Aditya Maheswaran - World Championship of Public Speaking 2017 - Finals

Aditya Maheswaran

16 Sept 201707:44

Summary

TLDRAditya Mahesh Ferran shares his journey from being labeled as 'potential guy' to finding fulfillment. He humorously recounts his struggles in academics, music, and love, where he was always told he had potential but never quite achieved excellence. His turning point comes when his father enrolls him in Toastmasters, where he initially fails but eventually learns to lose himself in the process of speaking, rather than trying to find a speaker within. This shift leads him to excel, find love, and embrace the philosophy of losing oneself to truly find one's potential.

Takeaways

🔍 The protagonist was constantly searching for his potential in various aspects of life, symbolized by the term 'serial finder'.
🎓 He faced the recurring theme of being told he had 'potential' but never quite achieving excellence, which was discouraging.
🎸 His attempt to learn guitar ended with him being labeled as having potential, but not being able to play well, which added to his frustration.
💔 The rejection from his dream girl, who also told him he had potential, made him question his self-worth and search for identity.
🗣️ He was encouraged to join Toastmasters to find his potential as a speaker, which led to another journey of self-discovery.
💡 A pivotal moment occurred when he failed at a Toastmasters meeting, leading to a conversation that changed his perspective.
🌟 His father's advice to 'lose himself' in activities rather than just trying to find his potential within them was a turning point.
🎭 The realization that historical figures like Beethoven and Shakespeare didn't 'find' their talents but lost themselves in their craft was enlightening.
💡 He learned that losing oneself in the process of doing something is more important than just trying to find one's potential.
🌈 By embracing the idea of losing himself in his pursuits, he started to find success and fulfillment in various areas of life.
🌟 The story concludes with a message that potential is realized not by seeking it, but by immersing oneself fully in one's passions and interests.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the speech?
-The main theme of the speech is about realizing one's potential by losing oneself in the pursuit of passion and purpose, rather than merely seeking to find oneself.
Why did the speaker feel like he was a 'serial finder'?
-The speaker felt like a 'serial finder' because he was always searching for different aspects of himself, like being a student, a guitarist, and a speaker, but never fully committing to any of them.
What was the turning point for the speaker in his Toastmasters journey?
-The turning point was when the general evaluator, after praising everyone else, told the speaker that he had potential but did not explicitly say he could be a good speaker.
How did the speaker's father contribute to his Toastmasters experience?
-The speaker's father noticed his good communication skills and enrolled him into Toastmasters, which eventually led to his transformation.
What advice did the speaker receive from the evaluator that changed his perspective?
-The evaluator advised the speaker to stop trying to find the speaker in himself and instead to lose himself on stage.
What did the speaker mean when he said 'lose yourself'?
-The speaker meant that one should fully immerse themselves in their passion or pursuit without the pressure of finding a specific outcome or identity.
Why did the speaker feel devastated when the girl of his dreams told him he had potential?
-The speaker felt devastated because being told he had potential had become a recurring theme in his life, and it felt like a backhanded compliment that never led to actual achievement or recognition.
What historical figures did the evaluator mention to illustrate the concept of losing oneself?
-The evaluator mentioned Beethoven and Shakespeare, emphasizing that they did not find music or poetry but lost themselves in it, which led to their greatness.
How did the speaker's approach to guitar playing change after the Toastmasters experience?
-After the Toastmasters experience, the speaker decided to dust off his guitar and books not to find anything specific but to lose himself in the process.
What is the final message the speaker conveys to the audience?
-The final message is that everyone has potential, but to truly realize it, one must lose themselves in their passion and not just seek to find a specific identity or outcome.
What was the nickname given to the speaker at home and what did it imply?
-The nickname given to the speaker at home was 'the potential guy,' which was a fancy phrase implying that he was good for nothing, always having potential but never achieving it.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 The Struggle with Being 'Potential Guy'

The speaker, Aditya Mahesh Ferran, humorously recounts his lifelong quest to find his potential in various pursuits. Despite being told he had potential by teachers and parents, he never quite achieved excellence in academics, music, or relationships. This narrative captures the frustration of being labeled as having potential but never quite reaching it. His story is a relatable one for many who have struggled with the expectations of others and the pressure to find their true calling.

05:01

💡 The Transformation from 'Potential Guy' to 'Lost Guy'

Aditya's turning point comes when he meets a mentor who advises him to stop trying to find himself and instead to lose himself in his passions. This advice leads to a profound realization that true success and fulfillment come from immersing oneself fully in what they love, rather than constantly seeking validation or searching for one's identity. The speaker's journey from a 'serial finder' to a 'serial loser' (in the sense of losing himself in his passions) illustrates the power of fully committing to one's interests and the joy that comes from such dedication.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Potential

In the video, 'potential' is repeatedly used to describe someone who is capable of achieving something great but hasn't yet realized it. The speaker, Aditya, is referred to as 'the potential guy,' which means that while he shows promise, he has yet to fully succeed in his pursuits. This concept ties into the theme of constantly striving to find oneself but feeling incomplete or unfulfilled.

💡Finding oneself

The idea of 'finding oneself' is central to the video's narrative. Aditya spends much of his life searching for different identities—a good student, guitarist, speaker, and lover—but struggles because he is focused on seeking external validation. The speaker emphasizes that true fulfillment comes not from finding oneself, but from losing oneself in a passion or pursuit, suggesting a shift from external search to internal engagement.

💡Losing oneself

'Losing oneself' contrasts with the concept of 'finding oneself' in the video. The speaker shares how mentors advised him to stop trying to find a speaker or a guitarist within himself, and instead lose himself in those activities. Losing oneself here means becoming fully immersed and passionate about something, without worrying about the outcome. This idea marks a turning point for the speaker, who begins to succeed when he stops overthinking his potential and simply engages with the process.

💡Adrenaline

Adrenaline in this context refers to the excitement and energy the speaker experiences when engaging with a captivated audience. It represents the joy and passion that comes from 'losing oneself' in an activity, in this case, public speaking. The energy from the audience fuels the speaker’s performance, helping him become a better speaker without consciously seeking that improvement.

💡Mentorship

Mentorship plays an important role in the speaker's journey. Aditya turns to a mentor for guidance after struggling to find success. His mentor encourages him to shift his mindset from trying to find something in himself to losing himself in his passions. This advice helps Aditya break free from his 'potential guy' label and make meaningful progress in his pursuits. Mentorship, thus, is shown as a key element in personal growth and development.

💡Serial finder

Aditya refers to himself as a 'serial finder,' someone who has spent his life trying to discover different identities within himself—whether as a student, guitarist, or speaker. The term emphasizes his constant search for self-definition, but it also underscores the futility of this approach, as it leads him to dissatisfaction. His transformation occurs when he stops searching and starts immersing himself in activities.

💡Guitar class

The guitar class represents one of Aditya's early attempts to find himself by learning a new skill. Despite practicing for a year, he fails to achieve success like his peers, which reinforces his frustration as a 'potential guy.' The guitar class is an example of how he is trying to force an identity upon himself, rather than allowing himself to naturally grow into it through passion and effort.

💡Toastmasters

Toastmasters, a public speaking organization, is introduced as a setting where Aditya is enrolled to develop his communication skills. It becomes the stage where he starts to explore being a speaker but initially struggles. Through Toastmasters, he confronts his own limitations and, with the help of a mentor, learns to lose himself in the act of speaking, marking the start of his transformation.

💡Evaluation

Evaluation, particularly in the context of Toastmasters, is presented as a turning point for Aditya. Initially, he feels discouraged when an evaluator critiques his speech. However, the evaluation becomes a moment of growth, as it helps him realize that he’s been too focused on seeking approval rather than truly enjoying the process. This feedback helps him shift his mindset from finding a speaker within to losing himself in the act of speaking.

💡Love

The concept of love appears both in terms of Aditya's personal relationships and as a metaphor for passion. In one example, Aditya tries to find love by confessing his feelings to a girl, only to be told that he has 'potential.' This reflects his earlier frustrations with never being 'enough.' Later, when he talks about 'losing himself' in love, it represents a deeper, more authentic connection with both people and passions, contrasting with his earlier mindset of trying to achieve or win something.

Highlights

The speaker humorously describes himself as a 'serial finder', always seeking to discover something new about himself.

The speaker's academic life was a 'treasure hunt', with his report card always hinting at potential but not achievement.

His mother's attempt to find a guitarist in him by enrolling him in guitar class.

The realization that he was nicknamed 'the potential guy', a term that meant he was good for nothing.

The moment he decided to find a girlfriend and the humorous outcome of his romantic confession.

The devastating realization that he was seen as 'potential' even in his romantic pursuits.

The speaker's father recognizing his communication skills and enrolling him in Toastmasters.

The challenge of the table topic 'heart has its reasons that reason knows nothing off' at Toastmasters.

The turning point where the general evaluator's praise leads to a breaking point for the speaker.

The advice from the evaluator to 'lose yourself' rather than trying to find something.

The profound insight that historical figures like Beethoven and Shakespeare lost themselves in their work, not just found it.

The speaker's transformation from a 'serial finder' to someone who loses himself in his passions.

The moment the speaker is recognized as a good speaker after losing himself in the performance.

The discovery of love while losing oneself in the company of another.

The decision to dust off the guitar and books not to find something new, but to lose oneself in them.

The final message that we remain 'potential' until we realize the importance of losing oneself in our passions.