Opening Address 20 Oct 2011

There is a saying that "Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion." I like that.

How many of you would like to become great speakers?

Then you will need the right dosage of passion to get going.

To help you determine your current level of passion, here's a little quiz.

If your answer is never, you get 0;

if your answer is sometimes, you get 1 point;

if your answer is always, you score 2.

Here are the questions:

1. Do you prepare a script in advance for your speech or presentation?

2. Do you rehearse your speech at least 3 times?

3. Do you have someone to mentor you?

4. Do you reflect on each speaking experience and think about how you could have improved on it?

5. Do you jump at every chance to speak or present at work or in toastmasters etc?

6. Do you quiver with anticipation and volunteer yourself when the table topics master asks for a volunteer?

7. Do you participate in speech contests actively?

8. Do you attend workshops whenever you can to upgrade your speaking skills?

If you scored 0 - 6, please put up an ad to find your missing passion before it disappears.

If you scored 7-11, good! You're half way there but you can pump it up further.

If you scored 12 - 16, great! You are passionate about speaking and you're on your way to achieving great things in the near future.

We will want to speak well for different reasons and Toastmasters provides the platform for us to grow and develop as speakers.

Oprah Winfrey once said:

"Do the one thing you think you cannot do.

Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time.

The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire..."

Come mount the high wire with me.

Let's tumble together, and more importantly,

let's reach greater heights in our speaking journey together with passion!

by Joni Siah (VPE)