Have there ever been times in your life when you had doubted yourself, your own potential, your own abilities. Have you ever said this to yourself…

“I don’t believe I can do this”

Then,… there was just this one person in your life who was there for you, encouraged you, somehow this person seems to know that you have it in you to succeed.

Miraculously… we get through that final hurdle! Isn’t it amazing to be blessed with people like that in our lives?

Can you remember at least one such person… who believed in you more than you did?

The person who gave you that extra push that made all the difference… the person that didn’t give up on you even when the rest of the world did… or when you gave up on yourself…

Just take a moment to remember that person… And I’d like to invite you to thank them right from your heart… to your eyes… to their eyes… and to their heart.

There are many people in my life I want to thank who believed in me more than I believed in myself. Who ask more from me than I do of myself.

Today, I want to thank the people who have shared the TOASTMASTERS journey with me… in particular: Hanson Lye, Fong Kok Loon@KL, and Gerald Wee

Hanson Lye, who said to me after I delivered my 8^th speech

“For your 10^th speech, I want to hear an out-of-the-ordinary ‘Jacy speech’!”

I knew exactly what he meant… he wanted to hear a speech that had a touch of humour in it. And I think he also mentioned the word OUTRAGEOUS!

I had devoted over 3 years of my life to TOASTMASTERS, and not once in that period had I believed that I had a funny bone story to share.

Then there came the opportunity… we were going to have the Humourous Speech & Evaluation Contest in a month’s time! I had no reservations when I signed up for the Evaluation Contest… but when it came to humour,… again, I stopped in my tracks. Saying to myself… I just don’t have a funny story to tell!

Then came KL Fong, who was the past Humourous Speech Champion. KL put his name down for the Humourous Speech Contest but not the Evaluation Contest. And I asked him, “Why?”

Instead of answering, he challenged me!

He said, if I join the Humourous Speech Contest – then he’ll join the Evaluation Contest.

I felt like a little kid again, when someone would dare me to do something. And so I agreed! I kicked myself many times after that… What on earth did I get myself into?!!!

My brother, Gerald, volunteered my name in the next meeting to be the Humour Master! I quickly said YES before I chickened out again… That night, I laughed at my own story more than the audience. The audience was laughing because my laughter was so contagious, but not the story – seriously, those were really bad jokes I told. Thank you for the support and for laughing even though it wasn’t funny ;p!

I knew I still had a lot of work to do… 3 weeks left to prepare! I procrastinated again, looking for some funny incident to tell… blank… think again… still blank… oh nooooo! Even till the day before the Contest, I didn’t have a story!!!

I panicked and asked the Great Spirit for help… I even Facebook my friends asking for ideas. You wouldn’t believe some of the ideas they gave, which I won’t mention here… it had elements of Politics, Religion or Sex which are major no-no’s to any TOASTMASTERS speech! But what those ideas gave me was… a reason to LAUGH. I was truly touched but the amazing support I got, and the encouragement… and that inspired me to persevere even when I didn’t believe in myself.

Astoundingly… a story started to take shape, I could see it in my mind. I started looking for props that I could use… I was amazed that even I felt the story was actually… FUNNY! The night of the contest, 24^th Sept 2008… I did the most OUTRAGEOUS speech of my life and I was voted the 1^st runner-up! WOW… I still don’t believe it.

Then the next day, I had visited the Ireka TOASTMASTERS club and was asked to evaluate one of the speakers doing his 6^th speech, TM Teh Tze Chien, from the Mid Valley TOASTMASTERS Club. And his speech title was… Don’t Believe In Yourself!

My immediate reaction was… why start with such a negative statement?

Then he continued with his speech, leaving the audience in amazement at the twist he gave to the story…

Don’t Believe In Yourself!

Believe in Me, Because…

I Believe In YOU!

Everything happens for a reason, the universe makes no mistakes! I took this photo last year on my first visit to USA, May 2007! And I saw this at the Quantum Learning Center at Oceanside, San Diego where the Money & You was being held.

This 3 years in Money & You KL TOASTMASTERS has been SIMPLY AMAZING! And I invite you to find a toastmasters club near you, or better yet… travel the distance and come join us at one of our meetings. Every time I go for TOASTMASTERS, my life is enriched by the people who selflessly share some of the most defining moments in their lives. And I take home with me valuable lessons that makes a difference in my life.

I hope by sharing this, it has made a difference in yours too…

Come join us every 1^st and 3^rd Wednesdays, 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm at the Globe Success Centre, Unit 17-3A, Level 3A, 3^rd Mile Square, Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA. (It’s just a 5 min drive from Mid Valley Megamall)

AND you got to at least experience once — our “infamous” orgasmic salad prepared by our resident chef, and fellow Money & You graduate – Chef Peter Pang!