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How Can a "Blue Mind" Help Us As Communicators?
As a member of Santa Cruz Toastmasters for several years, I would like to invite you to our upcoming open house on June 11th. If you have ever wanted to overcome your fear of public speaking or desired to improve your ability to tell your story in front of an audience, Toastmasters provides a wonderful community to learn and grow. There are many clubs to choose from and each club has it's own personality based on the interests of its members. An interesting topic, we will explore at our Open House is is our commitment to water, the theme of Blue Mind.

So what is a Blue Mind you ask? The phrase originates from studies done by Wallace J. Nichols, Ph.. who authored the book "Blue Mind" and lives in our local community. When MRI brain scans are done red indicates anxiety and blue represents calm. Studies show that are brains transition to blue when we are in and around water. Health metrics such as blood pressure are lowered when people are near or in water.

Nichols has spearheaded the Blue Mind Movement encouraging all of us to steward our water resources well with the wisdom that we depend so heavily on them for our health and happiness.

How can a Blue Mind help us as communicators? Our current club president, Catherine Borrowman, is an environmental services specialist working for the City of San Jose. She has delivered speeches about increasing the use of recycled water, and how planning construction projects sustainably can reduce water contamination in the San Francisco Bay. Catherine will speak at our open house about her stewardship values for water resources, and how living with purpose can improve one's ability to give speeches, communicate clearly, and lead a group. A Blue Mind is a calm, focused mind, flexible with flowing thoughts. Our president-elect, Beth Burroughs Abidi, M.D. will speak about the benefits of mentoring, how this can improve your personal communication skill set.

Several of our club members are passionate about wellness, personal growth and environmental protection. Three club members are avid sailors. We live in an incredible environment: adjacent to the San Lorenzo River, in a majestic redwood forest and most marvelous of all, alongside the Monterey Bay National Sanctuary. When we aren't "sheltering-in-place", we meet each Thursday evening in the Doug Ross meeting room of Cruzio, named in memory of our past president and Cruzio co-working member. Doug helped to build a club that was struggling back up to a thriving club through structured leadership cultivating a safe place for people to grow while establishing accountability and friendship between members. My fondest memories were when he'd arrrive late or just barely on time for a meeting because he'd been out rescuing a whale caught up in fishing net. He was working through the leadership track of Toastmasters and delivered few speeches. The one speech I recall him delivering was one educating us on the harmful impact of plastic to ocean life.

Through Susanville.com, I have actively participated in the #100daysofblue on social media for several years between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Each day sharing with people how being in and around water regularly improves one's health and so does doing good on a regular basis. This year, I plan to use the skills I've gained at Toastmasters to begin interviewing nonprofits who have Blue Mind missions that have a connection to water in their programs.

I hope you will join me at the Santa Cruz Toastmasters open house on June 11th, This is an opportunity for you to visit our club and understand a bit about cultivating Blue Mind awareness while improving personal improving personal communication skills.

Meeting ID: 601 456 7445

https://zoom.us/j/6014567445

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+16699009128,,6014567445# US (San Jose)

Our club's event has been posted on Meetup for District 101 as well as on our club's Facebook page.