BECOME WHAT YOU BELIEVE

(Contest speech presented at Area Z3 International Speech Contest on 27 March at Katong Toastmasters Club)

Last year my friend gave me this book for Christmas because she knows that I love cakes. But what she didn’t know was that I can’t bake! When I flipped through the book, I would drool over each picture but to even think about baking them, I was overwhelmed to say the least. The recipes looked daunting and the ingredients list alone was enough to scare the living daylights out of me.

Good evening, fellow toastmasters and friends. Have any of you ever wished you could do something (like public speaking or paint or pole dance) but gave up trying even before you started simply because it seemed too daunting? Well, I totally understand how you feel.

It felt the same for me with regards to baking. My 3 best friends were wonderful bakers and would frequently whatsapp pictures of their culinary feats. And the worst thing? They would tell me how easy it is. How many of you here think baking is easy? Exactly my point! How can baking be easy? To prove her point, my friend Sharon gave us a hands-on demonstration at her house to bake Japanese light cheesecake. Her experience and deftness in measuring, sifting, beating sure made it look easy! 

I still had my reservations but I didn’t want to give up. A toastmaster never gives up! How else can you become a DTM? You must be Determined. I remember a quote by Henry Ford,

If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.

So I was determined to learn baking. I decided to make a cake that did not require baking. Did you even know there was such a thing? Amazing isn’t it? I embarked on my ‘baking journey’ by making a no bake cheesecake.  I googled for recipes and watched some youtube videos, went out excitedly to buy all the ingredients and equipment and I was ready to go.

Crush some biscuits and mix with butter to make the base, put it in the fridge to chill. Make the filling by beating cream cheese with some condensed milk, vanilla essence and lemon juice together. Pour onto the base, put into the fridge to set for a few hours and viola, I have just made a cheesecake! It was life transforming!

Now I could eat as much cake as I wanted, whenever I wanted. Of course I also shared the bounty with my family members. I am happy to report there were no instances of diarrheoa or food poisoning. My success spurred me on and I volunteered to make a cheesecake for my brother-in-law’s birthday.  I made an oreo cheesecake which received raving reviews. After that, I made another one for my niece’s birthday. It started to have a snowball effect.  

mini chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting 

Later I moved on to baking cakes and cupcakes using cake mix. After I was comfortable with using the oven to bake, I started learning how to make cupcakes from scratch.  Tonight, I am delighted to share with you my handiwork.

This exciting journey in baking reveals how our attitudes affect our actions. Do you believe that you can do it? Then you can. You will do whatever it takes to make it happen! If you believe you can become a DTM, then you will become a DTM, because you will work hard to make it happen. I want to urge all of you, believe in yourself and you will become what you believe.

Is there is a mountain you want to climb? Go climb it. Is there is a marathon you want to run? Go run it. Is there is contest you want to win? Go win it! Don’t allow your fears, your doubts and your self-limiting beliefs to hold you back. If you don’t succeed the first time, try try again.

When I first became a toastmaster, I never thought I could take part in speech contests and win. The speakers at the first club I had joined were very strong speakers. Every year they would sweep the trophies. Nevertheless I kept taking part in contest every year until one year I was finally placed 2^nd runner up. A small victory.  Many years later, many contests later, and many small victories later, I emerged as champion at a club humorous speech contest, beating the strong speaker who has been winning every single year ( he was my mentor!). It was such a sweet success to savour, it’s not every day that you get to surpass your mentor. 

Now when club members tell me they don’t want to take part in contests because they are not good enough, I always tell them, To start, you don’t have to be good but to be good, you must start!

There are inspiring examples all around us, of people who have overcome the odds to achieve great things in their lives, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Nelson Mendela, Nic Vijucic, because they believed in themselves, they didn’t give up.  We too can become what we believe. All we have to do is start somewhere. It doesn’t matter if it’s something as small as baking a cake, or as big as changing the world, just believe in yourself and start somewhere.

One flower at a time, a garden is created.

One brick at a time, a house is built.

One speech at a time, a toastmaster is shaped.

One contest at a time, a champion is born.