I’m sure you’ve heard about this study – the one that says children laugh 300 times a day…and adults only 4!!! Now there’s no real proof of this, but let’s be honest . It is obvious that kids laugh a lot more than we do.
I started thinking about this last Friday when I competed in the Toastmasters International Speech Contest. The results??? I placed second. I won’t lie – it was disappointing. After all, I did want to win. Why else would I be in a contest if I didn’t want to take first place? But I learned a lot – I really did!
As I reflected on my speech, I couldn’t be happier with it. During the seven minutes I spoke, the audience was captivated. They were sitting on the edge of their seats, laughing out loud, certainly exceeding their quota of four laughs for the day.
Now, I don’t consider myself a funny person, but for some reason this speech hit a nerve. That’s when I realized that even though I didn’t win the contest, I did win in the hearts of those who listened to me. There could have been someone in the audience who was facing a challenge in their life, and for one brief moment, I helped them forget about their problem. For one brief moment, I was able to ease their pain. And for that I am totally grateful.
So I’d like to give you a gift now. I don’t have a video of my speech, but I do have a link to a comedy act that made me laugh out loud. Of course, you may have to be a little older to identify with this, but I think it’s hysterical. And maybe it will help to brighten your day. Enjoy: https://binged.it/2IGWDJ0.
Categories: Personal Development Positive Attitude Professional Development Professional Speaker
Tags: International Speech Contest, Laughter, Positive Attitude, Professional Speaker, Toastmasters
