Fellow
Toastmasters and guests, please allow me to share with you a true story about
Peter Whatling.
A long-time farmer in
England, Mr. Peter Whatling lost a hammer in his field. In order to retrieve
it, he asked his friend, Eric Lawes, to bring a metal detector and help search
for it. While scanning for the tool, the two men discovered the remains of an
oak chest. Inside the chest were smaller wooden boxes and fabric bags. As they
examined the items more closely, the two men realized that they had just
uncovered a bona fide ancient treasure! Buried in Peter’s field were late Roman
gold and silver coins and jewelry – nearly 15,000 artifacts in all. The reward
for the find, which the two men shared, was more than 1.75 million pounds
sterling. Never before had the British government paid so much for a buried
treasure!
Please don’t miss the
most interesting part of the story: Peter’s life changed not because he
acquired something new, but because he discovered something that was already in
his possession. More importantly, chances are
that we are each in a similar situation. Though it’s unlikely that any of us
have a treasure worth millions buried in our backyard, it’s highly likely that
we each have intangible treasures buried in our live. Treasures that we can unearth for increased opportunity and greater
satisfaction.
I believe that each of us has treasure waiting to be unearthed, for instance
the unexploited talents. And it’s possible for us to find and dig up
these treasures in Toastmasters! Many
of us don’t make the most of our natural talents. We either fail to notice them
because they are inherent, or we discount them because they come so easily to
us. Through playing meeting roles and leadership roles in Toastmasters,
you will discover some of your unexploited
talents. After discovering your talents, Toastmasters also offers you the
ground to apply your talent with increasing frequency. The ongoing
educational program in Toastmasters allows us to apply our talents and improve
our skills.
“Talent is the multiplier. The more energy and
attention you invest in it, the greater the yield.” Therefore, please take up
various meeting roles in our club frequently and prepare yourself for the
roles!
Another notable point
about Peter Whatling’s story is that: He needed help to locate his treasure. We
do too. In Toastmasters, your buddy and your mentor will act as your metal
detector! Let your buddy and mentor help you look more closely for talent,
unearth them, and share in the results. In Friendship TMC, friends are helping
friends to succeed! As mentee, please be proactive and seek guidance from your
mentor. Just like any other relationships, a successful mentor-mentee
relationship requires effective two-way interaction.
Our TME this evening is
a living treasure of our club. He often offers us valuable feedback on our
language usage. He also always entices us with his flawless speeches and
insightful evaluation. This evening, he is going to amaze us with his TME role.
Ladies & gentlemen, round of applause to our TME, ACG ALB Timothy Nakayama!
