Losing Time
“A consolation to non-winners”
And the 2012 Humorous Speech Champion is … ( drum rolls)
It is totally sickening when you expect to win but another name was called. It’s the worst feeling ever. So it is not okay when people say “everybody is a winner”, when in fact there are only two parties after a competition: The league of winners and the litter of losers.
But what does winning and losing mean? – Toastmaster style.
Speech contest is perhaps the climax of every toastmaster’s life span, be it contestants like us even mentors or fan clubbers who avidly join the event. And what better place to showcase toastmasters’ public speaking skills than in organized contests, right?
I first joined Toastmasters speech contest immediately after I joined my Club. Though a newbie at that time, I felt I went through the full cycle of the program after painstakingly advancing from area to division to district level competitions. And do know my secret weapon all the way? — My Basic Speech No. 1. We are talking about genuine beginner’s luck here. It is actually cloud nine being a champion. But victory did not always come easily. The way was paid with constant struggle of self mastery, control, focus, determination and of course a whole lot of courage.
It’s not easy being a contestant. Trust me. The sleepless nights weeks even months before the competition, the anxiety to fail, loss of appetite and most especially the yearning to practice every second of the day were all torture. And on top of those feelings, you still end up a BIG fat loser. So what? Should we mope around and have pity-fight with ourselves? Nah, we’re too old for that. Have you tried bungee jumping, completed an entire roller coaster ride or chased by a hungry shark? I haven’t. But I for one joined speech contests and experience—wise I think they are all comparable. Because in all these things what matters most is experience. And to have an award — that’s just icing on the cake.
Though I lost the district level big time (but hey that’s district level and that’s big time!), somehow I gained lots of insights after. You may agree or not but these are the things I realized:
1. Every contestant is equal: No matter what norm, whether top-level Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) or plain Toastmaster (TM), all underwent the same transition.
2. No person is brave behind the microphone: I’ll tell you secret, even seasoned Toastmasters get nervous before their speeches.
3. The stage is a Toastmaster’s best friend: It is the constant companion for the entire duration of the speech, so EMBRACE IT.
4. Nothing is more fulfilling than meeting objectives as a speaker: A humorist’s trophy is the echo of booming laughter of the audience.
5. Everybody is truly a winner: Winning is important but at the end of the day what matters most is that you exceeded your standards and broke boundaries even on your own.
And though sometimes we may fall short of our expectations and end up losing the competition, always remember:
Losing is not a defeat not until you quit. It is not even a failure if you think you did your best. It’s just sometimes, other people’s stars shine brighter than ours. But it won’t discount the fact that we, as Toastmasters, are also stars — only waiting our perfect time to shine.
So don’t let your fears or self-imposed restrictions weigh you down. If you constantly say to yourselves “I can’t do this”, then you can’t. And if you always convince yourself “I’m not good enough”, then by all means you will never be good enough. Never underestimate your potential. Just be yourself, believe in the power of your dreams and take advantage of all your privileges as a Toastmaster. And this I promise, you will not only be successful but unstoppable.
So far my Toastmaster journey was one wild ride. Two things I learned from competing: Toastmasters Speech contests are addictive and winning is contagious.
I may be joining Toastmasters speech contest again and again. Did I join to compete? — Perhaps. But more than anything else, I took every chance because I have stories to tell. And this is what Toastmaster’s all about.
How about you? Join Toastmasters then be BOLD, BRAVE and BRIGHT to join speech contests. It’s time to show the world the brilliant speaker in you. Your call to greatness starts here and now. So what are you waiting for?
It’s now or never.