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Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Area Director Speech 02: Decide

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, for they are charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. – Marcel Proust”

 

Our club motto is very simple: Friends helping friends to succeed. It is our aspiration that our Family Members attained success in life with strong interpersonal and leadership skills. We are committed, dedicated and pledged to support our Family Members through meaningful, extraordinary friendship throughout their Toastmasters journey.  

 

We all know, the definition of success varies from each individual to another. As I continued in my Toastmasters journey, I experienced many failures. I witnessed friendships faded. Worse, I gone through the pain of failing relationships.

 

The truth is, we can’t help everyone to be successful, but we can decide to be successful. Indeed, many of my friends came in aid of my success in life. For that, I am very thankful. At the same time, I am fully aware that my Family Members here could not help me, unless I decided to receive help. Vice versa, I can only help my Family Members here, if only you, decided to receive help.

 

Decide – To make up one’s mind. To make a judgement or determine a preference. To come to conclusion. The root word “decide” have Latin origin. “De” means is to cut off, whereas the “cide” have root meaning of “to strike”.  Thus, in order for us to make decision, there are two parts: Cut-off unnecessary options, act upon the choice we make. If we are not making any decision, that a decision itself - no cut-off, no action. 

 

I think Toastmasters is a great platform for us to practice making decisions. We can decide the content of speech we deliver. We can decide on the positions we want to take. We can decide on the relationships we want to invest. To members, your utmost priority in Toastmasters journey is not meetings you attended, people you know. It is DECISION on what you want throughout Toastmasters journey. Once the decision is made, let us know, so that we, as Family Members of Friendship TMC can help you.

 

To the Exco team, decide on how you want to support the members and how members can support you. After 4 years of ups and downs in Toastmasters, I came to a simple 3 questions to decide on investment into any relationship, be it romantic, professional or personal. The 3 questions are:

  1.        Can I add value to our relationship?
  2.         Can he/she add value to our relationship?
  3.         If yes to both, how can we work together?

By asking these 3 questions, it gave me immense clarity on how I can proceed with any relationship. For the Exco, make a collective decision for the benefit of yourself and Friendship family whole. Remember, tell us how we can support, so that you could be supported to be successful in your tasks.

 

To our beloved Mr President, under Toastmasters leadership handbook, there is a list of tasks that you need to perform. But the most important responsibility of you, as Club President, as spiritual leader and as CEO of this family, is to make quality decision for your personal growth, so that you can serve better as Club President.  Make every single President speech count. Gain personal clarity, skills and emotional fitness. Inspire others to work with you. Strive to create impact by making decision. You are given that authority and mandate to live this life, thus, don’t go through life…. But DECIDE to grow through life. Quoting Tony Robbins – “Your life changes the moment you make a new, congruent and committed decision.”

 

There is a time when you have to choose between turning the page and closing the book. As for me, I made the decision to continue my life journey with Friendship TMC. I look forward to opening up a new chapter of as your Insanely Handsome Area Director. Let us continue to “Friends helping friends to succeed.”


Photo by m0851 on Unsplash

 

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