Things I’m Passionate About - Speech

David Brooks, past International Speech Champion advises that the best speeches are written down word-for-word. I'd like to share my speech from the Toastmasters Competent Communicator manual project #1, The Ice-Breaker.

“The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions. Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809 - 1892)

Mr. Toastmaster, fellow Toastmasters, welcomed guests, as we enter into the season of gift-giving I believe the greatest gift we have ever received is the gift of CHOICE. We all have a choice in life, we can choose to complain about the hand that life has dealt us, or, we can choose to make the most of our personal experiences. I have committed myself to live a happy life...I have chosen to live a life with purpose. I have made up my mind that whatever I do, I will do it, with passion. 

You may have heard the saying, “A man is known, not by what he says but by what he does” and so I would like to share with you some of my life’s passions.

1) When I was a teenager growing up in the United Kingdom I set myself a lifelong ambition; to visit every country in the world all 195 of them! I love to travel.  So far I have been to 17 countries. I have visited Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, Venezuela, Suriname, Grenada, St. Vincent, Jamaica, Barbados, Canada, Bahamas. Turks & Caicos. I’ve lived in 4 countries, Trinidad & Tobago, the country of my birth, United Kingdom, Guyana and now in the USA. I have been fortunate enough to go on two Caribbean cruises in the past 12 months. Plans are now in the works to do a ‘road-trip’ a drive from New Jersey to California and back.

2) I love being musical, both singing and playing instruments – my Dad is a music teacher; he taught me that my body is the greatest musical instrument! The ABC of music is the Diatonic Scale also known as Sol-fa. (Sung) Doh re mi fa sol la ti doh’, doh’ ti la sol fa mi re doh. That is what I sing to maintain focus when I run.

HarTech Craft Artisans

3) I love creating things with my hands, being a self-taught carpenter I’ve built 4 built-in closets, and numerous small construction projects around my home. I became a telecommunications technician while living and finishing school in the UK because I wanted to use my hands. 10 years later, In 1984 I started a leather handicraft business and worked together with my wife building that business for 12 years. Two months ago I built a workshop to start making leather products again on a part-time basis and also to paint when so inspired.  Samples of the unique handcrafted creations and one-of-a-kind, personalized designs that HarTech Artisans makes can soon be found on www.etsy.com  20% of all profits from this activity goes to The Light Of Pearl Foundation www.lightofpearl.org a children’s cancer and education charity founded in memory of my Mom, Pearl Lucille Harvey, who passed away 12/23/1968.

4) I love to run, not being very fast I moved up to longer and longer distances. Last month I completed my 14^th marathon and I have devoted all my running to raise funds for charity. I recently joined forces with a wonderful charity called Running on Love http://www.active.com/donate/NJM2011/Team1JHarvey to raise funds for the Light of Pearl Foundation…. My long term goal is to run at least one marathon each year for the next 25 years.

5) And finally through my experience with Toastmasters, I have grown to love public speaking.  As part of my purposeful living I have chosen to devote myself to speaking to inspire. In sharing my life experience it is my hope that others are inspired, not just to float through life but to make waves.

What are you passionate about?  Don’t keep it to yourself, share it!

All I have done, all I have yet to accomplish, can be encapsulated in this statement of pure gratitude by John Bradford; “There but for the grace of God go I.”   

Mr. Toastmaster.