"You're such a confident speaker."

I hear this compliment often after presentations, discussions, or even casual conversations. It's always said with a smile, sometimes with a tone of surprise, and occasionally with a hint of envy. But while people see the ease in my words today, what most people don't see is what came before the confidence: the shaking hands, the rushed sentences, the blank stares when I forgot my words.

Because the truth is, confidence isn't something I was born with. It's something I built. And it started growing the moment I picked up my metaphorical watering can and began tending to it, speech by speech, mistake by mistake, and smile by smile. And that watering can, for me, was Toastmasters.

In Nepal, where public speaking isn't typically emphasized in our education system, and most of us grow up avoiding the stage, terrified of "What will people think?" spaces like Toastmasters Clubs are more than just platforms for speeches, they are quiet revolutions in communication. They help people of all ages and backgrounds, from nervous college students to seasoned professionals, find their voice. And once you find your voice, you find your power.

When I first walked into a Toastmasters meeting, I didn't know what to expect. But I surely wasn't looking for applause or accolades. I just wanted to be able to stand in a room and speak without my heart racing. But week after week, I practiced. I received feedback, not to tear me down, but to build me up. I watched others grow beside me, and together we became a circle of shared courage.There was a neatly set agenda, a Toastmaster of the Day, and people with roles I had never heard of like, Grammarian, Timer, Ah-Counter. It felt formal, even intimidating. But when the meeting began, I realized something beautiful: this was a room of people, just like me, working to become a little better than they were the week before.

Slowly, week after week, as I kept coming back and taking on roles, giving speeches, and receiving evaluations, I became more comfortable with being uncomfortable. I learned that nerves were natural, that forgetting a line wasn't the end of the world, and that every speaker, no matter how seasoned, had once been a beginner. Toastmasters teaches you to fail safely and that's where real confidence is born.

Toastmasters has given me more than just public speaking skills. It's given me a community. It's easy to feel alone in your ambitions, especially in a fast-paced, hyper-competitive world. But Toastmasters connects you to people who are also investing in themselves. I've met professionals, students, entrepreneurs, civil servants, people from all walks of life, united by a common goal: self-growth. Through meetings, contests, and conferences, my network expanded beyond what I could've imagined. Not only did I learn how to communicate clearly, I learned how to listen to stories of struggle, success, humor, and heartbreak. Some of these connections have turned into mentorships, friendships, and collaborations that I deeply value today.

In Nepal, clubs like Tourism Toastmasters, Kathmandu Toastmasters, and many others are more than just places to "practice speaking." They are incubators of leadership, confidence, and character. They are safe spaces where people cheer for you, even when your voice shakes. So yes today, I speak with confidence. I lead meetings. I speak on panels. I take the stage without trembling. But this didn't happen overnight. It happened because I made a choice to invest in myself, to show up when it was scary, and to keep watering the grass beneath my feet.

The confidence people see in me today is not natural. It's nurtured. It's rehearsed. It's built one speech, one table topic, one evaluation at a time. So to anyone who feels like they're not "a natural speaker", neither was I. But I started watering my grass and you can too.

Because the grass isn't greener on the other side. It's greener where you water it.