I have two greatest regrets in my life: The first – I did not tell my Mum that I am sorry and I am extremely proud of her before she passed away. The second – I wasted my golden 10 years of twenties in indulging in my self-worth-less-ness and blaming-everyone-in-the-world except myself.
To be honest, I still do not understand why the members chose me as President of this great Friend-ship. Perhaps, I was driven by these life regrets. When I took over, I set the theme of the year: Grow and Blossom. Now, here is the truth behind this theme. It was a reminder to myself. The real personal meaning behind it is “Alan, Grow up and Blossom to be real man. Make your mother proud. Make back the time you had lost.”
I spend my time on having lofty dreams of being a great investor like Warren Buffett when I was in twenties. I squandered my precious emotional energy dwelling in my past. I throw away my life dissipating into endless hours of video games and complain on Malaysian politics, just to feel better and ‘smarter’. I knew about Toastmasters when I was 25 years old. I attended one of the meeting, and I found it “complete waste of time.”
Because I was in my twenties, and I will be twenties for the rest of my life, I should enjoy life, not working until I forget what it is like to be young. When I was asked then “What do you do?” I wanted to give answers that astound and garner respect. I was supposed to be enviable, established, and impressive. Talk about ego that burgeoned my life horizon.
As I am in my twenties as I speak, I am forced to come face to face with my inadequacies. Having years of working experience and graduating from college is not enough anymore. I supposed to have good jobs, life goals and career that leave my parents proud and earning envious looks from my friends. I supposed to be months, maybe weeks away from making the first million, or at least a name for myself. If only I had a golden spoon in my mouth. There is no need for me to take the bull by the horn. Maybe.
As I am in my twenties as I speak, I find time is our most precious resource. We can learn skills that can propel us to our dream life. We can build network with people that add values to our life. We have fewer responsibilities. We do not have kids coming to us while we are having a conference call at home. We have the freedom to fail fast, fail hard and move forward, faster. When we are in twenties, we are raging with hormone and utopia dreams, that we are bolder and more creative. Precisely because of our youth, we can hustle while young, bet on the wrong horses and learn more than the likes of Uncle Alan Oh, who thought he is the peak of mountain.
As I’m in my twenties, I come to realization making time to invest in ourselves is hard. The money and time we have are competing between immediate vs delayed gratification. We are programed to view our life is full and busy. That programming, led me to think “Toastmasters is a complete waste of time.” That programming led me to think I had a golden spoon in my mouth. That programming leads you to limit your own growth by refusing opportunities to expand your abilities.
I fully realized that I can no longer hustle in my twenties. I wasted my gift. We are in the year of 2021, not 2001. Hustle while young, my friends. I deeply admire our General Evaluator tonight, Shane Chooi, for he is the shining example of hustling while young. The hustle brings the change. The hustle experience burgeons valuable knowledge. The hustle persistence begets success. Hustle while young.
We are having our AGM on our next meeting. I do not want to paint a picture that being in club leadership role is a bed of roses. It is not. Even roses come with thorns. I do not want to mislead you that being Club President or being part of Exco is an easy job. It is not. But I would like to invite you to think of what you could build for your future self through this leadership opportunity. There is price for this – you must decide to let go of the program: my life is full and busy. And I assure you, you will discover your better self that you wish you knew earlier. That better you, the future you always wished for. Hustle for yourself. Hustle while young.
By the
authority of Toastmasters International vested in me, mandate given as club
President, guided by the opportunity to hustle while young, I hereby declare
our meeting officially starts.
Photo by Avi Richards on Unsplash
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