S&W TMC Meeting : February 08, 2006 : Speech Project 1 & Other Recordings

I was so excited and at the same time feeling nervous going to the MSE Bldg from Cybergate because I haven't memorized all my speech. But, overall, it turns out well since it's a big courage for me that I was able to start my very first speech for CTM! 9 more to go.... How did I prepare for the first speech? It's actually a 6 month-long process! It took me 4 months to have courage and finally deliver my speech and only 1 week of which was spent in actually writing the speech, the other days was spent on thinking, embracing fear, and wondering and seeing others do their speeches... and also maybe because of a very busy project at work. Basically, for the last week, I started with the topic for speech project 1 which is about myself. I have revised and revised the speech trimming a 5-page speech into a 2-page speech after 5 revisions. Blogging really helped me a lot as I store here my draft of my speech. I printed a cut-out-pages of my speech so I can take a look or read on some of the paragraphs where I might get lost during the speech (and I really did some lapses and pauses during the speech). Lessons learned "Use your heart in speaking... Get the feel of the audience... Organize well...

Below is my final speech project 1.
Click here to listen to the practice(at home-middle-of-the-night) recording.
Click here to listen to my live speech audio recording.
Click here to listen to my speech evaluation from a fellow Edwin.

Others audio speeches:
Chris - Speech Project 2 "Ponographic Charity"
Catherine - Speech Project X "Let's make a difference!"
Ramon - CTM Speech Project 10 "The Mind"
Master Evaluator Speech

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Edwin D. Vinas Speech Project 1:

"My Seven Goals and Wishes in Life"

My fellow Toastmasters, good evening! Four years ago, I have written in my diary seven goals and wishes in my life. In those seven simple wishes, I'm not actually dreaming to become a rich person someday, nor to be a handsome guy, nor be a real man, nor to be a well-known person, all I humbly ask are seven simple dreams that touches my heart -- seven goals and wishes that I really felt the only things that could make my life worthy. Those seven goals and wishes are; first, to be able to graduate successfully; second, to be able to find a good job; third, to be able to help my family; fourth, to be able to develop a new system of education; fifth, to be able to develop new technologies; sixth, to be able to publish books; and seventh, to be able to clarify and understand the mystery of the world. I'm sure, you wouldn't be able to understand what those seven goals and wishes mean to me if you don't know my life's story... I am a person who came from a place with no electricity, no jeepneys, no television and no money. But with all the achievements in my life right now, I can't help but smile when I can still imagine myself as a boy coming from the remotest mountainous barangay in our province. To give you a hint where that place is, from Manila you can ride a bus for 13 hours going south until you reach the end of Luzon island, then, ride a jeepney for 2 hours going to the town, and then, ride a jeepney again 2 hours going to the barangay and finally, walk 2 kilometers to reach my birth place—a place ruled by nature—fruit trees, rivers, virgin forests and very nice landscapes but with houses separated by several kilometers from each other… this is the kind of place where I first saw this world. My family's life seemed so miserable during those elementary days. Everyday, I used to walk two kilometers from home to school with my "baon" wrapped in a banana leaf. For six years, I’ve walked a thousand miles with my thin slippers stepping on rough rocky roads. The poor type of living with a family which doesn't have enough income, and a country which during that time is under several economic and political crises has greatly affected my life even at young age. Quest for knowledge was my only life during my high school days. Science books flavored with different sources of knowledge & wisdom have been my only source of inspiration during those days. I want to show all the people that eventhough I came from an ordinary family, I can really make a difference! I know that my family could not send me to college. But I did not bother myself first of where to study in college... I just did my best in everything in every second of the day no matter what. I just let my faith in God find a way. To tell you the truth, God really knows where I am going. I can always feel his love and guidance amidst insurmountable challenges in my life. During my elementary and high school days, my life revolves in praying, wishing, studying, going to church and avoiding things that would hinder my dreams. Dreaming and wishing are the two powerful batteries that powered me to move on with my life especially in high school. A month after my graduation as a Valedictorian, I was already desperate that my only choice to continue with my studies is to enter the seminary. But I can't imagine myself as a priest! So I prayed "Lord, kung ano po ang gusto nyo para sakin para mas makatulong sa pamilya ko, kayo na po ang bahala sakin." That was my only prayer to God as I continuously think of any way that I can go to college. And as always, God really never let me down. After a month, I received an application form from the Department of Science and Technology for a scholarship in Manila. Luckily, I passed the exam granting me a five-year full-time engineering scholarship. I was overwhelmed by the opportunity I got! So my mother and I immediately went to Manila. I was so excited that I will be the only person in our family to take up college and not to boast of, I will be the "only" person in our family’s generation to take up Engineering. “Yes, l will be the first engineer in our generation!”, I said to myself. So we went to the Department of Science and Technology to sign-up the scholarship contract. You know what, we even went to one of my dream schools to inquire but my mother almost got a heart attack by the very high tuition fee that time. As I learned to accept the fact that I can only study in a state university, I have refrained from dreaming for a famous school. I just thought that the name of the school is not very important as long as you study very well. During this stage of my education, I've learned so many things that powered me to strive further in my studies. With three of my goals and wishes have been fulfilled as of now, I can’t help but thank the Lord for giving me the necessary knowledge, wisdom and strength to overcome all hardships and difficulties. I just want to share to you that "if you want to be successful in life, you must have the art of perseverance, the power of dreaming and the science of praying." At this point, I have come to realize that perseverance, dreaming and praying are the most important tools that any person can have to be able attain success! If you have a desire to achieve a specific goal, you should always bear it in mind. As in my case, I even say silent prayers to trees, to the moon, to the stars, to unseen things hoping they can hear me and spell a magic wand to make my dreams come true. “I once wished I can be a valedictorian”, and I did become a valedictorian. “I once wished I can be a teacher”, and I did become more than that as I became the only engineer in our family. “I once wished I can be a Cum Laude”, and I did become a cum laude. “I once wished I can travel to other countries”, and I did cross the Pacific and stepped into the Japanese, Thai, and American soils.

How about you, do you also have your goals and wishes in life?

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