I joined this organization over 12

years ago, I would have never told you

29

about the insurmountable opportunities

that I would have been given.

30

Whether that has been helping others to

achieve their dreams, their visions, being

31

able to unlock my own true potential.

32

I was always the one that was sitting

in the back afraid of what I would look

33

like in terms of speaking, being able to

share what was on my heart, but yet at

34

the same time, lacking the confidence, the

integrity, the respect, even the service

35

and excellence, the foundational core

values of what Toastmasters is all about,

36

if it wasn't for the fact that I had some

insurmountable amount of opportunity to

37

work with people that have come before me.

38

They have paved the path forward for

me in order to become what I am today:

39

more accomplished than I have ever

thought; until I got to this conference.

40

All I have to say is that the number of

people that might be listening to this,

41

and especially if you started following

this after this incredible weekend that

42

has just passed, I just want to say

thank you from the bottom of my heart.

43

The number of you that have reached out,

connected with me, and have just walked

44

up to me afterwards and said, "Josh.

45

Thank you for what you've done to be

able to share what you had on your

46

heart, and to be able to have a voice,

and not to give up.", That meant

47

more than you would ever imagine.

48

The chance that I had of a lifetime to

get back on the stage after five years;

49

five years of what I have felt as I had

separated myself from reality, and my

50

true calling as to why I want to keep

going, why I want to keep growing, and

51

why I want to keep doing what I'm doing to

become better than I ever thought before.

52

It's very interesting to easily compare

myself to so many different types

53

of people: those that have been very

successful, those that have been very

54

helpful, those that have been something

of a class of their own, whether you want

55

to look at the professional aspects of

it or not, what I have realized is that

56

some people will never grow up, and that

some people, despite anything that you

57

might do, will never change their mindset

because they've already locked in their

58

final answer, almost as if they were

playing Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,

59

but I'm getting ahead of myself.

60

This weekend was something that I've

been dreading for a very long time,

61

because, to be honest with you, and

what I have not shared on this show,

62

is that this whole concept of Your

Speaking Voice LLC, the reason that I

63

even do this podcast, the very essence

of what this has been all about, was

64

because I lost my voice two years

ago as well, at this very conference.

65

You see..

66

I was not the best version of myself.

67

I lost everything: all the respect, all

the dignity, all the excellence that

68

I would have ever thought possible.

69

I lost it all, and those were

the darkest moments of my life.

70

I challenged some people in which I will

never say their name out of respect to the

71

fact that they don't deserve the dignity

of having their name said on my podcast,

72

which is actually quite ironic, because

we talk about here on this show of the

73

importance of caring, showing respect,

but for some people, that respect and that

74

dignity has to be earned, and that earned

opportunity hasn't come from them yet,

75

so maybe one day, down the road, I will

say their name, but for today, I won't.

76

These people were actually some of the

leaders that were directly involved

77

with the planning of this conference,

and before I get ahead of myself, I

78

must clarify that these people, from

two years ago, I challenged them.

79

They were really disrespecting a lot of

different people, and they were hurting

80

others, and I took my voice that I thought

I had, and I stood up for what was right.

81

I was trying to be the Captain America

that I've always believed that I was,

82

which, for those that have been listening

to this show, you might realize that

83

in one episode I talked about the fact

that I have Captain America's shield,

84

at least a replica of it, hanging behind

my clients every time that they sit

85

down on my couch to have a session,

but, what I have learned from doing

86

this experience, of just learning how

to grow, learning how to foster myself.

87

I was hurting others at the same time.

88

I ran for election of the highest

position in the district, and lost.

89

I was crushed, but I also thought there

was some foul play involved, and two

90

years later, I'm still holding on to some

of those fears, but not in the same way

91

that I was holding on to them before.

92

I had been going through so many

different things at that time, but after

93

I lost, I realized that I needed to do

something that was really important to me.

94

I needed to clamber back my voice.

95

That conference was the reason why, one

month later, I rented an office nearby

96

me, for about $250, started working

on my business, Your Speaking Voice,

97

LLC, and six months later, opened it

up to the whole world for them to be

98

able to get what I lost: my voice.

99

As you know, this is the month in which

I launched my podcast too, so it's been

100

officially one year, and what's ironic is

that my episodes were not going to talk

101

about the one year anniversary of this

podcast, let alone even dive into what

102

it is meant to be a podcast host, because

I think that the episodes before this

103

speak to itself: the clarity, the focus,

the strength, the opportunity in which

104

I've continued to grow even as a podcast

host, and even a business owner ,of a

105

coaching and consulting business that

is striving to change the industry and

106

what it's all about, speaks for itself.

107

In other words, the things in which

the actions that I was doing spoke

108

louder than anything else that I

would ever need to directly confront,

109

let alone even address, but I'll

get back to that in just a moment.

110

Over this weekend, I learned a little

bit more about what kind of impact I've

111

had, and I have to say, for all the

people that came up to me and wondered

112

where I was for so long, I want you

to know, I heard you, loud and clear.

113

Some of you came up to me, at

that conference, after I gave the

114

workshop, which, for those that

were not there, was about leading

115

outside your Toastmasters club.

116

Learning how to grow outside your club,

and take the leadership skills that

117

you've developed, and apply them to the

real world, which I've been able to do

118

myself, by helping others, just like we've

had Brock Waluk, from Next Generation

119

Personal Training, on this show, and I've

even discussed the vast differences that

120

has allowed him and his company to grow,

just because it's been really a privilege

121

and honor to use some of the things

that I have learned to help them keep

122

moving forward, but I digress, because

those special Toastmasters were really

123

the ones that stood up and said to me,

"You had made a difference in my life."

124

"You were the one, so many years

ago, that had changed who I was."

125

"You made such a profound difference in my

life, and I want to thank you, Josh, for

126

what you've done.", and I was completely

broken after hearing those statements.

127

That past version of myself, was really

hurting, and to know that somebody

128

was looking out, knowing that I

really cared about them, I appreciate

129

you, and I hear you, loud and clear.

130

You made such a big difference in

my life, and what it was all about,

131

what it had really helped me to be,

was because of your statements to me.

132

You have restored me.

133

I don't know about many of you that

have gone through life thinking that you

134

have always been a piece of trash, and

you would always think that you did the

135

wrong thing, at the wrong time, and hurt

so many people, but I want you to know

136

that there is always a chance, if you

believe in yourself, which ironically

137

enough, that episode will be coming out

at some point down the road, which I've

138

recorded months in advance, in which I

talk about the importance of just keeping

139

that commitment, because when that

commitment comes up, when someone asks

140

you to step up, you will be consistent

with what your message has been.

141

You will be the best version of yourself,

because you kept working on yourself,

142

even when you thought no one was looking.

143

Of one particular instance, was actually

the fact that one Toastmaster, who

144

I've interacted with almost seven

years ago, changed my life, by calling

145

me out, and telling everybody, over a

hundred people, that I had a profound

146

influence in their life, and that if

it wasn't for me, they wouldn't be

147

half the Toastmaster that they are.

148

It was weird, all these accolades,

all of this happening in one

149

day, and I was overwhelmed.

150

I was humbled by the people that are just

generally caring, but there was one thing

151

that still bothered me more than anything

else is that there were two people, as

152

I mentioned earlier in this episode,

that gave me no respect whatsoever,

153

and they had a direct hand in changing

the course of what this was all about.

154

My head and my heart raced.

155

What could I do?

156

Could I be the better person?

157

Could I confront them?

158

Should I tell them that they were really

hurting me by not acknowledging who I

159

was as a human being, as somebody that

was really trying their very best to

160

be better than they were two years ago?

161

Can they just understand that I

was just being a complete dick

162

back then, because I was hurt?

163

I wanted them to respect me.

164

I wanted to be acknowledged by them,

but then it hit me with all the people

165

that came up, telling me, dozens upon

dozens of them, about how much I gave

166

them information that was needed for

them to help keep moving their progress

167

forward in Toastmasters, and to ignite

a spark in them that otherwise that

168

spark would have been missing if other

people weren't there at that conference

169

like myself, but it got me thinking,

later that day, "What could I do?"

170

These two people; that's

all I was worried about.

171

These two people didn't acknowledge me.

172

What should I do?

173

But then it hit me.

174

It was something that my therapist said

before I came to this conference; of

175

all people, my therapist said this.

176

"You have nothing to prove.

177

Leave them speechless with how

much you really have grown.

178

You owe them nothing.

179

Be the authentic, more mature version of

yourself that has ever graced that stage."

180

Those words, bouncing around like a yo

yo, going back and forth, made me realize

181

that I've already won against those two.

182

Won?

183

It's not even about winning.

184

It was about the fact that I did

learn something about myself.

185

I had, as I mentioned in other episodes,

put my hand on the door of opportunity

186

and I walked through it, and that

meant more than anything else in

187

this world to me to know that I have

the ability to keep moving forward.

188

To keep pushing when I thought that

all was lost, and to know, that

189

above all else, I am capable of

being loved for exactly who I am.

190

Later that evening, I sat at dinner, and

I gotta give a shout out because I even

191

talked to this gentleman who gave me

permission to share his name on this show.

192

Mark Fennell, if you're hearing this, I

want you to know that our conversation,

193

albeit that I won't go into great

detail about what we talked about out

194

of respect of you and I, struck to

the heart of what this is all about,

195

but for my audience that is listening

to this, I want to give you a context

196

of what Mark and I talked about.

197

I shared with him my story of the

last four years of my life, just

198

struggling, finding that identity.

199

Losing my faith.

200

Trying to figure out what was really

important in my life to keep moving

201

forward, to keep finding and grasping

onto something that I thought was my

202

identity through other people, but

then realizing that my identity is not

203

shaped by others, it's shaped by me and

what God has given me, and Mark said

204

something to me that I will never forget.

205

He told me that I've already won,

that I never had to put my faith

206

in anybody else but God himself,

because I've already been loved.

207

I've already been judged.

208

I've already been through the battles that

people go through, that I was something

209

of incredible value, not through other

people's eyes, but through His eyes.

210

On this show, I've always respected the

fact that people come from all shapes and

211

sizes, from various backgrounds, and I've

respected all of them, and I'm sorry if

212

I seem like I'm preaching in this bonus

episode about finding your God, but if

213

there is a God out there, I want him to

know this, and I want you, my listeners,

214

to understand something that's really

important about keeping consistency.

215

Find your calling.

216

Find your calling, because every time

that you are able to work on that

217

calling, every time that you're able

to figure out what is really, truly

218

happening in your life, it all comes

back from the fact that when you

219

give yourself the chance, seize it!

220

Give it your moment of opportunity,

because your hands are all on the door

221

in which I walked through this weekend,

and as every person that has stood in

222

front of me, in front of hundreds of

people, including those two people I

223

mentioned earlier, and have validated

and vindicated me, I want you to know,

224

I heard you, but I appreciate the fact

that mark, of all people, knew that I

225

never had to do that in the first place.

226

I don't know what you might get from

this episode because I feel like I've

227

been rambling this whole entire time,

which is why it's a bonus episode.

228

It's not something I've never even planned

to even talk about, and for me to record

229

this literally the day after this has

happened, has so many raw emotions that

230

I think that I will even be looking

back at this, and I hope others will

231

be looking back at this and say, "Wow!

232

There was a presence.

233

There was an opportunity", and I want to

keep walking towards those opportunities.

234

I want to keep growing and learning,

and I've got to give myself the

235

chance to seize in order to be

able to accomplish what I really

236

have set out to do in my life.

237

Maybe that's what I'm trying to share

with you all today, but regardless

238

of whether you've been said no

yesterday, two days ago, two months

239

ago, two years ago, it doesn't matter.

240

What really matters is, are you

willing to put aside all that pain, all

241

those issues that have ever happened?

242

Are you willing to give yourself the

opportunity of a lifetime just by saying

243

to yourself, "Yes!", instead of, "No?"

244

Are you willing to find your voice,

as our incoming district director,

245

Christopher Hulse, the very first

guest on my podcast has even said.

246

Are you going to give

yourself that voice to find.

247

Even if you don't know what it

means to find your voice, I'm

248

going to give you a secret.

249

A secret in which you might never even

realize that you truly potentially

250

had deep inside of you, and it's this.

251

If you ever thought in a million years

that you're not worthy, that you're not

252

loved, and that you don't have a speaking

voice, you are so wrong, and if I were

253

to be really particularly clear as to

how I really wanted to say it, cover

254

your ears, but you're so fucking wrong.

255

You are so fucking wrong about it,

because if you really wanted to

256

think about how you can create the

best version of yourself, you can

257

lay out the best laid out plans.

258

You can create some of the

best opportunities that we've

259

talked about in this show.

260

You can set the best goals,

the best opportunity in itself

261

to be what you want to be.

262

You can worry about it all you want,

but those negative beliefs about

263

yourself should never, ever, tell you

that you are not worthy, just like

264

it did for me up until May 4th, 2024.

265

Friends, I want to thank all the

people that have ever believed in me,

266

that have ever shown their courage to

tell me that they love me, that I am

267

worthy, that I do have a speaking voice.

268

That it's been impactful for them to hear

this show, to hear what I have to say,

269

not just what I have to say, but what

my guests have had to say: thank you,

270

from the bottom of my heart, because I

never realized in a million years what my

271

value had been until this very weekend.

272

So the real question becomes

for me, where do I go from here?

273

Let me put it to you in the context of

what I've always wanted to do on this

274

show, which is to leave you with a nugget

of wisdom with something that will allow

275

you to grow just as much as I have, and

it's this: what's been holding you back

276

from being the best version of yourself,

person, place, or thing that will allow

277

you to realize your true potential?

278

As one of my clients has

put it, you have the choice.

279

Whether you decide to walk on one

side of the street or the other

280

street is totally up to you.

281

You're not wrong on either side of that

street, but I will say that if you walk

282

on that wrong side, you may be missing

some of the things in your life that

283

you never thought you could ever have.

284

You are always welcome to reach

out to me if you need that friend.

285

It doesn't have to be a

coaching relationship.

286

It doesn't have to be some sort of

transaction in the business world.

287

What it does have to be, though,

is something that you will realize

288

deep inside yourself, after we

talk, and that you carry forward

289

for the rest of your life, to help

others find that chance to seize.

290

I know that you have what it takes, and

as much as I keep on breaking down in

291

this show, I want this to be a record, of

all records, in one year after starting

292

this show, and starting my business

almost two years ago now, that you will

293

have the fire that will light the world,

and all it takes is to just inspire

294

others where you think you might not

be inspiring, because trust me on this.

295

I've seen it first hand now after this

past weekend, that you have what it takes.

296

Find the courage to help someone today,

especially if they're feeling like

297

they're drug down, because you don't

know what kind of impact you will

298

have on them, and I will tell you,

that the reward on the other side,

299

isn't just about what is being said.

300

It's what's coming from, which I hope,

is your human heart, and whether you

301

want to say that it's not worth it,

and whether it's really the effort

302

that you need to put into, that really

makes this all happen in the first

303

place, let me give you some perspective.

304

It's taken me over 740 days to

finally overcome what I have

305

been holding on for so long.

306

You can do it in two years or less.

307

You can do it tomorrow.

308

You can nip this in the

butt, whatever it might be.

309

Whatever it might be

that's holding you back.

310

I want you to know, though,

that you will be loved.

311

You will be respected.

312

You will never have to sit

in those negative thoughts

313

again, because you are a human.

314

You have all the potential, and

I know you are capable, just as

315

I am, to speak from the heart.

316

Thanks for listening to this very

emotional, but yet very important, bonus

317

episode of Speaking from the Heart, and I

will say to you, as I always say, that I

318

look forward to hearing from your heart,

your passionate, loving heart, very soon.

319

Outro: Thanks for listening.

320

For more information about our podcast

and future shows, search for Speaking From

321

The Heart to subscribe and be notified

wherever you listen to your podcasts.

322

Visit us at www.yourspeakingvoice.biz

for more information about potential

323

services that can help you create

the best version of yourself.

324

See you next time.