Contest chair, fellow toastmasters,
Keep Fighting, the title is such chicken blood, but today, I’m going to tell you a sad story. The story began with my first speech contest. It was my company’s speech contest. I did join but I was out in the first round video selection. Then I joined Toastmasters. With my mentor’s persuasion I attended my first mandarin humorous speech contest. I forgot my script on the stage for two minutes. That wasn’t humorous! At that awkward moment, I lost face. Then I competed in this spring contest with my topic “try again”. This time I got the 2ndplace but only two contestants were qualified.
Why do I join speech contest and make my life so sad? Someone told me one speech in contest is worth10 prepared speeches in regular meetings. I believe it’s a good deal so I told myself to participate in every speech contest in Toastmasters.
Several weeks ago, I was searching hard for a speech topic. I started with some championship videos. I got some secret tips, contestant with a strong accent, win; contestant looks funny, win; contestant with extremely small eyes, win, what’s more, contestant who is not ready, win. I looked at myself in the mirror. I don’t have a strong accent, I lost my Fujian accent by figuring out “fen hong feng huang fei” inhalf a year after coming to shanghai! I don’t look funny, I look serious! My eyes are small, but not small enough to win the championship. Finally I found one thing in common with the champion: I’m not ready. I was so energized to prepare my speech.
A small voice came out, how about if I fail again? Am I really not afraid of losing face? You know, I am. A strong voice coming out from a toastmaster:” We toastmasters have no face, keep fighting!” This is very true! I have been in Toastmaster for more than one year. Time flew, I didn’t improve a lot and I continued to forget my words on the stage but I didn’t feel awkward anymore, because I have no face? Because all of you! Because I know whenever I forget my words the audience will clap. This stage is created to be encouraging, and you don’t pay me so it’s fine. You know what, the stage is not only for the best performers to show off, but also for the worst performers to improve. If you are the best, people admire you with “wow”, but if you are the worst, you encourage all people in the room, that’s leadership! I could become a champion or a leader! I have nothing to lose because I’ve already lost my face! This makes me very comfortable to come even with tears.
To fail or not to fail, it’s not an option! I could never change my past failure. But to fight or not to fight, it’s my choice! I don’t want to live with the image of failure in this stage, so I keep trying.
Fellow toastmasters and distinguished guests, are you afraid of this stage? I was but now I start to love it. This is the stage letting me lose face and teaching me how to become no face. This is the stage to uncover my leadership. Even though I would fail again but one thing I’m pretty sure I can do better this time than last time. This belief has been passed to my son. When he came back home with 70 scores in Chinese exam, I told him, son, you have huge potential in Chinese! When he came back with 90, I told him, son, you still have potential!
Fail twice in college entrance exam, he is Ma Yun. Fail a thousand times in light bulb invention, he is Edison. If I could eventually become a good speaker, the piece of forgetting script, losing contest, would turn into the most inspiring part of my story. Fellow toastmasters and distinguished guess, for any direction you are heading for, never get stuck in any failure, step out, and keep fighting without the fear of failure.
Keep fighting for a better yourself, keep fighting for a better life! Life has no failure. Together with me, keep fighting!
Fail or Fight?
What do you think the difference between always fight always fail and always fail always fight? The facts are the same but the attitude is different.
Always fight always fail and always fail always fight, what’s the difference? The facts are the same but the attitude is different. After I continue three cycles, things change. I get used to failure.
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