Sunday, July 19, 2009

Project 8 Speech - Wisdom, Wisdom Everywhere

”Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink. " These are the famous lines of Samuel Coleridge. However today's speech is not about drinking water scarcity. It is about acquiring wisdom.
Water is a basic necessity for your survival. It adds to years to your life.
Wisdom is the next level of necessity. It will add life to your years.
You can acquire wisdom from your teachers, friends, enemies, parents, strangers, animals. Almost from anybody.
You just need to be open enough to receive it.
But don't think only living things can teach you something. You can find your Gurus even in common day-to-day things.
One such lesson I learnt from thus LCD projector. I have seen it giving technical problems to the speakers. So I decided not to give a power point presentation.
I have brought my props. So let's get started

<Here I took out a currency note and asked one of the Toastmasters in the audience>
This is a thousand -rupee currency note. Suppose I say I will give it to you. Will you take it? Yes you will.
What if I fold it and give it to you? Will you still take it? Yes you will.
What if crumple it and throw it in a dustbin? Will you still take it? Yes you will.
It doesn't matter what I do to this money. It is still a thousand- rupee currency note. It still has its value.
Similarly so often in your lives, you will be crumpled, trampled, ill-treated, insulted, and yet, despite all that you will be still worth the same. Don't let such things lower your self-esteem. Hold yourself high!
Having held your self-esteem you need to be live in peace with the world. And to live in peace with the world, what better object can there to teach you that be other than this humble pencil.

This pencil can write many correct answers, write interesting stories, and draw beautiful pictures. But can it do it all alone? No, it needs a hand to write.
Similarly you will be doing great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding you. We call that hand God or a Supreme Power and for those who do not believe in God your own consciousness that always guides us.
Now and then, the pencil becomes blunt and can't write properly. So you must stop writing and sharpen it.
This makes the pencil suffer a little, but then, it becomes capable of writing again. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains, sorrows and setbacks, because they will make you a better person.

What if you make a mistake while writing?
The pencil will always allow you to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes and correct it. This means you must be open to accept your mistakes and correct them.
Snack break is still some time away. But let us learn something from a very common foodstuff.

Bananas! Believe me Bananas can teach you the meaning of life.
I have three of them here - A Rotten one, A Raw one and a Ripe one.

Rotten banana - Its life is gone. It is past. You did not utilize to the full. Now it is now too late!

Raw banana – This is the future. It is not ready yet. To do certain things you need to wait till the moment is right.Learn to be patient where you need to be. They say "Sabr ka fal meetha hota hai". If you are patient, the results will be sweet.

And the Ripe Banana? This is the present moment. Make the best use of it. Just learn how to gobble it up without fear or guilt.

So friends don’t you agree that there is a profound wisdom underlying common objects.
"Wisdom, Wisdom, everywhere,
In everything under the sun;
Wisdom, wisdom, everywhere,
You just need to seek and learn. "
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Date delivered: July 18 2009
Objectives:
  • Select visual aids that are appropriate for your message and the audience
  • Use visual aids correctly with ease and confidence
Time: Five to Seven minutes

Comment:
This speech is based on several short pieces of writings by Paulo Coelho in the book "Like the Flowing River". I have posted a review of this book in my other blog "Bookworm Reads". It is really a very good read.

The thousand-rupee currency note part was based on the article -
Who Would Like this Twenty-Dollar Bill ?
The pencil part was based on - The Story of the Pencil
The banana part was based on - Rome:Isabella returns from Nepal

]





1 comment:

  1. 100/100 u just talked about my problem and i am following it but i am still waiting and trying to be patient and i am going now to eat a banana "SA7TEN"

    ReplyDelete