Excerpts from my recent speech which fetched me prizes at Club and Area level Toastmasters contests and a chance to represent my area at Division Conference.
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It takes fire to light a candle, A lighted candle to light the other candles, and a blow to extinguish them all.
The fire I am talking about is the fire within.
The fire, which unsettles, which shakes us out of our inertia and makes us feel alive.
The fire, which has to be discovered and rediscovered time and again.
There is a spark within all of us, waiting to be ignited.
The question is: What ignites that?
Let me share what ignited my spark.
As a child I was shy and introvert.
The very thought of going over stage gave me jitters.
So one fine day, when I was asked to recite a poem on stage, I knew what it was going to be like.
I went on stage and …….blanked out. The faces in the audience looked at me expectantly. An expectation, I knew I couldn’t fulfil.
I got down from the stage dejected, for I had to face….my parents.
Now my parents were just like….. "parents". They always had high expectations.
Have you ever seen an absent minded professor looking for his glasses while he is actually wearing them.
Thats my father.
Have you ever seen a lady "breaking" an item of gossip to the friend who originally told it to her originally.
Thats my mother.
So, you can imagine what I am.
I am the girl who put this (wrapper) into her mouth and throws this (chocolate) away .
Fortunately or Unfortunately, when it came to me, my parents never forgot a thing !
The first thing my father asked me as I got back home was: "How did it go?"
"It was bad. I am no good."
“Oh Don’t you worry. You are destined for greatness. Acknowledge your fire to succeed.”
Destined for greatness. Fire . The words made no sense.
My father continued: "Come here, show me your palm”
"Ah. Your life line and heart line don’t meet. There's a gap. That’s rare!
This means that you are destined for greatness.”
The next time I had to go on stage, I looked at my palm and said: “ It’s going to be fine …for I am destined for greatness.”
I went up on stage and ......smiled at my audience.
And they smiled back!
That fuelled my recently discovered fire.
From that day onwards, I took challenges after challenges. The results were not always favorable but I gave my best.
There were times when well-meaning people asked me to take it easy.Sit back and relax.
But…there was always this…fire,….this hunger instead me, asking to do more. Pushing me to ask for more.
It because of this fire that I was able to make into my dream college : The IIT.
It was sometime during college that I discovered a book on palmistry.
And Guess what I found ?
I found that the lines, the gap meant ….NOTHING.
Do you remember the time when the truth about tooth fairy , or Santa was first made known to you ?
I remember the time when my I came to know about my father's ruse.
For I was 19 and studying at an IIT.
Was it a lie that fuelled my fire.
No.
It was belief.
My father’s belief in me.
It is belief that fuels the fire within.
Only recently I met a very talented friend of mine who was dejected after a professional setback.
I tried to rekindle her fire but she said: “Don’t you mention fire. I got fired. How much more fire do you think I need !
Charu, You wouldn't understand, You have a great career, You have a supportive family, You win international blogging prizes. You don’t know !”
I said “I know, for I have lived your journey! But you don’t know, ....You see a great career but do you know, that it had been stagnant until that one opportunity came by.
You see a supportive family but do you know how we struggled to understand each other.
You see a blogging prize but do you know about the 14 rejections the same article received.
I just have not given up my ...FIRE.
And have you forgotten what you were ?
You were the only one from our batch who had the guts to write to the board of education that we were bored of their education !"
I made my friend recall all of her achievements, including the non-academic ones and told her that she was “Destined for greatness.”
Appreciate generously, for it is your belief in others goodness that lights up their fire.
Be generous but genuine. If I appreciate my shabbily dressed friend for being a fashionista would that work ?
No.
Fore Fire needs fuel …not sand.
It takes a lighted candle to light another candle.
But what if our own candle is getting extinguished. What do we do then ? Wait for another candle to light us ? What if it never comes by ?
We can ignite our fire ourselves. By self-belief.
If I am comfortable with myself and acknowledge my strengths and accept my weaknesses, others opinion of me would not be a blow.
Say I know myself. I know that I am forgetful, I know that I am conservative while taking risks but I am hardworking and sincere.
If someone tells me “You are so forgetful. You made a mess.”
I would say pleasantly. “That I am. Sorry for inconvenience.”
If someone tells me “You are a lazy bum. You dodge your work.”
I would simply say calmly : “That I am not. You simply do not know me enough.”
But what if its not a blow of words but a wind of problems ?
Then, lets develop a passion so big , so grand, that all your problems would seem smaller.
Haven’t discovered your passion yet, then develop a purpose. Your purpose may be to rear your children, to give something back to the society or simply to be a better person.
It was the fire within, which help Helen Keler, a deaf, mute and blind girl to achieve what many of us can only strive to achieve.
Today, you may cherish your family, your well-paying job, your assets. But they may not remain with you forever. At some point, Your children or spouse may move on, you may lose your job, you assets. But one thing that is going to be with you until you give it up yourself, is this fire within you. No matter how old you grow , no matter what troubles you have, it will still help you grow.
Lets Cherish this fire.
Lets burn the candle of laziness, negativity and self-doubt with fire of passion and purpose
Just look around, you would find many lighted candles.
Toastmasters,
Tell me why you are here today ?
You have long passed school. Why do you still come here and deliver assignments?...Carrying CL, CL manuals in your arms...
Are you here for some monetary benefit ?
No.
You are here to experience butterflies in your stomach when your name is called out here.
You are here to fail. To try
To feel alive.
To inspire and get inspired.
I salute your fire.
And Although, I cannot see it on your palm or your forehead,.... I can see it in your eyes and your smile, that you are: “Destined for greatness.”
Acknowledge. Protect. Cherish. The fire within !
----------
It takes fire to light a candle, A lighted candle to light the other candles, and a blow to extinguish them all.
The fire I am talking about is the fire within.
The fire, which unsettles, which shakes us out of our inertia and makes us feel alive.
The fire, which has to be discovered and rediscovered time and again.
There is a spark within all of us, waiting to be ignited.
The question is: What ignites that?
Let me share what ignited my spark.
As a child I was shy and introvert.
The very thought of going over stage gave me jitters.
So one fine day, when I was asked to recite a poem on stage, I knew what it was going to be like.
I went on stage and …….blanked out. The faces in the audience looked at me expectantly. An expectation, I knew I couldn’t fulfil.
I got down from the stage dejected, for I had to face….my parents.
Now my parents were just like….. "parents". They always had high expectations.
Have you ever seen an absent minded professor looking for his glasses while he is actually wearing them.
Thats my father.
Have you ever seen a lady "breaking" an item of gossip to the friend who originally told it to her originally.
Thats my mother.
So, you can imagine what I am.
I am the girl who put this (wrapper)
Fortunately or Unfortunately, when it came to me, my parents never forgot a thing !
The first thing my father asked me as I got back home was: "How did it go?"
"It was bad. I am no good."
“Oh Don’t you worry. You are destined for greatness. Acknowledge your fire to succeed.”
Destined for greatness. Fire . The words made no sense.
My father continued: "Come here, show me your palm”
"Ah. Your life line and heart line don’t meet. There's a gap. That’s rare!
This means that you are destined for greatness.”
The next time I had to go on stage, I looked at my palm and said: “ It’s going to be fine …for I am destined for greatness.”
I went up on stage and ......smiled at my audience.
And they smiled back!
That fuelled my recently discovered fire.
From that day onwards, I took challenges after challenges. The results were not always favorable but I gave my best.
There were times when well-meaning people asked me to take it easy.Sit back and relax.
But…there was always this…fire,….this hunger instead me, asking to do more. Pushing me to ask for more.
It because of this fire that I was able to make into my dream college : The IIT.
It was sometime during college that I discovered a book on palmistry.
And Guess what I found ?
I found that the lines, the gap meant ….NOTHING.
Do you remember the time when the truth about tooth fairy , or Santa was first made known to you ?
I remember the time when my I came to know about my father's ruse.
For I was 19 and studying at an IIT.
Was it a lie that fuelled my fire.
No.
It was belief.
My father’s belief in me.
It is belief that fuels the fire within.
Only recently I met a very talented friend of mine who was dejected after a professional setback.
I tried to rekindle her fire but she said: “Don’t you mention fire. I got fired. How much more fire do you think I need !
Charu, You wouldn't understand, You have a great career, You have a supportive family, You win international blogging prizes. You don’t know !”
I said “I know, for I have lived your journey! But you don’t know, ....You see a great career but do you know, that it had been stagnant until that one opportunity came by.
You see a supportive family but do you know how we struggled to understand each other.
You see a blogging prize but do you know about the 14 rejections the same article received.
I just have not given up my ...FIRE.
And have you forgotten what you were ?
You were the only one from our batch who had the guts to write to the board of education that we were bored of their education !"
I made my friend recall all of her achievements, including the non-academic ones and told her that she was “Destined for greatness.”
Appreciate generously, for it is your belief in others goodness that lights up their fire.
Be generous but genuine. If I appreciate my shabbily dressed friend for being a fashionista would that work ?
No.
Fore Fire needs fuel …not sand.
It takes a lighted candle to light another candle.
But what if our own candle is getting extinguished. What do we do then ? Wait for another candle to light us ? What if it never comes by ?
We can ignite our fire ourselves. By self-belief.
If I am comfortable with myself and acknowledge my strengths and accept my weaknesses, others opinion of me would not be a blow.
Say I know myself. I know that I am forgetful, I know that I am conservative while taking risks but I am hardworking and sincere.
If someone tells me “You are so forgetful. You made a mess.”
I would say pleasantly. “That I am. Sorry for inconvenience.”
If someone tells me “You are a lazy bum. You dodge your work.”
I would simply say calmly : “That I am not. You simply do not know me enough.”
But what if its not a blow of words but a wind of problems ?
Then, lets develop a passion so big , so grand, that all your problems would seem smaller.
Haven’t discovered your passion yet, then develop a purpose. Your purpose may be to rear your children, to give something back to the society or simply to be a better person.
It was the fire within, which help Helen Keler, a deaf, mute and blind girl to achieve what many of us can only strive to achieve.
Today, you may cherish your family, your well-paying job, your assets. But they may not remain with you forever. At some point, Your children or spouse may move on, you may lose your job, you assets. But one thing that is going to be with you until you give it up yourself, is this fire within you. No matter how old you grow , no matter what troubles you have, it will still help you grow.
Lets Cherish this fire.
Lets burn the candle of laziness, negativity and self-doubt with fire of passion and purpose
Just look around, you would find many lighted candles.
Toastmasters,
Tell me why you are here today ?
You have long passed school. Why do you still come here and deliver assignments?...Carrying CL, CL manuals in your arms...
Are you here for some monetary benefit ?
No.
You are here to experience butterflies in your stomach when your name is called out here.
You are here to fail. To try
To feel alive.
To inspire and get inspired.
I salute your fire.
And Although, I cannot see it on your palm or your forehead,.... I can see it in your eyes and your smile, that you are: “Destined for greatness.”
Acknowledge. Protect. Cherish. The fire within !
