Yow Kia

This project was the last project from my competent communicator manual. I was awarded as a Competent Communicator after presented this speech. It’s a 8-10 minutes speech. Also, this speech got me the best speaker award for that night.

The objectives of the project are:
1) To inspire the audience by appealing to noble motives and challenging the audience to achieve a higher levl of beliefs or achievement.
2) Appeal to the audience’s needs and emotions, using stories, anecdotes and quotes to add drama.
3) Avoid using notes.

I invited a very experienced Toastmasters from Bradell Height Advanced TMC, called Mr. Gea Ban Peng (DTM) to evaluate my project.

His comments on my speech are shown as below:
1) To tell only 3 stories instead of 5 stories and give more depth.
2) Tell audience things to make them cry – my dad’s story.
3) Fill audience’s heart with hopes and possibilities.
4) Give audience a greater sense of urgency.
5) A good use of personal stories to relate difficulties, fears and prospect.

Speech Transcript
May I have a show of hand, who has a dream? Perhaps, I should first define what the dream means. It’s not the kind of dream that you have while sleeping, it’s not the nightmare kind of dream, it’s definitely not a day dream… It’s an ambition, it’s a goal, it’s a vision. Again, who has a dream? Next, who is on his track now in chasing his dream? Well, I can see the number of hand is getting fewer. Why? Perhaps, you should ask yourself whether you are purely a dreamer or an action taker?

Good evening Toastmasters of the evening, fellow toastmasters and distinguished guests.
I still remember in my first project, I was talking about my dreams. Today, the tenth project, I will still be talking about my dream….again, my dream to be a successful entrepreneur. I understand that in order to achieve this dream, I need to master the skills of communication and leadership. That’s the reason why I’m here.

First of all, a little background of myself. English is not my first language. I was Chinese-educated since young up to high school in Malaysia. In year 2000, I came to this lovely Singapore to pursue my studies in Nanyang Technological University. I had a worry during that time as my English was not so good. Then, I remembered an opening speech from The President of my university, he said, “ Dream whatever you wish to be, fight all the way to achieve your dream, you can do it!” I was a trumpeter in my university symphonic band during that time, and I dreamed to be the president of the band. However, that dream didn’t exist… I had no courage at all. I just couldn’t express myself well in English.

One day, there’s an exchange student from England, asking me what is the time now. I was struggling, ten..ten..one…five. That’s horrible! I couldn’t even tell a time fluently. It was ten fifteen a.m. I was so embarrassed. I totally didn’t enjoy that kind of feeling, I wanted to speak up but I had fear in speaking English. As years passed, I had got used to the life of just being a quiet normal person. My mindset had labeled myself as a bad communicator. My dream of becoming a president had disappeared since then…

Ladies and gentlemen, have you ever encountered this kind of situation? You had big dreams! However, the dream was getting smaller and smaller as more and more obstacles that you’ve met. Until one day, the dream just disappeared silently…

After I graduated from university, a tremendous tragedy happened in my family. My dad was seriously ill. He was suffering low-platelet syndrome, which means, if there is any cut on his skin, his blood will non-stop bleeding. However, he didn’t stop working immediately. My family advised him to stop working as this was too dangerous for him. Then he told us, he has a dream. His dream is to give us a comfortable life. He thought, by working hard, earning a lot of money, our life will become better. Actually, we all can already take care of ourselves. We explained to him, and persuaded him to stop working. He did, but he was living in a worried and unhappy life. He was afraid that he couldn’t witness our success in our career. There is no cure for his illness, the only thing that the doctor advised us to do is to keep him stays happily! Happiness could help to improve his condition.

Then, I recalled my dream… To be a successful entrepreneur. I want to make my dad being proud of me.

By chance, I was invited to a Toastmasters Club where I believed I could improve my communication skills. However, it took me weeks to decide whether to join the Club. I was worried too much with the questions start with “What if”. What if I couldn’t deliver my speech well? What if people laughed at my speech? After joining the Toastmasters Club, I have discovered one formula that pushes me to achieve whatever that I have fear to do. That formula is by telling myself “IT CAN BE DONE!” All in all, the main drive is still from the Toastmasters club. The environment and people here are so positive that I was influenced to be positive as well. This is a place where nobody will laugh at your mistake but laugh at your humour. This is a place where you can gain encouragement from fellow toastmasters. This is a place where you can excel and gain confidence.

Last year, I was given a chance to be the Vice President of Education. I hesitated for a few weeks and finally I decided to take up this position. I can’t let my language barrier to take control of my life like I was in University. I remembered I was once approached to be the conductor of the University band, but I rejected. Vice President of Education, I will remember for life that this is the first exco that I joined which required me to speak English. Throughout this one year, I have improved a lot by organizing chapter meetings and networking with fellow toastmasters.

When you have conquered the first fear, other opportunities will just come to you automatically. Last term, I took up another challenge to take part in Humorous speech contest. To speak English was my first barrier before I joined Toastmasters Club, and now, I have to tell jokes in English. Could you imagine a Chinese-spoken guy, like me telling jokes in English? Perhaps it is a joke itself for a Chinese-spoken guy telling jokes in English, I got 2nd runner-up in area Z2. It was a huge courage to me and my confident level has shot up! However, when I compared my speech with those champion speeches, there is still a huge distance. But, I strongly believe that if I keep on practising, the distance will only get shorter and shorter.

Then, I asked myself, am I totally no fear to any other thing else? No.. I’m just a normal person like you. I still have fear in certain things like giving impromptu speech and giving evaluation. I will start conquering these fears in this new term. I have taken a step out to start visiting other club to give evaluation, to join an Advanced Club and I have even taken a bigger challenge to lead The Frontier Toastmasters Club as a president.

I know all these things will not be a reality for today if I didn’t take the first step. The first step was so heavy that I took years to conquer. Throughout this whole journey, I have discovered one thing “an expert was not an expert when he was born”. The obstacles that we faced are just part of our learning process. Get rid of all the negative thoughts, like I have no talent at all, I have fear, I am not born like an expert… You have to open your mind, to believe that you will surely be an expert in the future.

Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sure that you have something in mind that you really wish to achieve, but always procrastinate to take action. You have been giving yourself too much excuse for not fulfilling your dream. I really don’t wish to have a day that you feel regret for not taking the first step and let this regret follows you forever. No matter how difficult your journey is, take it as a learning process. I believe you can conquer every obstacle that comes to you.

Do you still remember how many falls that you’ve gone through in order to start walking steadily?
Do you still remember how many big dreams that you’ve given up?

Whenever you get stuck in a learning process and plan to give up, tell yourself, an expert was not an expert when he was born. YOU can be an expert too.
Whenever you face obstacles, tell yourself, it can be done. Everything can be done.

Believe in yourself… Chase for your dreams. Chase, Chase, chase……Follow your dreams, for as you dream you shall become!