So in my excitement to share my Chewbacca dream, I forgot to mention that my Toastmaster Club Competition went extremely well! I did a great job of running the contest... and I WON!!! YAY ME!!! I will now go on to compete in the Area Competition coming up in March. So I thought I would post my speech here and have you guys (meaning the two people that read my blog, Tammy and Stephanie!) help me spruce it up a bit. It's supposed to be an inspirational speech. I think, and was told by some friends, that the ending needs to be a little jazzier. Any help is appreciated!! I just realized that it's kind of in outline form... the three examples I didn't write out on purpose because I want to "read the room" and give examples from the heart. So this may be a pointless pursuit.. but at least you can see some stuff I've been up to :)
Time is Precious
Time is precious.
Just ask someone who has just been diagnosed as terminally ill.
Ask any mother who looks over at her baby, only to realize they are now a man, or woman.
Talk to my Grandma who was married to my Grandpa for 59 years and 4 months and at the end of his life was hoping and wishing for one more day, one more hour with him.
Time is precious.
The time you give to others is even more precious.
Before I moved to Maui my time was way too precious to give to others. Once I moved here I decided that I might just have a few minutes to give, as long as I received something in return. I admit I started out just to meet guys…
I want to tell you about three experiences that changed my mind about volunteering. What I found, when I volunteered my time, was that it was fun. Not only that but it was rewarding.
First trip - Mauka Volunteer Service Trip.
When I told mom she thought I was crazy.
Didn’t like pulling weeds.
Once I got up on that mountain, I fell in love.
It was FUN!!
I didn’t even meet any single guys that day… and I still had FUN!
Second trip – Makai Volunteer Service Trip.
Snorkeling – Picking up trash – Mom thought I was crazy again.
Learned to snorkel, taught by Megan.
Made new friends, learned something else to fall in love with. Had a great day.
Third trip – Habitat for Humanity
Been wanting to do this for years.
I got to hang out with a group of my friends for the afternoon.
I got to work the CHOP SAW!!
I talked with the lady whose house we were building and heard the gratitude and longing in her voice for her own home.
By the end of the day I was totally exhausted and was on cloud 9!
Time is Precious.
But so are the West Maui Mountains. By volunteering, I helped maintain one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen on this earth.
Time is precious.
But so is the Maui coastline, beaches and reefs. By volunteering, even if I helped only one fish, then I did something great.
Time is precious.
But so is the family that I helped. By volunteering, that family that WILL live in a HOME that they OWN because I helped build their dream.
Volunteering can be fun, but even more than that it IS rewarding!
I understand that time is precious. But what you will get back is even more precious than time…. You are giving of yourself and that comes back to you.
Find something that you are a little bit interested in, or something that you are curious about.
Even if you only give one day a month to something or someone, volunteer your time for something you believe in.
Who knows, you might meet some great people, fall in love with a new activity, or just walk away feeling great.
Thank you.
Interested in any thoughts you may have!
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4 comments:
I think its great! It is hard to see how to fix the end without hearing it out loud and how you personnaly present it! Good luck at the big compitition though!!
Hey..I read your blog. Good Speach -Good Luck!
I think by throwing down the 'nobody reads my blog' gauntlet you may find more interested soles (around the world!) than you think :-)
On the speech - I like it!
I think one option you could use to punch up the end is a slight change in direction. I always like the expression "don't give your money...give your time". This, I think, could work well with your general theme and integrate at the end with a challenge to your audience. Challenge them to think about their lives and their charitable giving, and encourage them to demand more from their own initiative. Giving money is good but giving time is better. See the results for yourself...see the impact in others. By giving skills you are giving so much more. Don't give your money and stop there. Give your time and become rich in return.
Hope that helps.
Dougal xxx
Tina....Uncle Danny and I read your blog all the time. To the people that you give your time to, you also give of your soul. You can't put a price on how and what you give; it puts into perspective how precious life is. You have helped people who would have otherwise not have realized their dream, and in doing that, you are the real hero.
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