Connect with Storytelling - Toastmasters
Summary
TLDRThe speaker reflects on personal growth and the power of believing in oneself, despite life's challenges. At 17, after failing high school and an arrest, he faced his mother's tears of shame, prompting a desire to improve. His father introduced him to work, where he found a mentor in an accountant named Sam, who recognized his potential. This led to the speaker's return to education and eventual college graduation. Feeling lost, he found purpose and a voice through public speaking, inspired by a supportive community. The speaker emphasizes the transformative impact of unconditional love and support from those around him, turning his life around and making him whole again.
Takeaways
- 🌼 Everyone is unique and has something special that makes them beautiful.
- 🥀 Life can be harsh and may break one's spirit, making it hard to feel special.
- 👩👦 A mother's tears of shame can be a pivotal moment in a person's life, prompting change.
- 👨🏫 A supportive mentor can see potential in someone and help them discover their own abilities.
- 📚 Education and learning can be more engaging and enlightening outside of traditional school settings.
- 🌟 The power of dreaming and having someone believe in you can lead to personal growth and success.
- 🎓 Completing education and finding a partner can be significant steps in one's journey to self-discovery.
- 🤔 Feeling lost is a common experience, but it's important to seek guidance and support during such times.
- 🗣️ Public speaking can be a transformative skill that can be developed and cherished.
- 💔 Financial struggles and self-doubt are challenges that can be overcome with the support of loved ones.
- ❤️ Unconditional love and support from significant others can help piece someone back together after being broken.
Q & A
What is the main message of the speaker in the script?
-The main message is that everyone is unique and has something special within them, and that even when life gets tough and one feels broken or lost, the support and belief of others can help one discover their potential and become whole again.
How does the speaker describe the three types of tears a mother can cry?
-The speaker describes the three types of tears as tears of joy, tears of sorrow, and tears of shame, with the tears of shame being particularly impactful when a son sees his mother cry them.
What was the speaker's reaction when his mother cried tears of shame?
-The speaker was deeply affected by seeing his mother cry tears of shame, describing it as a life-changing moment that prompted him to want to become a better man.
What was the turning point for the speaker after his arrest?
-The turning point was when his mother expressed her desire for him to be a better man, and his father introduced him to work, which led him to meet Sam, an accountant who saw potential in him.
What role did Sam play in the speaker's life?
-Sam played a pivotal role as the speaker's mentor and employer, helping him to discover his interests and potential by sharing stories about the world, history, culture, and philosophy.
How did the speaker's experience with Sam influence his educational path?
-The speaker's experience working with Sam rekindled his interest in learning, leading him to return to high school, complete his exams, and eventually attend college.
What did the speaker feel after completing college?
-The speaker felt lost and unsure about what to do with his life, even after finding a partner, because he did not have a clear career path or job.
How did the speaker's father help him when he felt lost after college?
-The speaker's father introduced him to a club where he was encouraged to participate in speaking activities, which led him to discover his love for speaking and ultimately become a teacher.
What is the significance of the phrase 'I see something in you' in the script?
-The phrase 'I see something in you' is significant as it represents the belief and recognition others have in the speaker's potential, which was crucial in helping him find his path and overcome his struggles.
How does the speaker's wife view him, according to the script?
-The speaker's wife views him as someone with an undefined special quality, similar to how others in his life saw potential in him, even when he was unsure of his own worth.
What is the final message the speaker conveys to the audience?
-The final message is that the belief and support of others can help piece a person back together, no matter how broken or lost they may feel, and that everyone has a unique potential that can be discovered.
Outlines
🌼 Discovering Uniqueness and Overcoming Adversity
The speaker begins by drawing a parallel between the audience and a flower, emphasizing that everyone is unique and has a special quality. However, life can be harsh and may cause individuals to feel broken or discarded. The speaker shares a personal story of failure and arrest at the age of 17, highlighting the emotional impact of disappointing his mother and the subsequent conversation with his parents. His mother's tears of shame and his father's practical advice to start working led him to an accounting firm where he encountered Sam, an accountant who saw potential in him. Sam's mentorship and storytelling inspired the speaker to dream and learn, eventually leading to the completion of high school and college. Despite achieving these milestones, the speaker still felt lost and unsure of his life's direction, prompting him to seek guidance from his father again.
🗣️ Unleashing Potential Through Public Speaking
In the second paragraph, the speaker recounts his father's introduction to a peculiar club where he was encouraged to participate in a 'Payable topic' exercise. During his first speech, he noticed a kind-eyed man in the audience who, after the speech, approached him with words of encouragement, similar to what he had heard from Sam. This interaction sparked a realization in the speaker that he enjoyed speaking and had a talent for it. This led to a career as a teacher, where he also experienced financial struggles and self-doubt. Despite these challenges, the speaker's wife saw something in him that he couldn't see himself, reinforcing the theme of others recognizing one's potential. The speaker concludes by expressing that even in moments of feeling broken or lost, the support and belief of others can help piece one back together and see the potential within.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Unique
💡Life-changing moment
💡Unconditional love
💡Dream
💡Lost
💡Broken
💡Potential
💡Accountability
💡Philosophy
💡Support
💡Reflection
Highlights
The importance of recognizing one's uniqueness and inherent beauty.
Life's challenges can make it difficult to feel special, likening it to a flower's petals being picked.
A personal story of failure and arrest at the age of 17, highlighting the impact of early life struggles.
The powerful moment of seeing a mother's tears of shame and its life-changing effect.
The role of a supportive father who encourages immediate action after a setback.
The transformative experience of being seen and valued by an employer, Mr. Sam.
The impact of daily storytelling on broadening one's perspective beyond formal education.
The realization of one's ability to dream and the subsequent return to education.
The struggle of post-college life and the search for purpose and employment.
The discovery of a talent for public speaking through a supportive community.
The journey from feeling lost to becoming a teacher and a speaker.
The financial struggles and the emotional support from a spouse.
The concept of unconditional love and its role in personal recovery and growth.
The metaphor of being 'pieced back together' by the people in one's life.
The speaker's belief in the audience's potential, seeing something in them.
Transcripts
[Music]
you and I are not very different from
this flower just like this flower is
unique you are unique all of us has
something special that makes us as
beautiful do you know what makes you
special now the answer to that can be a
little difficult to find because
sometimes life has a cruel way of
picking out your petals breaking you
into and throwing you into the trash and
when you're broken it's very difficult
to feel special
mr. Carter sir my fellow flies I can
remember the first time I broke I was 17
years old I had already flunked high
school and managed to get myself
arrested now I wasn't afraid of the cops
but there was one person I was very
afraid of and that was my mama raise
your hand if you have an emotional
mother let me see
put them all together you get mama
I can hear her scream outside the police
station even the cops were afraid she
came up to me held the iron bars looked
into my eyes and I saw a tear coming
down her face now I've seen my mama cry
before but mother's cry three types of
tears tears of joy tears of sorrow and
tears of shame and when a son sees a
mother cry tears of shame that's a
life-changing moment she looked at me
and said son I want you to be a better
man that night when I drove home my dad
was waiting for me at home
now my dad is a cool dad raise your hand
if you have a cool dad put them all
together you get my dad my dad came up
to me and said son it's okay you flunk
your exams
you already got arrested that's fine you
get that from your mother's side
I want you to start working immediately
and I said okay so my dad took me to
meet one of his friends called Sam
now Sam was an accountant who had an
accounting firm and had generously
decided to make me his personal
assistant and there he was he looked
like a teddy bear but this man was
special I looked at him and he looked at
me and then he said the most amazing
thing he said son I see something in you
but I don't know what it is if you
decide to work with me I can help you
find that something and I was like whoa
that's the first time in my whole life
somebody has ever told they see
something in me and I started working
for Sam and every day after work he used
to tell me stories about the world about
history about culture about philosophy
and it was much more interesting than
what I learned in school and I
discovered I can dream and I started
dream ladies and gentlemen after one
year I went back into high school
completed my exams and went into college
after successfully completing college I
found a great girl but not a job
I didn't know what I wanted to do with
my life have you ever had that problem
and when you're lost it's difficult to
feel special so I went back to my cool
dad and I said dad I feel lost he said
you are like your mother so my dad
introduced me to this strange club that
had a strange name with strange people
talking on the first meeting they told
me to do something called Payable topic
I asked it but while I was speaking I
see a strange man seated in the back row
humble simple the unfailing quality of
kindness in his eyes as soon as I
finished he walked up to me look me dead
straight in the eye and said son I see
something in you but I don't know what
it is if you come here twice a month
maybe we can find that something and
ladies and gentlemen I discovered I
could speak and I loved speaking and
that led me to become a teacher I know
what it's like to not have enough money
in your bank account I know what it's
like to worry when the bills start
coming in and sometimes in the middle of
the night I wake up my beautiful wife
and I ask her honey why did you marry me
she says I saw something in
but I still don't know what it is ladies
and gentlemen today I am a dream I am a
speaker and I learned the unfailing
quality of unconditional love from my
wife I was broken and I've been broken
lost and broke many times in my life
but the people in my life were able to
reach into the trashcan and make me
whole again if it was up to me I would
have never been able to do that and this
is why if you have great people in your
life no matter how broke how loss or how
broken you become they can piece you
back together ladies and gentlemen when
I look at you I see something in but I
don't know what is it over you
you
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