Yes! I won the best speaker of the day in Utthishta Toastmasters.
Since July 2019, I had delivered 3 speeches, attempted few table topics, played table topic master, listener, timer, ah counter etc. Before I step on to the dais I always feel that I am very confident about myself and I can be the winner. Each time, I stepped on to dais I was less than an average. In-spite of my low performance, I was voting myself every time so that I can get my 1st ribbon (token of appreciation for any role or best speaker or evaluator). I knew all my life luck never played in my favor. Even though, these unlucky instances never made me to lose hopes. I had to work hard to get what I deserve. This time also turned out to be my hard work.
Being a wonderful mentor, TM Keerthan Bhat pushes me to take any kind of role. Every script I wrote for my past speeches, he said “it is a wonderful script” to keep my motivation level high. And then he suggests to alter my script. It might be 1% or 100% change. I never felt demotivated. He is in his final year Engineering classes at RV collage and his age would be around 21. His maturity is so high that he can convince anyone in any situation. His confidence in motivating people is ‘awesome’. He is indeed a wonderful mentor!
Keerthan, asked me to deliver L1P3 speech and advised me to write a script. This speech should be based on some research and data. I had to think a lot and spent few days just thinking what topic should I chose. Keerthan, sent me a whatsapp message asking any progress on my script. I said in another 24 hours I will send my script. After setting deadline of 24 hours, I jumped on to internet and kept on searching about some topics. For a moment, I felt I could write about myself on my addiction to my android phone. Later, I did some research and wrote a script approximately consisting of 1000 words and sent it to his review. As usual, he said it is wonderful script and suggested few changes and corrections. Also, he mentioned that if I deliver this script with more passion and with improved body language I can win Best Speaker of the day. This made me to challenge my self “why shouldn’t I be the Best Speaker. Let me try my luck and also will work hard. As it is my dream to win Best speaker”. I worked hard and practiced 5–8 times every day. It was easy for me to remember the script, as the examples for each data was on my own life experience. I continued to practice for next 2 weeks. On the day (28th March 2020) of my speech there were another two very good speakers. As usual, I kept my confidence level high and when MC called my name. I started…
“Good Evening toast masters and guests.
How many of you switched off your phone as soon as TM Maneesh instructed to switch off. If you have switched it off then you are THE GOD to me. We all know for a fact that if anyone ask to switch off our phones, we will just mute it. Isn’t it? After muting it, silently we keep on checking the messages. I do it every now and then. Am I the only one who is addicted so much. By the end of my speech let us see how many of you do exactly as I do.
What happens if I or someone take away your phone. Do you develop some kind of restlessness, or a kind of fear.
This fear is called as nomophobia. If expanded then it is easy to remember “No Mobile Phone Phobia”. No..Mo…PHO..BIA.
It was during my high-school days. Around 1996–99. I used to eagerly wait to meet my friends daily. We spent hours together sitting at some corner of the street and waiting for a beautiful girl who stayed at the opposite house. She was very fair and had curly hair. We used to brainstorm and discuss many ideas on “Who will propose her first and how, when etc etc”. We gave our 100% concentration on these discussions. Do you know now a days 52% of the teens sit with their friends and keep staring at their phones without talking a single word with each other. Teenagers who spend more than 5 hours a day using their electronic devices are 71% more likely to have suicidal tendencies compare to those who use, less than 1 hour.
Another fact which might look very scary is, among 100 students of 8th standard who are heavy users of social media, 27 of them are more likely to go into depression.
Do you know the 3rd most conflict happen between parents and their teen children is because of using smartphones.
I know some parents here might be angry with me. Don’t worry I will talk about myself. It was at the time of initial days of my marriage in 2010. Instead of spending time with my wife Divya, I was spending more time with my phone. Playing games, chatting with my past girlfriends and many more. Divya kept an eye on me. Whenever she saw me holding phone, she was getting irritated. She never expressed it, whereas I sensed her irritation. Before I could correct myself, One day all of a sudden from no where, she put out her anger by shouting in tulu “mobiledottude madhime avoli ithndatha, enan daaye madhime ayini. Dinala tuku tuku malthode kullu”. She said “why did you marry me, instead you should have married that tuk tuk mobile and keep doing tuku tuku with it”. 80% of smartphone users check their phone within one hour of going to sleep or after waking up. Even in nights when I used to wakeup between sleep, I check my phone. It is not only me, there are about 40% of people in this world who do this. Strange people. Arent’ they. It is like, even though if you didn’t hear the door bell ringing, you go and open the door just to see who is there. For the people like us, Nimhans doors are always open. No need to ring the door bell.
You know 71% of us sleep with our phones. Divya will be on left, phone will be on right. Manytimes, keeping my eyes closed, I make sure my phone is next to me, instead of Divya. Whenever she saw me do this she says “Haalag hogu” “Go to hell”.
How many times you have kissed your wife in a day. or in a week. I know none of us wants to disclose it. Even though the number is 0 or more than 100. Do you know how many times you touch your phone just swiping or tapping. It is 2617 times in one single day. If I would have touched Divya so many times, she would have been the happiest figure in this world.
These are only few facts from the studies carried out by various research institutes like delloite, statista, Cambridge dictionary, Cnet etc . There are 100s of such statistics available at your finger tips.
Now a days I say to Divya “Every Saturday atleast for about 2 hours I don’t touch or see my phone. Because of Toastmaster club. See I am improving”
Toastmasters and guests, instead of turning into nomophobians let us try to be Homo Sapiens.
If someone ask to switchoff your phone. Will you swithoff or keep it on mute? I know if you switch it off, you cannot vote me for the best speaker of the day. Keep it on mute as of now.”
I took a long breath and sat on my chair with peace and I did not attempt of reviewing my performance in my thoughts. I just forgot everything and concentrated on the meeting proceedings. I knew I might not win, but kept my hopes intact. By the end of the meeting, Presiding officer started to announce the winners of the day. Suddenly, I became conscious and nervous. He said “The best speaker of the day who gave the speech on Nomophobia, he is TM Yashaswi”.
Keerthan texted me latter “We had discussed that you will get best speaker 3 weeks before. It came true”.
Yes! I won the best speaker of the day in Utthishta Toastmasters.
If you dream about something & work hard towards it, then even luck, time and universe will all get together and helps you in achieving it.
Have bigger dreams and work hard towards it! For sure, you will win.
by Yashaswi J
