The Sanford Berenberg Experience: Message of the Day

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Message of the Day - What You Don't See

Good Morning,

On Monday evening I delivered my 10th speech at Toastmasters and successfully qualified for the Competent Communicator award. In that speech, I was to speak to inspire the audience. My message was 'We Could Do Better' and I started off with the Walls of Constantinople stood for 1000 years. I brought it to a personal level of what we could do to do better and ended it with a story from 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' about the six year old boy who was dying from Leukemia and dreamed of being a fireman.

My fear was to deliver that last part without tearing up and choking. Each time I read the story and share it, I would tear up and feel my throat tensing.
As it came time for Toastmasters, I found I was running late, dinner had to be served quick and I had to be out the door and across town quickly and my stomach started feeling a bit off.

I made it to the meeting place with 3 minutes to spare. Just enough time to get my speech title to the Toastmaster of the evening and my manual to the Toastmaster who would evaluate me, but I did not let the timekeeper know how long my speech was. At that time I started feeling nauseous. I was sweating and felt feverish. Dinner felt like it was trying to foment a revolution. And before I knew it, it was my time to speak.

I got up and started with my strong opening and proceeded to weave into a toned-down center before moving to the gut wrenching tale at the end of the speech. The timekeeper started switching on the green, yellow and red lights too soon, further challenging my focus. In the end, the speech came across well. A few areas to improve, like making sure I nail the ending, but overall it was strong and inspiring.

As the meeting wound down, folks were a bit surprised as I took out a bottle of Pepto-Bismol tablets and pop a few pills. They had no idea that I was struggling against nausea during the speech. And it was not until my drive home did I realize that not only did I not tear up with 'Chicken Soup' story, I also did not choke.

When sharing this with my buddy Howard, he suggested that this was a message of the day.

When we see others going through their day, no matter what they are doing, we are not always privy to everything going on behind the scenes. We cannot truly appreciate the challenges people are facing, the fears they are trying to overcome, the illnesses and pain they are trying to hide. We only see what comes out on the surface.

What we see on their outside may have nothing to do with what is going on in their hearts and minds. It only makes sense to be kind and gentle to these folks when our instincts may scream to call them out for apparent foolishness or worse.

I am certain those folks will appreciate our kindness.

Enjoy!