Toastmaster's Speech Project No. 5: "Money"

“Money”

A Speech Project for the Silver & White Toastmasters Club

April 19, 2006

1.01 MSE San Carlos

6:30PM – 8:30PM

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE SPEECH (“YOUR BODY SPEAKS”):

• Use stance, movement, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact to express your message and achieve your speech’s purpose.
• Make your body language smooth and natural.

WHAT MY AUDIENCE WOULD SAY AT THE END OF MY SPEECH:

• The speaker enlightened me by providing his personal point of view about how people should treat money.
• The speaker demonstrated proper use of gestures and movement by narrating his experience on the day he lost his ATM.
• The speaker enlightened us that money isn’t the reason why we are born in this world.

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Money

A Speech Project for the Silver & White Toastmasters Club

April 19, 2006

1.02 MSE San Carlos

6:30PM – 8:30PM

Catching Opening:

Good evening! I am happy to join with you in tonight’s joint meeting between Diamond and Silver & White Toastmasters Club. I doubt if there is anyone that would argue the fact that in our modern society money is the most important commodity in any persons’ life. [Pause, look at the audience faces] Some people consider it as more important than water, air and gravity which are the necessities for human survival and comfort. According to others, money is the root cause of all evil. Tonight, I am going to tell you the story on how I realized the importance of money.

Supporting Body: (Purpose is to PERSUADE)

Body Gestures:
Scratching of head/hair – portray confusion/don’t know what to do (when atm was not in pocket)

Tightening of fist – “sinisisi” whoever got hold of my ATM

Rythmic Beating of Fingers – where did I place that?

A sudden pause/bow – reflecting deep emotion/thoughts with sad face (worst things that may happen)

Looking at the different parts of ceiling – looking for clues where I left my atm

Smile – when finally nothing wrong has happened; still was able to send some money.

Throwing hands – means give money to those in need

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It was last Monday morning right after the holy week. The day before it happened was Easter Sunday wherein I went to church after a very long time, I watched movie alone, had some haircut and ate some food in Gateway Mall in Cubao which is the nearest cool place in our house. But even before that day, I’ve been economizing my money since I have planned to buy some clothes, send money to my parents, and pay my bills. And so during that Monday morning, I’ve decided to go to the mall to withdraw first some cash so I could send some money to my parents in the province. In the mall’s ATM center, there was this lady who’s currently doing some transactions. She has been there for about five minutes while I angrily and eagerly waited. Then, suddenly she backed out facing me next in line and said, “You withdraw first”. And I said, “Why, what’s the problem? Does this ATM have run out of cash?” And she said, “No, it has money. Just go ahead.” Since I am quite in hurry, I immediately occupied the ATM and without saying thanks to the lady, I pulled out my wallet and I almost felt someone shot me in the head when I realized my ATM is not in my wallet. [Scratching of head/hair] I stood there speechless for a couple of minutes, while I searched my wallet but no sign of that blue Metrobank ATM card. No sign! I am sure I didn’t misplace it. I haven’t lost any ATM card before and this could not be possible. [Tightening of fist] Could it be stolen by my cousin who left for the province this morning?! No, she can’t do it. Or did I just misplaced it in one of the pockets of the pants I’ve worn yesterday? [Rythmic Beating of Fingers] Where did I place that? Who could have gotten it? This is a big disaster! [Walking in front of the stage biting fingers/looking at the ceiling] If someone have found it and known my PIN code and withdrawn all my money, what will I do? I only have P100 pesos cash in my wallet… I need to pay my Internet, Meralco, water bills! I need to send money to my parents in the province! And, I haven’t taken my breakfast, and this P100 peso bill is not enough until the next salary! Oh my God! Is this a punishment for not going to church for a very long time? Is it a punishment for watching movie alone on Easter Sunday? Is it a punishment for my selfishness! Many things ran through my mind during that time. If only I have spent it for my new clothes, sent money to my parents or gone for a nice vacation, I should not be feeling this way.

[Smile] And I just thought it’s just money! I need to be calm and ask help on what to do with this kind of situation. So, with a P100 peso bill in my pocket, I ate my breakfast and went personally to the bank where the ATM account was opened by the company. And the good thing is that, I was able to verify that no withdrawal has been made except the last one that I did on a certain date which relieved my worried mind. And, then without hesitation, I withdrew the money I needed to send money to my parents. After sending money, I now realized how I’ve lost it. I have somehow left the ATM card in the machine when I first inquired and since no cash is dispensed I inquired again the balance and with the receipt already released, I grabbed it and went home without the card. I am sure my cousin has not stolen it from me. [Smile and laugh!]

With this experience, I can say that money means everything that if you don’t have it, you will experience the feeling of the street children, the poor squatters, or the people who doesn’t have a job. You are like a disabled person if you have no money. But this experience of mine has given me a chance to realize how important money is for me. But how should people treat money so as it doesn’t overwhelm his soul with too much greed and evil. One way, is to treat it something like water. [Looking at the audience’s eyes] Yes! Money is like water. Everyone needs it to survive. Everyone must keep it continuously flowing by helping others such as giving money to parents, sending a sibling to school, or anything that would transfer it to others who need it. Another way of keeping money flowing is to establish your own business. This way, you’re not only keeping the money in circulation, but also you are helping other people by providing them jobs.

In our modern society, money has more value than air, light and water which are necessities for survival and comfort. Of course, happiness, health, and salvation are more valuable when it comes to true essence of life but they are not commodities. Money is a commodity and it has control on most aspects of a human existence both for good and evil.

Memorable Conclusion:

My fellow toastmasters, I’ve just shared to you an illustrative example on how we should value money. Don’t save money if you are not happy! Money, is meant to be spent and not kept in the bank. Money is just like a dead piece of dirty metal or paper. You can’t carry it when you die, but you can bring it to the people who need it to ease their sufferings. Besides, money is not the reason why we are born in this world. As what the Bible says in Matthew 16:26, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Thank you for your time and attention.

Toastmaster's Speech Project No. 4: "The Brain is Our Universe"

OBJECTIVES OF THE SPEECH:

• To be able to select the right words and sentence structure to communicate ideas clearly, accurately and vividly.
• To use rhetorical devices to enhance and emphasize ideas.
• To eliminate jargon and unnecessary words. Use correct grammar.

PURPOSE OF THE SPEECH:

At the end of my speech, I want the audience to have these different kinds of reactions:

• The speaker has imparted the idea that the brain is our universe.
• At the end of speech, the speaker made me realize that since the brain is our universe, we have all the capability to do whatever our brains is capable of imagining. He said that the universe is still expanding and our brain is the only one that put limits to what we can achieve. Free your mind and let it explore the vastness of the universe!
• The speaker said that similar to computers, the brain is just like a blank hardware or a CPU when we are born.
• The speaker imparted that our brain can be installed with any program (knowledge, skills, experiences, hobbies, attitudes etc which later becomes part of our system.)
• The speaker said that unlike computers, our brain can no longer be erased but can be re-programmed through changes in the person’s lifestyle and attitudes.
• The speaker also pointed out that similar to a computer operating system, our brain also has an operating system called “Holy Spirit”. It’s a bare-bone software which initially controls our movements, desires and thinking. But same as an ordinary software, it can be corrupted.
• At the end of the speech, the speaker pointed out what he really wants to say knowing that the brain is our universe.
• 3 Billion Chinese, 85 million Filipinos, it’s not about population, it’s about expanding our brains to reach the very end of the cosmos. Why can’t Filipinos explore space? Why do we just watch the Americans conquer the moon, the planet Mars, and setup their beyond this world explorations?
• If you want to raise a culture of new Filipinos, we must isolate the children from unnecessary programs and applications which may get installed to their brain.
• There are only limits on what we can do but there are no limits on what we can think. What the Philippines need right now is a new generation of people who contains the best programs and applications.
• At the end of the speech, my audience will be satisfied that my speech is:
• For the Ear – simple and repetition (expanding universe)
• Used specific words (instead of OS, use operating system)
• Used vivid words (“As I entered the airplane, it’s like as if I can smell the winter breeze in the US.)
• Incorporated Rhetorical Devices
• Simile – Our brain is like a blank computer hardware.
• Metaphor – Our brain is just an electronic circuitry which needs to learn proper logic and operation through a human software and applications.
• Alliteration – “Brain and Bioelectronics”
• Triads - Our brain is a supercomputer, it learns, it adapts, and evolves as time passes by.
• Removed jargons
• At the end of the speech, the audience was able to visualize what I am saying by using vivid and descriptive words.
• The speaker used short and simple words.

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THE BRAIN IS OUR UNIVERSE

By Edwin D. Viñas
Competent Toastmasters Speech Project No.4 (How to Say It)
Edwin D. Viñas
April 05, 2006
1.01B San Carlos, MSE Bldg.
6:00 – 8:00PM

My dear fellow toastmasters, will you agree with me if I say that our brain is our universe? Our brain resembles the universe – its immeasurable vastness can be compared to the brain’s 100 billion nerve cells, which no scientist as of now has ever reverse engineered the functions of these billions of neurons and synapses that made up the most complex and fastest supercomputer in the universe called brain. Throughout the 2000 years of recorded human history, the relationship between brain, universe or God is still a big mystery until now.

As we continue our journeys in this vast universe, we will realize that all human beings are the same in terms of the brain’s compositions – we all have 100 billion nerve cells! Americans, Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese or Iraqi’s were all made up of the same type of brains. No doctor has ever said that your brain only consists of 10 billion nerve cells and the brain of your seatmate contains 50 billion nerve cells.

Our brain is similar to a computer’s central processing unit (CPU) -- a bio-electronic wiring of interoperating devices which interacts with the different inputs and outputs in our human body. When you see your friend’s new computer, you might say, “What a beautiful and high-tech computer you have!” But when you open it, “Oh we’re just the same!” We just differ on external appearances which are caused by the environment and the way we live. But, the reality is that, we are all the same.

Our brain can be installed with any program through the accumulation of knowledge and experiences which later become stored in a 100 petabyte of storage in our brain. But, unlike computers, our brain has natural intelligence. Seeing your mother and father showing their love and care for each other is one type of program that may be installed in your brain. Hearing your favorite music, watching telenovelas, going to X-rated movies, reading books, browsing the Internet are examples of how your brain gets installed with different programs. But be careful with Trojans, viruses and spywares which may corrupt your operating system which eventually kills the spirit.

Yes, the spirit! Similar to a computer operating system, our brain also has a basic operating system called the spirit – another common basic characteristics in all humans. The spirit, similar to computer BIOS, controls our movements, desires and thinking. Same as a BIOS software in the computer, it makes sure that we breathe exactly 86,400 times a day, wakes up every 7am in the morning, twinkles our eyes every second unconsciously or restart or sleep when we get tired.

Since, the brain is our universe, we have all the capability to do whatever our central brain is capable of imagining. We will soon realize that all of us is just part of a bigger whole that makes up the universe. We will soon realize that the universe is still expanding and the growing population is just natural. While the universe is not yet saturated, let us therefore free our minds and let it explore the vastness of the universe! There are no reasons why we people should fight each other. Same as how electrons and netrons make up an atom, the universe is made up of individual brains. Hence, the brain is our universe!

Right now, there have been 10 billion people who have lived in this world, which roughly 10 percent of the 100 billion nerve cells in our brain. Our universe is still very large for us to conquer and explore!

But, why can’t Filipinos explore space? Why do we just watch the Americans conquer the moon, the planet Mars, and setup their space explorations?

If you want to raise a culture of new Filipinos, we must isolate the children from unnecessary programs and applications which may get installed to their brain.

There are only limits on what we can do but there are no limits on what we can think. What the Philippines need right now is a new generation of people who contains the best programs and applications.