Carpe Diem
Speech 2, Nvidia International Toastmasters Club
Level-1, Evaluation and Feedback
Feedback from previous speech: Slower pace, leverage on the pauses.
“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying.
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.
The glorious lamp of the heaven, the sun,
The higher he’s a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run;
And nearer he’s to setting”
So goes the poem “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time”, by Mr. Robert Herrick. “Carpe Diem”, in Latin, conveys the same meaning as the phrase “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may”. In simpler terms, it means to “seize the day”.
Science tells us that the state of randomness, called entropy, of the universe is always increasing. On the contrary, a highly competitive industrial world has put us on hamster wheels. Productivity and to-do list in our auto-pilot mode successfully hide those inconspicuous and defining bits of time, perpetually flying freely around us. I am going to talk about one such Carpe Diem moment because of which, I can call myself an avid trekker and mountain cyclist today.
Most folks in the India office take a long break during Diwali to spend time with their families. Being my first year at work and at financial independence, and since I enjoyed family time quite often, I wanted to do something different. While randomly browsing on the internet a couple of weeks before Diwali, I happened upon a trekking expedition in the Indian state of Meghalaya, a region with unparalleled and untouched natural beauty, but remote and insurgency infested. Without much thought, I seized the moment by booking the last available seat for the expedition.
And there I was, at the faraway base camp, ready to trek wearing my work jeans, and with a fully stuffed rucksack, of which, most things never found a calling. The expedition pushed me to the limits on all fronts. Climbing 1000 ft downhill and a 700 up in a day with an 8kg baggage was not a very pleasant experience. For someone who reveled in the sunny equatorial coast for most of his life, biting cold was a curse. There was no solace in looking forward to the destination for the day, since I knew nothing about the it — for I was in a completely alien terrain.
Nonetheless, several things kept me going. Primarily, the motivation from our group. The senior-most member to trek with us was 88 years old. He marched on throughout the day, slow and steady. More than half the members were over 50 and had scaled many challenging summits. If they can, why not me? Small gestures here and there were great motivators as well. I was not expecting, even in my wildest dreams, to be welcomed by delicious Theplas, so far away from Gujarat, in a forested valley between mountains thousands of ft tall! Or by those beautiful fireflies that lighted our way when sunlight was nowhere to be seen. Also, I had some insightful conversations during this time, since every trekker had a uniquely woven story, each beautiful and entertaining.
I completed the trek. But that end was only the beginning to several other challenging cycling and trekking expeditions through terrains up and down, green and dry, warm and cold. One thing gets over and I eagerly start looking out for the next! Now, I even aspire to advance to mountaineering. The cocktail of uncertainties, slow progress, exhaustion, embracing vulnerabilities, beautiful and diverse landscapes, interesting detours, innovative minimalism, random rendezvous, loud silence, strong friendships, and making to the end finally — thrills me. It has helped me deal with any adversary with a calm “Can Do” attitude. I am a healthier person — mentally and physically.
“One step forward and a hundred roads break forth”, says the famous Hindi poet Mr. Gajanan Muktibhod in one of his poems. For me, that step forward was drawing up the courage to hit the “Register” button for the trek; and that unveiled a whole new world of adventurism and opportunities. I am sure all of us will have that long pending bucket list item. Remember, my friends, the same flower that smiles today, will be dying tomorrow; and the higher the sun is, nearer he is to setting.
So, Carpe Diem!!
Feedback:
- Engaging
- Eloquent speech
- Good use of gestures
- Slower pace, good use of pauses
- Need better intonation
- Use varying paces across the speech