The Gift of Persistence | Mukund Bhandari | TEDxYouth@TheWoodlands

Summary

In this inspiring speech, the speaker, who has struggled with stuttering since childhood, shares their journey to overcome public speaking anxiety. They recount traditional speech therapy, watching 'The King's Speech' for motivation, and the daily challenges of introducing themselves. The speaker discovered a speaking program in 2018 that led to a holistic approach to change, including proper breathing and posture, and a shift to a positive mentality. They embraced their challenge, spoke to over 3000 strangers to practice, and became a compassionate listener. The speaker introduces the ABCs of overcoming challenges: Acknowledge and Accept, Be Bold, and Consistency in practice. The speech concludes with a call to action to replace bad habits and face challenges head-on.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ The speaker, Bhandari, has struggled with stuttering since childhood, making public speaking extremely challenging.
• 🎬 Bhandari has watched 'The King's Speech' numerous times, highlighting the impact of stuttering on one's life.
• 😅 Stuttering can lead to uncomfortable social situations, such as being mocked or misunderstood, affecting one's self-esteem.
• 🚸 The simple act of introducing oneself can be a significant hurdle for those who stutter, often leading to feelings of embarrassment.
• 💡 Bhandari discovered a speaking program in 2018 that helped him embrace a holistic approach to overcoming his stutter.
• 🌱 He learned to breathe properly, improve posture, and adopt a positive mentality, which contributed to his progress.
• 🗣️ By engaging in conversations with over 3000 strangers, Bhandari not only improved his speech but also became a better listener.
• 🤝 Sharing vulnerabilities can encourage others to open up about their own challenges, fostering a sense of community.
• 🔄 Bhandari suggests the ABCs of overcoming challenges: Acknowledge and accept the challenge, Be bold in acting on it, and Consistently practice to make it permanent.
• 🏆 The speaker's journey illustrates that facing and acting on personal challenges can lead to personal growth and a more fulfilling life.

Q & A

What is the main challenge that the speaker has been facing since childhood?

The speaker has been facing the challenge of stuttering since childhood, which has made public speaking very difficult for him.

How long has the speaker been undergoing traditional speech therapy?

The speaker has been undergoing traditional speech therapy for more than seven years.

What is the impact of stuttering on the speaker's daily life?

Stuttering has impacted the speaker's life by making introductions, such as on the first day of class or a new semester, particularly challenging and sometimes leading to mockery or misunderstandings.

How has the speaker's experience with stuttering influenced his approach to public speaking?

The speaker's experience with stuttering has led him to seek out a speaking program that focuses on holistic reform, including proper breathing, posture, and a positive mentality, to improve his speech.

What significant change did the speaker make in 2018 to address his stuttering?

In 2018, the speaker found a speaking program that helped him to change his old habit of stuttering and replace it with eloquent speech.

How has the speaker's approach to his stuttering evolved over time?

Initially, the speaker wanted to hide his stuttering, but over time, he has learned to accept it and act on it with the support of friends and family.

What method did the speaker use to practice and improve his public speaking skills?

The speaker practiced by talking to strangers in malls, coffee shops, and on the streets, which helped him become more comfortable and eloquent.

How many strangers did the speaker talk to in less than 10 months as part of his practice?

The speaker talked to more than 3000 strangers in less than 10 months.

What is the significance of the speaker's interaction with strangers?

Interacting with strangers helped the speaker realize that he is not alone, and it made him a more compassionate listener as people opened up about their own challenges and shared their personal stories.

What are the 'ABCs' the speaker mentions as pragmatic ways to deal with challenges?

The 'ABCs' the speaker mentions are: A - Acknowledge and accept your challenge, B - Be bold enough to act on it, and C - Consistency in practice to make changes permanent.

What message does the speaker convey about portraying oneself on social media versus reality?

The speaker conveys that while people often portray themselves as perfect on social media, in reality, everyone has their own imperfections and challenges.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Overcoming Stuttering Through Public Speaking

The speaker, Bhandari, begins by requesting the audience to introduce themselves by their first names, highlighting the challenge of stuttering. Bhandari shares his personal journey with stuttering since childhood and the difficulties it has posed in his life, such as public speaking and introducing himself. He mentions his experience with traditional speech therapy and watching 'The King's Speech' for inspiration. The speaker also discusses the societal stigma attached to stuttering, where people can laugh at it without feeling guilty. Despite the challenges, Bhandari expresses his desire to be a fluent speaker and his attempts to hide his stuttering. He shares a sample of his speech to demonstrate his condition and concludes by stating that he found a speaking program in 2018 that helped him realize the need for a holistic approach to change his stuttering habits.

05:04

🌟 Transforming Challenges into Eloquent Speech

In the second paragraph, Bhandari talks about his transformation from a stutterer to an eloquent speaker. He explains how he learned to breathe properly, improve his posture, and adopt a positive mentality to overcome his speech impediment. With the support of friends and family, he started conversing with strangers in malls, coffee shops, and on the streets, which was initially a daunting task. Over time, he engaged with over 3000 strangers in less than 10 months, which not only improved his speech but also made him a compassionate listener. Bhandari emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and accepting one's challenges, being bold enough to act on them, and practicing consistency to achieve change. He concludes by encouraging the audience to replace bad habits with good ones and to face their challenges proactively.

Keywords

💡Stuttering

Stuttering is a speech disorder characterized by disruptions in the normal flow of speech, including repetitions of sounds, syllables, or words, and involuntary prolongations of sounds. In the video, the speaker shares their personal experience of living with stuttering, which has been a significant challenge for them, especially in public speaking situations. The speaker's journey to overcome stuttering is central to the video's theme of personal growth and overcoming adversity.

💡Public Speaking

Public speaking refers to the act of addressing an audience in a formal setting, often with the purpose of informing, persuading, or entertaining. The video highlights the difficulty the speaker faces with public speaking due to their stuttering, which is a common fear for many people. The speaker's struggle and eventual progress in this area underscore the video's message of facing and overcoming personal challenges.

💡Challenge

A challenge, in this context, refers to a difficult task or problem that needs to be overcome. The video's speaker discusses their stuttering as a personal challenge that they have faced throughout their life. The narrative revolves around the idea that challenges, when acknowledged and addressed, can lead to significant personal growth and development.

💡Therapy

Therapy, in the context of the video, refers to the treatment or healing process, particularly for speech disorders like stuttering. The speaker mentions undergoing traditional speech therapy for over seven years, indicating the long-term commitment and effort required to manage their condition.

💡King's Speech

The King's Speech is a film that tells the story of King George VI overcoming his stammer with the help of a speech therapist. The speaker mentions watching this film multiple times, likely for inspiration and to relate to the experiences of someone else who has faced a similar speech impediment.

💡Eloquent Speech

Eloquent speech is characterized by articulate and persuasive expression, often with a clear and pleasing style. The speaker's goal to move from stuttering to eloquent speech represents a transformation in their communication skills and a significant achievement in their personal journey.

💡Mentality

Mentality refers to a person's attitude or mindset. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of shifting one's mentality to a positive one as part of the process of overcoming stuttering. This change in mindset is presented as a key component in the speaker's journey towards fluent speech.

💡Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and engaged in the moment. The speaker mentions being mindful of each step in their process of improving their speech, suggesting that attention to detail and presence in the moment are crucial for personal development and overcoming obstacles.

💡Vulnerability

Vulnerability is the state of being open to attack or damage but, in a personal context, it often refers to the willingness to show one's weaknesses or emotions. The speaker shares their vulnerability by discussing their stuttering and the impact it has had on their life, which in turn helps others to open up about their own challenges.

💡Compassionate Listener

A compassionate listener is someone who not only hears but also empathizes with the speaker's experiences and emotions. The video's speaker becomes a compassionate listener as they engage in conversations with strangers, sharing their own experiences and encouraging others to do the same.

💡ABCs

In the video, the speaker introduces the ABCs as a pragmatic approach to dealing with challenges: Acknowledge and Accept the challenge, Be bold enough to act on it, and Consistency in practice. This framework is presented as a simple yet effective method for addressing and overcoming personal obstacles.

Highlights

The speaker, Bhandari, introduces himself as a person who stutters and has faced public speaking challenges.

Bhandari has been undergoing traditional speech therapy for over seven years.

He has watched 'The King's Speech' more than ten times for inspiration.

Stuttering is a challenge that people can laugh at without feeling guilty.

Bhandari never enjoyed the first day of class or the start of a new semester due to the need to introduce himself.

He has been mocked for not being able to say his name quickly enough.

Bhandari's stutter has led to assumptions that he is under the influence of drugs.

He has always wanted to be a fluent speaker and hide his stutter.

Bhandari found a speaking program that helped him realize the need for a radical reform in his speech.

He learned to breathe properly, fix his posture, and shift his mentality to a positive one.

Bhandari started talking to strangers to practice his speech.

He has spoken to over 3000 strangers in less than 10 months.

Talking to strangers has become more fun and easier for Bhandari.

Bhandari's vulnerability in speaking has encouraged others to share their personal stories.

He has become a compassionate listener through his conversations.

Bhandari emphasizes that everyone has their own imperfections and challenges.

He introduces the ABCs method to deal with challenges: Acknowledge, Be bold, Consistency.

Bhandari encourages replacing bad habits with new ones and not waiting for urgency.

He asks the audience to consider their next challenge.

Bhandari ends with a powerful message and receives applause.

Transcripts

[Music]

ma mmm how couldn't Bhandari is my name

before I start I have one request for

you all to introduce yourself by saying

your first name so the person's sitting

right next to you such a first name

thank you very much my presence on this

stage is very unlikely because I am a

person who stutters

I started to start her since I was kid

and public speaking has always been a

toughest challenge for me I have known

traditional speech therapy for more than

seven years and if you are wondering yes

I have watched King's Speech for more

than like ten times to all times

stuttering is the singular impediment at

which people can laugh it very

comfortably and still feel okay

doing the introduction is a toughest

challenge for anyone who stuttered

specially saying their name I never

enjoyed going to the first day of the

class or first date of the semester just

because I have to introduce myself

several times I have been mocked for not

saying my name fast enough as a normal

speaker does people have joked that if I

have forgotten my own name or if I am

like drunk all the time

so this mere task of saying my name has

impacted my life in so many ways once I

have been pulled over and immediately

interrogated for the possible use of

drugs since I blogged on the first sound

to say my name I always wanted to be a

fluent speaker

I always wanted to hide my starter in

hope that someday somehow my starter

will magically disappear but still time

like here stirring right let me show you

the sample of my speech

[Music]

sometimes small steps lead to a big

change last year made 2018

I found a speaking program that has

helped me to realize that I needed a

radical reform in a holistic way to

change my old habit of stuttering and

replace it with fluent not fluent but

eloquent speech I have learned to

breathe properly I have learned to fix

my posture I have learned to shift my

mentality mentality to the positive one

and I have learned to be mindful of each

and every step so whatever I'm doing it

being honest has convinced me to accept

my speech challenge and has also

provided the will to act on it with

immense support from my friend and

Families then I started to talk to

strangers they're swapping mall coffee

shops and even during walking on the

streets that that the task of talking to

strangers which used to be really really

mortal and dreadful then now started to

feel more fun and for and more easier

with the persistence time and effort I

have talked to more than 3000 strangers

in less than 10 months this conversation

has convinced me that I am NOT alone

sowing my vulnerability has made people

to open up talk about their own

challenges and share their personal

stories this has not only made me a

eloquent speaker but it has also made me

a compassionate listener

often we'd like to portray ourselves

there's a perfect human being in social

media but in reality we all have our own

imperfection we all have our own

challenges

people need dramatic examples to shake

them out of their comfort zone but in

reality reality there are some pragmatic

ways to deal with your challenges

I call them ABCs a acknowledge and

accept your challenge for me it was my

speech it was my stutter so I accepted

that I have a challenge B be bold enough

to act on it I always believed in the

notion that first do it then do it right

then do it better so for me I took that

extra step to approach complete

strangers and started a conversation see

consistency a practice makes everything

permanent we don't have to win each and

every battle but we have to learn how to

face your fears we have to learn to take

that challenge and initiate your actions

so let's replace our bad habits with the

new ones let's not wait for the sense of

urgency until it's too late

what is your next challenge thank you

very much

[Applause]

[Applause]