Welcome to SpeakUP! with Rita Burke and Elton brown.
Rita Burke:Good evening to you. Marley, who is our guest and to Elton who's co-host of speaker. Good evening today, I introduce Marleye Monifiston, who is an advisor, a trained lawyer and an entrepreneur. She currently works as a senior policy and program advisor in the French language, teaching, learning, and achievement division of the ministry of education. Marley's gonna be talking with us about a number of things that are dear to her heart, but I wanna begin, by reading Marley's quotation that she sent to us. Her quote says, let your faith be bigger than your fears. Let your faith be bigger than your fears. Marley, explain to us what that means for you what that quote means for you, please.
Marlye Monifiston:That's a very good question, Rita. What it means to me is that we all have fears. Do. And we can really choose to let them stop us from doing what we want to do in life or we can go and search for something. Deeper into us. Our faith that that we are here to achieve and to go beyond ourselves, to develop ourselves and rally on that, to go and achieve what we want to do in life. So I always actually have. This little sign on my door, right there as a reminder that my faith should always be bigger than my fears.
Rita Burke:That is a very profound quote I would say. and my question to you then Marty is when did you begin to realize that was important? Your faith?
Marlye Monifiston:That's a good question. as well. you have good questions. In fact when did I realize that it was going to, that it was more important to me? When you look at what's happening in the self-help movement, as we know it today, and there are there. When you go to a library or do a bookstore, you will find a whole section about self-help books and a lot of them will tell you, should have faith in yourself. You should have faith in yourself. While I think these authors are very well intentioned, when they say that. I think that our faith needs to be in something that is beyond ourself that is bigger than ourself and if I had to pinpoint when. I've realized that it was important to me, I would say probably about seven years ago when I faced, when I was faced with a situation that was bigger than me and that I couldn't see how to resolve on my own. and that I had to believe in something larger than me. Yes. Yes. And in this particular case, for me, it was God to be able to go through the challenge that I was faced with. The situation itself was very scary. And knowing that I could fix my eyes on something or rather someone larger and me, and then my fears was quite comforting.
Elton Brown:That is quite interesting Marley you just talk. One level of belief, which is the belief in God who see and know all things. And then we also have different levels of belief or different perspectives that fall under always under God in terms of belief. So what do you see. Yourself doing next year. Have you seen something that's out there that's maybe bigger than you, but you believe in yourself that you are going to be able to do that maybe with the help of God?
Marlye Monifiston:Sound as if I'm bragging, but I've always had the sense
Rita Burke:that my life
Marlye Monifiston:was not going to be ordinary. And that I was here on this planet, on, in this world that this period of time to do something. That was going to be impactful. So do have goals and there, there are categories of people that I want to positively impact and they. Two, two groups. I will name for the purpose of our conversation here this evening. The first one is women and as there are very often the sole provider of a household in certain countries and young boys. So those are the two groups that I hold dear in my heart. So the projects that I have in mind I won't necessarily describe the projects themselves, but. The type of impact that I want to have on these two groups, the women and the young boys, and particularly the young black boys, I will not be able to accomplish by myself. so I will definitely need God's help or him to direct me to angels on my roof, to be able to accomplish these project projects.
Elton Brown:How do you see Toastmasters helping you obtain these goals? These things that may be a lot larger than you?
Marlye Monifiston:Already Toastmasters allowed me to be here. and having this conversation with you because as some members of my clubs know already I was terrified or of even speaking to people in the public setting, let alone convey a message or talk about an idea in a clear manner without feeling completely overwhelmed. So already at the communication level, I'll be able to explain I'll be able to explain what my project is and also confidence to even approach other individuals that I may not know to be able to share that message. So to communicate the information, but approach the people who may be helpful for me to get there.
Rita Burke:It's interesting, Marlye I like that because I had in mind talking to you about the benefit of Toastmaster and alluded to it to some degree that it's helped you with your confidence and your public greeting. So then tell us when and why did you join Toastmasters in the first place?
Marlye Monifiston:Oh, I gladly tell you I, every time I have a chance to share that story I do share it. I first looked into Toastmasters and I was still in Montreal at the time, and it was not too long after I had a catastrophe event happen in, in university where I was to deliver a presentation to my class and I was terrified of having. 20, 30 pairs of eyes staring at me while I was delivering so much so that I started my presentation for a few seconds, got a complete blank as to what I was supposed to see next started crying right there in front of my classmates, ran out of the class. And did not come back. The teacher the professor knew how terrified I was, but the rule was the same for everybody. And the final exam was a presentation and I was supposed to deliver a presentation. So I did deliver a portion of that presentation for a few seconds and then I decided, no, I cannot let. Hurt me or harm me or Crip cripple me for the rest of my life. And I started looking into learning how to present in public. And I therefore attended my first very first Toastmasters meeting in Montreal at a French language club and I hated the experience. I found that it was too structured that people were not allowed to speak when they wanted. And I, this is not for me. A few years later, I. I moved to Ottawa and in the workplace, we also had access to Toastmasters and employees were encouraged to attend. So I joined the club. Oh, I visited a club first that was delivering both in French and in English. And it was operating in both languages, in fact, so we could choose to give our speeches in the, or do our assignments in the language of our choice and slowly but surely I went, I didn't, I did not necessarily participate and give as many speeches as I should have, but at least I was there and I gained a little bit of confidence. So those were the two first places that I attended Toastmasters. And my, the third club I attended was in Toronto. And I found a French language club that I attended. And it was really fun because they were meeting on Saturday mornings and we were having breakfast together or so it was over meal and, and then I discovered Ebony Toastmasters and I decided to be part of two clubs and eventually with my work environment. I thought that perfecting as French is my first language perfecting my delivery of my communication skills in English would be certainly more more helpful. So I stayed with Ebony and and I also found a family there yeah. So that's how I started with Toastmasters.
Elton Brown:It's a, it's amazing how many individuals go to the first club that they visit and they join. It's very important that individuals in our audience, Toastmasters or not understand that they have the opportunity to go to as many clubs as they want until they find the club that is right for them. It doesn't necessarily have to mean the educational opportunities that maybe offered at a club because it normally boils down to a feeling. What feels good to you? I think is the upmost the most important thing that you have to recognize so that you're able to move up forward, taking on a responsibility with a club that is right for you. I wondered Marley since you were living in Toronto. For, I don't know how many years, but you were here definitely for a while that I do know. And then moving to Ottawa, have you seen any differences between clubs that are in Toronto versus Ottawa? Whether or not you've any clubs in Ottawa or visit any?
Marlye Monifiston:When I moved back to Ottawa, I remained a member of Ebony so even though this was pre pandemic I was probably almost definitely the first remote. Or virtual club member of Ebony. So I still attended Ebony's meeting. I did attend a few other clubs meetings here and. Not very often. Some were downtown Ottawa, so I was able to attend at lunchtime, but it became a bit tricky because of the work schedule. And so it didn't really work as, as well as I wanted to the atmosphere of the club. Is still the same trademark atmosphere that I find in Toastmasters club. It's friendly. It's welcoming. People want to grow. People are often they're there because they. They want to be there. They want to become better at the communication they want to become better at leadership. They want to grow in their work environment. They want to become better leaders in general. So at that same trademark, Pattern atmosphere that I've found in all the clubs in Toronto, I found in the clubs, the two or three clubs I visited here and they were French and English clubs, and some even met. So one was meeting at lunchtime. One was meeting. In the evening. And the one that met in the evening went for coffee after Tim Hortons or a coffee shop somewhere to, to chat. And what was interesting. And it was the same dynamic that I saw in Toronto that it members were varied in age in, in horizons, in career but they were all there because they wanted to improve who they were as communicators and as leaders, so that I saw here as well.
Rita Burke:So what I'm hearing then to Marlye is that there's a kind of branding for Toastmasters so regardless of where you go, many things. are similar, which is a good thing, although we know definitely that clubs take on their own personalities and their own culture.
Marlye Monifiston:Absolutely.
Rita Burke:But my other question to you now is what do you do for leisure? Because I know you're a busy woman, you're a lawyer. You're entrepreneur. You do this, you do that. You're nearly as busy as I am or perhaps busier than I am.
Marlye Monifiston:I don't think I, I don't think I can be as busy as you tell us what you do for leisure.
Rita Burke:I go on Zoom. I attend Zoom meetings for leisure of what we do for leisure.
Marlye Monifiston:Recently I've been doing a lot of that as well, but since in the last two years, I would say that I've rediscovered some hobbies. So one that has always been and has not changed is reading. I love to read I love to learn and I've been doing since I was a kid, when I was hiding as a kid, when my parents came to turn off the lights I found a way to find lights somewhere to continue reading regardless. So reading is definitely. One of the things that I do in my leisure time photography as well. I like nature photography i I like the intricate details that you find in a. In a leaf or in a flower or in, in a bee that is on a flower or the pine nuts that fall on the ground. And you see the little lines and the, I'm fascinated with nature photography. And I also like Activities like physical activities that can help me keep my mind off things because I like to think a lot. So one, one activity that I've, that I discovered a few years ago when I was traveling and that I really enjoyed it. I was in, in Jamaica a few years ago. Was paddle boarding. So I've been able to do this here as well. Otherwise is a wonderful city for people who like outdoor activities and that's throughout the year, even in the middle of the winter at minus 30. So paddle boarding is another activity that I really like. And once. It will, I will feel comfortable enough to go and travel and discover other parts of the world so that I can eat the food in these countries. Then I will do that again.
Elton Brown:Thank you so much Marlye for taking the time out of your busy schedule, to have a conversation with us, for our listeners to get to know you better as an individual and as a scholar and as a Toastmaster, I hope that in the future, we will meet again that in the future, we will have a, yet another conversation with you to find out how are things going with paddle boarding, which seems to be a. A big thing with you. And I can tell you sincerely that you and I could talk for hours about photography because I went to school for that I learned a lot about it. I could anything. Technical with photography. I truly under, I just understand it. And so I, it would be, I could, I would be very comfortable having a conversation even yet another podcast just about photography for that matter.
Marlye Monifiston:That would be delighted too,
Elton Brown:Same here. Thank you again for, and be for the. On behalf of Rita and myself, and I wish you a great evening and we look forward to talking to you soon.
Marlye Monifiston:Thank you. Thank you for having me both of you. Good morning.
Elton Brown:Thank you for listening to SpeakUP! to discover upcoming podcasts. Please go to www. dot Toastmaster 60 six zero dot.com under news and events. Look for the District 60 newsletter to locate the schedule.