SPEAKING.APP

Life will sometimes feel like a fight. The punches, jabs, and hooks show up as challenges, obstacles, and failures. But if you stay in the ring and learn from what you’ve been through, then at the end of each round, you’ll be still standing. Mr. Contest Chair, fellow fighters, can you think of a time when life tried to knock you down? Who was your toughest opponent? Most often, our most challenging opponent is ourselves. Round one: college. I dropped out of college, not one, not two, not three, but four times. I told myself, “College isn’t for me,” and that I’d never go back. Round two: marriage. I married my soulmate, the love of my life, my best friend. He was fine, too. We were married for eight long, beautiful, amazing months. You heard right: months, not years. It was like right after we said “I do,” the heavyweight champion came in and delivered an electrifying knockout blow to our vows. Boom. Divorced. Round three: speaking. In 2015, I competed for the first time in the International Speech Contest. I won at the club level. I won at the area level. I won at the division level. District was next. I was on a roll. I was on fire. I was unstoppable. I lost. I was crushed. After three rounds and hit after hit, I was ready to throw in the towel. I was down for the count: six, seven, eight. When was the last time life knocked you down? Who was that lifeline you reached out to so you could stand back up? Was it your family, your friends, or your faith? And maybe you haven’t been knocked down, but you’ve watched someone you love take a devastating blow. Were you the lifeline they reached for? Were you the coach in the corner saying, “Get up. Get up. Stand up!” In my own corner, I gathered what strength I had. And instead of staring into a mirror of defeat, I chose to see a window of possibilities. I got back in the ring. I went back to college, I got my degree, and I graduated magna cum laude. After failing four times, I was still standing. After my loss at the district level, I’m speaking to you from the world championship stage. It’s a moment. Thank you. Thank you. Even after suffering loss, I’m still standing. As for my marriage, I’m still in training. I have not yet found Mr. Right, but this is an international convention and there are thousands of men from hundreds of different countries. So single Toastmasters, call me. Even after my divorce, I’m still standing. Here’s my challenge to you: stay in the ring, whether you’re the fighter or the coach. If you’re in that ring throwing jabs and hooks, keep going. And if you’re on the side of the ring coaching, keep helping. Because when that final bell rings, ding, ding, ding, the fighters and the coaches can raise their hands in victory, singing, “I’m still standing.” Stay in the ring. And even after you take a few hits, use what you learned from those previous fights. At the end of each round, you’ll remain still standing.