2015 Toastmaster's Speeches Perth, Australia

Perth, Australia

SPEECH: Ice Breaker – Happiness

Before I start, I want to ask a couple of you to think of a few words about what happiness mean to you

One thing is for sure, Happiness is something we all want and we all crave. Even the Dalai Lama has said “the very purpose of life is to seek happiness” but What exactly is this elusive thing we call happiness?

Its an interesting word and concept which has led me to being here today, and why I'd like to talk to you about my life and what happiness means to me.

For many people in the western world, there isn’t much that we don’t have to strive to achieve. In comparison to much of the world – the difficulties have been taken away from us and replaced with options – from healthcare employment to education and marital status.

Why is it then, with this high standard of living and this many options, do the majority of people strive for more? Why do we want to be thinner, richer, smarter. Maybe it’s because once we achieve this, we'll have found elusive cure for unhappiness.

What if your very efforts to find happiness were actually preventing you from achieving it?

That is the concept I'm thinking a lot about of late while I reflect on my life, a good life but a life that has a common theme. As I summarise my life, see if you can identify the key to what I've been striving for:

It may be hard to believe, but I'm a kiwi! Born into a family who loved to travel. My brother and I did correspondence school for few years while the family travelled around nz in a converted bus and then again while we travelled the world in our pre-teens.

By the time I was 16, the family had the “been there done that” attitude with New Zealand and so we moved to Australia, a new country, new challenge.

I joined tafe, got into the hotel industry on the gold coast before getting bored, felt like I wanted to see more, I moved to Perth. Guess what? Got bored with that too..so moved to Brisbane.

That was 8 years ago.

I bet you're thinking well that’s a long time, isn’t she bored. Something happened in that time. I found my best mate, and now husband.

In the early years, our early 20s, Dave and I used to plan elaborately themed events to keep us occupied, Halloween, Christmas in July and kids themed adults parties to just name a few. They took 6 months to plan and implement, but by the time they were over we had already started planning the next one.

I soon realised that there was more efficient and effective ways to spend money and so an adult life began. We started property development. It started with one new build, then grew to 4 and as now has turned into a sideline business.

It's had its challenges and its rewards, a beautiful cliff top wedding in Bali followed by a year, 5 continent- round the world honeymoon.

Life is happy: got that, done that, been there… Great job in project management, new property challenges: life is busy. Busy means happy right? Or does it?

And that is the point my fellow toastmasters and my final point:

For me – Stop and smell the roses: yes it’s an oldly but a goodie. But I think that is the key to happiness. I have had a great life, but it’s taking the time to stop and realise it.

In my 28 years in this world, I'm only now just learning to be in the present, live in the present, and accept things for what they are. My aim now is to stop looking around the corner for the next thing without appreciating the current: Stop – listen – smell – touch – observe – enjoy.

So, I ask you again to reflect on what is happiness is to you.

How do you know you have achieved it?

Maybe you already have.

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SPEECH: Around the world from your living room.

Mr Toastmaster, members be guests.

WHAT AM I?

· Im a company

· I'm in 34,000 cities in 192 countries worldwide, but I'm probably next door.

· I could be in a yacht or a house boat, a penthouse or a farm shed, I could even be in one of the 600 castles scattered across the world!

· What if I told you I belonged to a trusted online community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world.

· My last clue, my name originates from an air mattress – combined with bed and breakfast

· Have you guessed what I am?

I am AirBnB. And if you're still wondering what AirBnB is, over the next 6 minutes I will explain the concept, our experience as a guest and the benefits of being a host.

AirBnB started in 2007 when a few American roomies realised that the market was saturated with expensive accommodation that didn't offer alternatives for the budget conscious or travellers wishing to network. As they couldn't afford the rent at their San Francisco loft, they decided to kill two birds with one stone and accommodate three strangers on air mattresses followed by a homemade breakfast.

Fast forward a few years and this ten billion dollar online accommodation site has turned into a company where the likes of you and me can book our holidays. It's a simple as searching a location on airbnb.com then filtering by:

Room type – entire place, private room or shared room

Price range and amenities

Property type – standard properties or non-standard such as caves, igloos and tepees

Host language, including sign language

Or even keywords, such as "oceanfront".

So with that in mind here's our experience, as a guest:

We came to hear about airbnb on our round the world adventure in 2013/14. I remember the day like it was yesterday. We had just started the backpacking leg in Norway. To say the 15 minute bus ride into Oslo cost us more than a campsite wouldn't be exaggerating. That particular weekend was saturated with uni students, so hostels weren't available.

Desperate to find somewhere, Tourist Information suggested AirBnB. The first night, staying in a complete strangers house was nerve racking. Then I realised, trust goes both ways. They have strangers in their house, trusted with their belongings. People all around the world are generally good people, notwithstanding there's the review system which keeps us all honest.

We had a few other key experiences that year.

About two months later, the family met up with us in New York for Christmas. With room hotel rates inflated by up to 700% over that period, a private AirBnB loft was our only option. Christmas was so much more homely with the opportunity to cook a turkey rather than a cold room service meal. We weren't the only ones, that same New Year, NYC had more than half a million people using AirBnB!

But the experience that made us decide to be hosts was in a little town in Bordeaux, France. Mona our host met us at the bus station, took us on a tour of the city and finished up by inviting us to an event she was attending that night. Trust me when I say most backpackers don't get many free opportunities to attend a French winemaker’s event. Wine, caviar and canapés, free AND flowing all night, sure we looked a little out of place in our trekking shoes next to the black ties. We met so many interesting people that night. We spoke a mixture of pigeon English, the three words I knew in French and sign language. Mona had an opportunity and she shared it.

Her kindness and willingness to make a difference to a stranger's holiday is something I'll never forget.

That brings me to my last point. Hosting. After returning back home, we decided to list our second bedroom on AirBnB. It's free to create a listing but has a 3% per booking service fee to cover money management and any disputes. As a host I can decide how much to charge per night. My house is promoted through descriptions, photographs, reviews and my is title: Your home away from home.

That's our aim for every guest that walks through the door. To make them feel as if they're in their home, where they can relax, cook real food and have coffee and toast in the morning. Every time our door opens, I could be the first contact this traveller has had in Brisbane or even Australia. I believe that's an opportunity, not a responsibility. I try to ensure their experience is a special one. Often a quick chat with a local will offer a tailor made experience, that Lonely Planet could never offer. I'd like to think I have made a difference to the lives of the 61 individuals, from 16 countries who have walked out our door.r

I love going to work and coming home to little notes on the back of scrap paper, for example this one from a French couple and their little girl Millie:

I'll never see them again, but I've made a difference, as they have to me.

It's an interesting and rewarding concept.. As a host and as a guest.

By opening the doors to stranger; you might find a new friend, or taste the flavours fray of the world, or hear a global event from someone who has experienced in first hand, right there in your living room.

It's no wonder AirBnB have a motto: "One Less Stranger at a time". In a world where seven billion of us can belong anywhere, what a wonderful concept to reduce the number of strangers in the world, one kind, inventive and endearing act at a time.

Mr Toastmaster.

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SPEECH: A journey through your senses (Version 1. Club competition)

MR Content Chair,

Beep Beep Beep – If I hear another BEEEEEEP in my life time… OH Lissssten to that…… another BEEEP

Judges and Fellow Toastmasters,

This evening I want to transport your senses on a journey that took my husband and I overland through the intense, kaleidoscope that is India.

A mystical, spiritual playground that like us at times is a land of contrast, colour, culture..

As we journey together, we will travel over roads, water, and tracks to unlock the essence of India through OUR sights sounds smells tastes and the very feeling of a country you can love and hate at the same time.

There it goes again.. that constant beeping. Our Journey begins now as we embark on a road trip that will assault our senses.

You hear, cars, buses and rickshaws, beeping, revving and crashing into potholes, people shouting, and the sound of Bollywood music streaming from the shopfronts

You feel a sudden lurch as our car jolts to a sudden holt as a cow wanders into our path

You can see us from miles away as a dust cloud sends up a suffocating grit into the air. Through the brown dust, you can see vibrant oranges, yellows and reds of the sari clad woman and holy sadhus

Your mind begins to wander as you imagine those ladies as Bollywood dances bringing movement from within

It shines through in their facial expressions, body movement and hand gestures.

Stop start, swerve, stop start, bump, thump. Thirteen hours later we arrive in the spiritual hub of the north, Varanasi. From a city that can be compared to living in a blender with the lid off to the serenity of the river Ganges

Now, come with me, we are about to take a journey down the river.

What’s that sound? Can you hear it? The sound of the oars silently slapping the river as it quivers.

The wind barely brushes our skin as we float on a wooden raft under the oppressive sun.

There is nothing to do but relax and take it all in.

Five hours later, a tiny island bearly above the water line slides into sight

As sunset looms, our tours food boat awaits our arrival.

The smell, pungent and aromatic – wafts through the air

Dinner is ready

The sight of the colourful spices, reminiscent of the holi festival

The tastes, exotic and flavoursome – a sensory explosion to the taste buds

After a hot restless night under the stars, its time to float back to Varanasi,

past the Ghats with Hindu pilgrims bathing and performing spiritual rituals,

past the locals cremating their loved ones,

past the candles floating by.

We are back on shore, safe and dry.

As we walk towards the train station, our senses become confused by the putrid smell of the scattered rubbish but are partially overwhelmed by the sensual aromas of the Indian street food

Suddenly, our train pulls into the station and it followed by the mad dash of a thousand feet

We feel insignificant as we are pushed in the carriage doors along with the bags, suitcases and chickens

The smell of bodies pressed up against each other engulfs us,

Me and you are just two of the 18 million people who caught the train today, making this anything but an ordinary train trip

As the train departs, our journey of senses has come to an end. This has been anything but an ordinary trip to place like no other.

There is the rest of the world and then there is India.

We have separated out the Colour – The smells – the sounds – the aromas – the flavours – the feelings from this mixing pot of a country.

As we’ve journeyed through together, you would have felt conflicting emotions,

Some say its like a passionate but dysfunction relationship, you will have loved it, you will have hated it but you will want more.

You've awoken your senses, you’ve come alive

This is India

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SPPECH: Past the Chaos (version 7 – area competition)

Beep Beep Beep – If I hear another car BEEEEEEP in my life time… OH lissssten to that…… another BEEEP

Fellow Toastmasters,

Today I want to take you on journey, through the intense kaleidoscope …That is India.… A journey that will challenge your every thought and notion so that YOU see YOUR world differently. This is vital as often our initial negative perceptions overshadow all the positives around us. Are you guilty of missed opportunities, missed friendships, missed experiences because you have jumped to a negative conclusion, past judgement and only seen the worst?

Like life, India is a country that you can love and hate depending on whether you choose to see only the positives or choose to only the negatives.

…and there it goes again that constant beeping. Our Journey begins now, with you in the driver’s seat.

You, cars, buses and rickshaws, beeping, revving and crashing, a cacophony of noise, but through that you hear the strikingly beautiful sounds of Bollywood music.

The brown dust cloud sends a suffocating grit into the air. Suddenly a cow wanders in to our path followed by the cultural sights of the sari clad woman with their passionate eyes. This dusty world seems suddenly more vibrant.

Stop start, swerve, stop start, bump, thump. Thirteen hours later we seek to shake off the feeling of being in a blender with the lid off. We look for serenity and find it on a journey down the River Ganges.

Miles away from the turmoil, listen. What’s that sound? Can you hear it? If we allow ourselves to listen…we can hear the sound of our oars silently slapping.

The wind barely brushes our skin as we float on a wooden raft under the oppressive sun.

Hours later, an old unsanitary food boat slides towards our mudflat of an island.

But the smells, pungent and aromatic – waft through the air

Dinner is ready

The spices are reminiscent of the Holi festival

And the tastes are exotic and flavoursome,

The whole gives a sensory explosion that is distinctly India. Thankfully, we reserve our initial judgement, looking past the negative to enjoy this experience for what it is.

After a restless night under the stars, it’s time to float back

past the chaos,

past the locals cremating their loved ones,

past the rubbish and candles floating by.

We are back on shore, safe and dry.

We begin walking towards the train station and our senses are initially overwhelmed by the putrid smell of the scattered rubbish. With our new outlook, the sensual aromas of the Indian street food permeate through, allowing us to see the moment in a different light.

Suddenly, our train pulls into the station and is followed by the mad dash of a thousand feet

The smell of bodies pressed up against each other engulfs us,

We feel insignificant as we are pushed in the carriage doors with the suitcases and chickens; you and me are just two of the 18 million people who caught the train today. …. But then the mass of bodies kindly moves aside to absorb us into their space, in true Indian style. Our simple mind shift has made the world, its people and its challenges seem a better place.

As the train departs, our journey of choice has come to an end.

As we’ve journeyed through this melting pot of a country we have felt conflicting emotions… the highs and ….the lows. At the onslaught of each emotion or reaction we chose to think differently. By doing so we unlocked the essence of India.

Can our choices through India be compared to your life and mine?

Maybe, India is a metaphor for life

In your world full of rush and stress, choose to see your kids or colleagues smiling and laughing. When your world seems brown and dusty, choose to see the bright blue subtropical sky. Choose to see the positives in a world where they may be hidden by culture, race, judgement or preconceptions. Be the one who sees the world differently. Be the one that gives a smile. Be the one who makes the difference.

Life can be like a passionate but dysfunctional relationship, you will see love, you will see hate but you with the right choices, you will see more.

You've lifted your filters, you’ve opened you mind, you’ve seen the world differently,

Your perception

Your life