Ice Breaker speech by Victor Tan

Ice Breaker speech by Victor Tan:

Introduction

Fellow toastmasters, today I want to introduce to you a person that I used to know, someone whom I hold close to my heart, someone who I missed so much and someone whom I hope soon can be a part of my life again.

He is always happy, full of imagination and adventurous. He makes fun of himself and likes to keep life as lightweightas possible. He is also light hearted, humorous and creativeas well. And most of the time he is liked by many because he is positive and happy go lucky. I believe he used to see the best in people around him and he wish people see the best in him as well. He was a fun and protective brother, a chivalrous friend, and a stranger you can trust.

He is very passionate in the things that he likes. He loves cars a lot (he even wishes his first car goodnight), he love comics and games. He didn’t like girls at the beginning; he loved them too much after. He loves poetry, pretty useful to woo girls. He has plenty of friends. He didn’t like books alot. Didn’t like maths until his teacher challenged him to at least pass an exam in which he excelled. Didn’t like accounting until he has to teach his girlfriend at that point in which he excelled again. He likes a good challenge and is very much motivated by love. And he has one simple dream and that is to have a happy family. 

Content

That someone I used to know is no longer the same or at least he is no longer as colourful and full of life as before. 

You see, life throw things at you that is what life doessometimes.  It is how you respond to it that shapes you day after day year after years. Growing up, the person I used to know has changed after the colours that he sees in life didn’t turn out to be as colourful or simple as he portrayed in his mind. After his trust is betrayed, after failing to accomplish certain expectations, after a few heart breaks and after witnessing money separates kinships and friendships he is no longer the same.

Fun has turned into fear, imagination and creativity has turned into logic, humour has turned to seriousness,happiness has turned into dollar signs and his passion for living has turned into a flat line perspective in life. 

If life is like Toastmasters, filled with positive guidance, forgiveness, compassion and purpose… it would be a whole different story. But more often than not, the environment that we grow in isn’t as nurturing or as encouraging.  And because life is merciless, it has become a constant struggle of who you should be and sometimes it is hard to be the best version of yourself.

Only recently I started having glimpse of him again. Through my son’s eyes I see how important it is to be that someone I used to know. Not afraid to climb the giant steps ahead. Ever so curious about his surroundings and having a hunger to learn. Always exploring and filling the world with imagination. Mischievous, cheeky and not afraid of challenges. I can see the burning passion in his eyes when he plays, and his unconditional love from his smile when he sees me and my wife and from his tears when he misses us. He reminds me what love is all about in its simplest and purest form, as how it should be. All those qualities and passion for life.

Conclusion

There is a saying that life is our greatest teacher. I used to believe it and I thought life has made me stronger and matured. Actually now if you asked me, it is not entirely true. It has made me weaker. It has made me forgotten my core values and perception in life. Most of us are stronger when we are ourselves, when we can be the way that we were built and not the way life or society influences us to be. It is ironic but true, today my son has become my greatest teacher.

I miss the me that I used to know and my son has given me the courage to be myself again. If he can do it, I can too. And hopefully he can be this way longer than I had. And I wish to invite everyone who feels the same as I do to take one step forward today. Bring a part of yourself back; bring your childhood dreams back to life or breathe life to a part of you that you have long forgotten. Don’t let that girl or boy in you be forgotten and become someone you used to know.