Friends, thanks to support from all my Toastmasters friends, fraternity and well wishers – I have recently been awarded the title of Distinguished Toastmaster – which is the highest educational award possible by Toastmasters.
I am very happy to share my Toastmasters speech sample for you to enjoy. Please share your feedback in the comments below. 🙂
The First Step
Whenever I saw Dhananjaya Hieteracchi – I also thought I see something in me but no one else saw it. Whenever I heard Mohd. Qahtani – I also felt that there was power in words – but not in my words. Whenever I saw Darren Tay’s speech – I also felt that maybe I should try wearing my underwear outside my pants – but I didn’t have the guts to do that on stage.
Mr. Toastmaster, Fellow Toastmasters – I had a dream. I wanted to be on stage, and I wanted to speak. I wanted to speak so people would listen. But there was only one problem – whenever I went on stage – my body shook like an earthquake, my heart raced like a Ferrari, but my words came out like a Bajaj Chetak.
It was a few years ago, that I heard about Toastmasters in my office. None other than DTM Deepak Menon came to our office and chartered the first club in our organization – CB&I India Toastmasters. Initially it sounded a bit funny – Toastmaster, Ice Breaker, Leader maker etc. But I decided to attend the first demo meeting. The time came for the prepared speeches and there was only one speaker that day who was none other than Reety Wadhwa, who is now a top motivational coach. When she started speaking, my jaw dropped with excitement. I had never seen such an eloquent speaker talk about her personal story on a topic as simple as bungee jumping. After the meeting, with starry eyes, I asked her “how did you do this, and how long did you take”?
One year – Ladies and Gentlemen – it was one year of thorough practice and hard work with Toastmasters which transformed Reety from a jittery speaker to a marvelous orator. I was instantly hooked and signed up for my Icebreaker in the next meeting.
The day came. I was fully prepared. I even got a nice facial done. I wrote an amazing speech with structure, vocal variety, body language, props and what not. In short, the entire CC manual packed into my Ice Breaker. I was ready to roar like a lion. But by the time when I finished, the audience thought that I whimpered like a kitten. I wanted to drown myself in a glass of water until the evaluation section started. My evaluation was done my none other than Deepak Menon himself and when he spoke about the things I did correctly, the potential I had, and things I could have done better – I realized the true power of Toastmasters. And plus, I also got the customary standing ovation.
In a few months, the Humorous Speech Contest season arrived, and I decided to compete. But giving a funny speech for me, was like baking a wedding cake without a recipe. I really worked hard and came up with dozens of perfectly boring ideas. I suddenly recollected an incident when I was in college and we were studying for our final exams, and one of my friends like that one friend who everyone has – decided to make a midnight plan to go to the graveyard. Though the story of a chicken like me ending up in a graveyard was scary, but it’s amazing how people like you can find comedy in tragedy. I ended up winning the first prize. That was the spark which lit the flame in me to consider public speaking and which accelerated my journey.
Many speeches later, the next contesting season arrived – and I decided to compete in the International Speech Contest. The predicament was the same – how to find a story which people would like to listen and take something away from. I searched deep into my heart and soul for experiences that had made me stronger. I found two personal experiences in which I had conquered the two biggest fears of my life. The first one was the fear of speaking to girls. Back in high school, I truly madly, deeply loved a girl but never had the guts to propose to her. I was so introverted that if a girl came to talk to me – I would run away. But one day I had enough, and I picked up the phone and requested her to be my girlfriend. She said NO. I was shattered but I was glad I overcame one of my biggest fears.
A few years later, I was confronted by my second biggest fear – the fear of heights. I was in a bar sitting with one of my school friends who was visiting me in US. We had a few drinking games, and when I was reasonably drunk and had lost the bet – he drafted me into a sky diving expedition. Now once I had signed up and paid $150 – I could not back out as some of you might know I am a bit cheap. When I found myself standing on the ledge of the airplane – I almost froze to death. But when I recollected how I had conquered my biggest fear of asking a girl out – this fear seemed trivial.
I weaved my speech around the two incidents and not only won at the club, area and division levels – I also won a lot of hearts and kudos in the District competition.
Ladies and gentlemen, the first meeting with Toastmasters is all it took to get started. What is that first step you are scared of?
Is it singing – just get out of your bathroom and sing your first song. Is it public speaking – if you are a guest in this meeting today – sign up and just give your first speech. Or, is it making friends – talk to as many people as possible in this meeting and get to know them at a personal level.
Friends, today as I deliver my last speech in the traditional Toastmasters program before I complete my DTM – I feel that if I had not taken that first step, I couldn’t have come this far.
Over to you!
I hope you enjoyed reading this Toastmasters speech sample. To read more Toastmasters speech samples and humorous speeches, browse to my Speech samples section.
About the Author
Puneet Wadhwa, the author of this blog – Speak to Succeed! is an IT Business Executive by profession, and a Public Speaker and Leadership trainer by passion. He has been professionally speaking for many years and has won several awards for his public speaking engagements. He presents corporate trainings and seminars to corporations and associations whose people want to speak and lead effectively. To contact Puneet, email him at pwadhwaspeaks@gmail.com or fill out the contact form at https://www.speaktosucceed.in/about-me/.
