“Turn Around” by Zifang “Sherrie” Su, 2018 World Championship of Public Speaking® 2nd Place Winner
Summary
TLDRSherrie Su shares her journey of overcoming fear through personal anecdotes and the power of communication. From witnessing her parents' tumultuous relationship to facing her own fears in relationships and public speaking, Sherrie's story highlights the transformative impact of confronting, rather than avoiding, what scares us. Her Toastmasters experience, where she met her future husband, illustrates how embracing challenges can lead to personal growth and happiness.
Takeaways
- 🌟 'Turn Around' is a speech by Sherrie Su that uses the metaphor of a stage to represent life's challenges and the importance of facing fears.
- 😨 Sherrie's childhood was marked by fear due to her parents' constant fighting, which led her to avoid confrontation by turning away.
- 🏠 The pivotal moment when Sherrie was forced to choose between her parents at the age of seven was a significant source of her fear and avoidance.
- 💔 Sherrie's fear of relationships was rooted in her parents' tumultuous marriage, which lasted for 15 years and deeply affected her.
- 🏙️ After college, Sherrie's move to a big city was an attempt to escape her past, but she found loneliness there, which was even scarier than her fears.
- 🗣️ Sherrie's friend Lily introduced her to Toastmasters, a public speaking club, which initially seemed as daunting as her other fears.
- 👦 Meeting Jim at Toastmasters was a turning point; despite initial fears, Sherrie found him to be endearing and supportive.
- 🔄 The internal struggle Sherrie faced with Jim, fearing the potential for a repeat of her parents' relationship, was a significant hurdle for her.
- 💑 Jim's persistence and understanding helped Sherrie to face her fears, leading to a successful relationship and marriage.
- 💬 Sherrie's experience with Toastmasters not only improved her communication skills but also played a crucial role in overcoming her fears and personal growth.
- 🌈 The speech concludes with a call to action, encouraging the audience to face their fears and turn around to embrace the potential for beauty and growth.
Q & A
What is the central theme of Sherrie Su's speech?
-The central theme of Sherrie Su's speech is overcoming fear by turning around to face it, rather than turning one's back on it.
Why did Sherrie feel scared as a child during dinner?
-Sherrie felt scared as a child because her parents were having a heated argument, which escalated to the point where her mother knocked over the bowls and plates, causing red tomato sauce to splash on the wall.
What difficult choice did Sherrie's mother present to her?
-Sherrie's mother presented her with the difficult choice of deciding whether to live with her mother or her father after she decided to leave.
How did Sherrie's childhood experiences with her parents' fighting affect her adult life?
-Sherrie's childhood experiences with her parents' fighting led her to fear relationships and people, causing her to turn her back on them, which in turn led to feelings of loneliness and misery.
What role did Toastmasters play in Sherrie's life?
-Toastmasters played a significant role in Sherrie's life by providing her with a supportive community and a platform to improve her communication skills, which helped her face her fears.
Who is Jim in the context of Sherrie's story?
-Jim is a member of Toastmasters who approached Sherrie and eventually became her support system, helping her to face her fears and leading to their marriage.
What advice did Jim give Sherrie regarding her fear of relationships?
-Jim advised Sherrie that what scares her now might bring her the most beautiful thing and encouraged her to give it a chance by turning around and facing her fears.
How did Sherrie's perspective on her parents change after marrying Jim?
-After marrying Jim, Sherrie's perspective on her parents changed as she and Jim became their marriage consultants, indicating a shift from fear to a position of support and guidance.
What is the significance of the tomato sauce on the wall in Sherrie's story?
-The tomato sauce on the wall symbolizes the chaos and fear in Sherrie's childhood home, and her father's question about cleaning it represents the burden of dealing with the aftermath of her parents' conflict.
What does Sherrie mean when she asks the audience if they are turning their back on their fear?
-Sherrie is encouraging the audience to confront their fears instead of avoiding them, drawing a parallel to her own experiences and the theme of her speech.
Outlines
🏠 Childhood Trauma and Turning Away
Sherrie Su shares a poignant childhood memory where she witnessed her parents' violent argument, leading to her mother's departure and a forced decision between her parents. This traumatic event instilled a deep fear in her, causing her to run away from her problems. The narrative illustrates the impact of such experiences on her life, as she grew up in a home that turned into a battlefield, and how she later escaped to live alone in a big city.
❤️ Overcoming Fear and Embracing Love
In the second paragraph, Sherrie recounts her initial apprehension towards relationships due to her past, which led her to push away Jim, a warm-hearted man she met at Toastmasters. However, with Jim's patient guidance and encouragement, she learns to face her fears and turns around to embrace a relationship with him. The story culminates in their marriage and Sherrie's transformation into a confident individual who not only overcomes her fears but also helps her own parents with their marital issues.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Turn Around
💡Fear
💡Battlefield
💡Loneliness
💡Toastmasters
💡Relationships
💡Competent Communicators
💡Shadow
💡Marriage Consultants
💡Beautiful Smiley Faces
💡Stage
Highlights
Life is compared to a stage that can be bright but also scary.
The difficulty of facing fear head-on rather than turning away from it.
A childhood memory of parental conflict and being asked to choose a parent.
The emotional turmoil of witnessing domestic violence at a young age.
The impact of a chaotic home life on a child's sense of safety and belonging.
The speaker's escape to a big city after college as a means to flee from a troubled home.
The fear of relationships due to the speaker's past experiences.
The introduction to Toastmasters as a potential way to overcome fear.
An initial encounter with Jim at Toastmasters that sparks fear and hope.
The internal struggle with the fear of repeating parental mistakes in relationships.
Jim's encouragement to face fears and the possibility of a beautiful outcome.
The transformative moment when Jim physically turns the speaker around to face her fears.
The realization that facing fear can lead to positive changes and growth.
The unexpected outcome of marrying Jim and the humorous side of their relationship.
The speaker's new role as a marriage consultant to her own parents.
The importance of not turning one's back on fear but instead facing it.
The final message that current fears may lead to the most beautiful experiences.
Transcripts
Sherrie Su.
“Turn Around.”
“Turn Around.”
Sherrie Su.
Our life is like this stage.
It is bright, but sometimes it's scary.
It's easy to turn your back on your fear, but it's hard to turn around.
Contest chair, my friends—if you cannot see me on this stage, please just focus on
the screens.
I'm a little scared right now.
Have you ever turned your back on someone or something because you are scared?
When I was seven, I was only afraid of two people—my mom and dad.
One night, we were having noodles for dinner.
I could feel the soft light in the dining room, smell the tomato sauce, and hear my
mom's voice, “Sherrie, put all the top sticks on the table.”
“Yes,” and “Yum!
Mom, dad—let’s eat!”
I was eating, my parents were talking, but suddenly, “What's wrong with you?”
My mom stood up.
My dad's eyes grew wide.
“Don't do this in front the kid.”
I heard some bad words I didn't know the meaning of and some bad words I wish I didn't know
the meaning of.
All of a sudden, my mom knocked all the bowls and plates on the floor.
Red tomato sauce splashed all over the wall.
“Mom, dad, stop fighting, please.
I’m scared.”
My mom looked at me.
“Sherrie, I'm leaving.
Who do you want to live with—mom or dad?
Pick one.”
Can you imagine how I felt?
Pick one?
I turned around and ran to my room.
I heard my mom slam the door and left.
My dad came into my room and sat next to me.
“Baby, I know it's hard, but I have to ask you a serious question.
Do you know how to clean off the tomato sauce on the wall?”
Two months later, my mom came back!
A home, sweet, home became a battlefield again.
And that war continued for 15 years.
After college, I escaped to live in a big city alone.
People and relationships—they're scary, but when I turn my back on them, my dark lonely,
shadow scared me even more.
I was miserable and my only friend, Lily, told me, “Sherrie, come with me to Toastmasters.”
So I went to Toastmasters.
Such a scary place!
So many people clap their hands for no reason!
A guy named Jim approached me.
His little eyes were sparkling.
“Sherrie, if you want to know more about Toastmasters, you and I can have dinner together.”
Is he asking me out?
it's like a movie!
A horror movie!
But the more I got to know about Jim, the more I thought he's cute, funny, and warm-hearted.
But then I heard a little voice.
“You can handle relationship!
You're gunna hurt him and yourself!”
I turn my back on Jim.
“Let's just be friends!”
“Sherrie, why?”
“I don't want to ask my child one day, ‘Mom or dad—pick one.’”
“Sherrie, we are not your parents.
We are competent communicators.
What scares you now may bring you the most beautiful thing.
Give it a chance and turn around.
Jim held my arms and turn me around.
I look at him in the eye.
Wow!
It's not that scary anymore.
Jim turn my world around and now we are happily married!
Do you know what it's like to marry a Toastmaster?
All of our conversations are five-to-seven minutes long.
I'm not, I'm not even afraid of my parents anymore.
Jim and I became their marriage consultants.
I am scared now, but I wouldn't want to miss all your beautiful smiley faces.
Are you turning your back on your fear?
Our life is like this stage, but what scares are now may bring you the most beautiful thing.
Give it a chance and just…
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