Friday, May 15, 2009

District Contest

The mood was sombre. The situation became tense. We waited with abated breath for the District Contest to begin at AIA Changi, a yearly event where the best congregate. The onlooking crowd was almost a hundred strong.

The contest ended on a high note when Guan Hau and Daniel clinched the first runner up award for both categories, missing the first place by the skin of the teeth! Both fought all odds and emerged as the champion from the Area Club Contest to get to where they are today. The top winners get a chance to fly to Hong Kong to compete on an international platform where the cream la cream will vie for the most coveted award in August.

As a saying goes, you reap what you sow. Lots of practice coupled with hard work had to be invested to become the best. This was evident in selection of the winners for the contest. The most senior contestant was again handpicked by the panel of judges to represent Singapore. Clearly, our club winners are still not there yet but they are fast molding themselves to become better by active club visits and participation. To be at the pinnacle of success, it starts from a small seed of desire - a passion to want to do well in public speaking.

Every baby step taken by participating in club contests paves the way for greater success towards the international platform. My random chat with past contestants reaffirms the same point. Without stretching yourself, you will never experience growth.

If there is fear within you that is stopping you from participating, you are not alone. Many have chosen to take the bull by its horns and face the fear. The fear factor can be overcome. For a start, try out table topics and speaking off the cuff! Try taking your first step in a prepared speech and listen out for constructive feedback. The fear of losing face will be pale in comparison to the growth pace you will soon experience. The helpfulness of our toasties will encourage you to do better each time. Begin to uncover the speaking abilities that you already have and learn new ones.

“It does not matter how much time we have, but how we spend it.”

This was the table topic question posed to the contestants. In some sense, it caused me to reflect on my past achievements and review the road ahead if I have limited time. One of the important goals is to experiencing personal growth by going out of my comfort zone. This is an addictive path that I tread on to measure my self worth and accomplishments.

Have you found the source of energy that will spur you on? FRET NOT! The upcoming humorous speech contest in late August will give you a chance to display your wittiness. Organised by yours truly, I sincerely hope you will take up the challenge thrown at you to emerge the winner. Make our club stronger. More importantly, start clocking your achievements to begin the journey of self discovery.

No comments: