“Leave a lasting memory, use as few words as possible and strive with every fiber of your being to avoid being the type of person who rambles on and on with no end in sight more likely than not causing more listeners to sit and think to themselves. Oh my goodness! Can somebody please make this stop?”
(applause)
Be honest! You enjoyed that, didn’t you? Now, please do me a favor! Recite that entire title off your head right now. Go! Not all at once.
Wait a minute. Do you mean to tell me that you cannot remember all 57 of the words and that title? Neither can I. But do you know what that proves? Just because you say more doesn’t mean people will remember what you say.
Thank you, contest chair, toastmasters and guests.
Outside of a toastmasters club, I actually do not talk a lot. I’ve always been called a quiet person. In fact, if you went back in time to my college and told the other students, “One day, Aaron Beverly can will speak in front of over a thousand people at a toastmasters convention.” They will say, ” Wow that’s amazing! Aaron can talk!”
And ever since I was a kid, people always told me, “Aaron, you need to say more!””Aaron, you need to speak up more! People won’t remember what you are saying unless you say more!” And, I remember thinking to myself. Is that true? Is it bad to be a quiet person? Are we truly judged by how much we say? Or, is it what we say that counts?
I remember a former colleague of mine from work. His name was Austin. The year was 2013, early in the morning, me and Austin were standing at the bus stop waiting for the bus that takes us to work. Now, the bus driver, she was about 35 to 40 years old. Everyday, her bus would pull up, she would open the bus doors and she would greet every passengers in the nicest way possible like this (acting). She was actually the meanest person I have ever met in my life. Do you know what the passengers called her? Bus lady of Doom! The only time I’ve ever heard her laugh was the day she someone at the bus station. Just mean and grumpy for no reason! Have you ever met anyone like this? There we are, me and Austin standing at the bus stop, bus pulls up, bus doors open and there she is. What happened next I still cannot believe. Austin hopped on the bus but he stopped, he turned. He looked at the bus lady of doom in the eye and he said, ” How are you today, beautiful?” Then, the bus lady of doom did the weirdest thing, she did this (acting).
I’m not going to laugh. When I saw that I was a little scared. But with the few words, Austin turned someone mean and grumpy into someone happy. He reminded me of the time when I made someone happy with just a few words. When I was still living with my mom, I walked up to her one day and I said the words that all parents dream about,”Mom, I’m moving out of the house!” My mom said, “Yes!” I’m joking. She was way more excited than that! Now, I have not seen Austin in three years but he reminded me back then and today. A few words, they can make people happy but they can do more. They can bring pain and sorrow, prejudice and hate but also peace and love, pride and inspiration. And, within that realm of inspiration, a few words can do something extraordinary.
I’m in my toastmaster club. It’s time for the best part of the meeting that every toastmaster loves – Table topics! The topics master stood on the stage, he called out, “May I please have the first volunteer here?” There was one hand but that hand was special because it belonged to a young, soft-spoken young lady named Michelle. Michelle was from China. She was attending college in America, 19 years old. And, speaking in front of the audience terrified her but there she was standing in that stage. The topics master read the questions, “What was the greatest moment of your life?” And, she froze for what must have felt like eternity to her. All she could do was staring at the floor. 10 seconds passed and she still could not speak. 20 seconds passed, her lips again to tremble. 30 seconds passed, she cried. I’m sitting in the audience. I’m watching this happens to her and I’m heart broke until she finally spoke and she shared the greatest moment of her life. “When my mom said, she believed me.” What can you say to that? Those words were spoken by years ago and I still remember them. Michelle. She may remember her mother’s word for the rest of her life because a few words they can touch your heart. So, ladies and gentlemen, I believe that it’s okay to be a quiet person to be a quiet person, to be soft-spoken, to not say that much because when it comes to being remembered. I’ve learned and you’ve proven. Just because you say more, people will remember what you say. So, let’s make the words we do say count. You’ll be surprised how long people remember a few words.
Speak Act 