Toastmasters 5: How to say it
This is the speech I delivered as my BS#5.
You prepare your own lunch
Let me tell you a story.
Three construction workers were on top of their half-finished skyscraper. Rrrrring!" the lunch bell sounded, and the three men sat on a steel beam jutting out of the 56th floor with their lunch boxes in hand.
The first guy opens his and groans in exasperation, "Tuyo!" There is not a day that I don't get tuyo for lunch!" He turns to his buddies and announces, "Mark my words. If I still get tuyo tomorrow, I'm going to throw myself from this building."
The second guy opens his lunch box and moans, "Tinapa". Everyday, I get tinapa!" He looks at his friends and declares, "Believe me when I say this. If I get tinapa tomorrow, I'm going to jump and kill myself."
The third guy opens his lunch box and it was his turn to despair, "Galunggong" . All I get is galunggong!" I'm telling you, if I still get galunggong tomorrow, I'm going to jump from this building and die."
The next day, the lunch bell rings and all three men are again seated on the 56th floor. The first guy opens his lunch box and starts crying, "Tuyoooooo!" And so he jumps and crashes on the ground.
The second guy opens his lunch box and wails loudly, "Tinapaaaa!" And he also hurls himself off the building and dies.
The third guy opens his lunch box and screams, "Galunggonggggg! " And so he too jumps off the building and of course, joins his friends in heaven.
Days later, during the funeral of the three men, their three wives embrace and weep together. The first wife cries out, "I didn't know my husband didn't like tuyo anymore! Why didn't he tell me? If only he told me, I would have prepared something else."
The second wife echoes her statement, "Yes! If only I knew, I would have cooked something else, not tinapa!"
The third wife, between sobs, speaks up, "I don't know why my husband killed himself." The two wives look at her curiously.
"Why?"
She went on, "Because ... my husband prepares his own lunch everyday..." (pause)
I personally love this crazy story because it presents a very important truth: all of us prepare our own lunch. If we don't like our jobs, if we don't like the state of our relationships - we have no one to blame but ourselves because we are not doing anything about it. Because the 1st and 2nd worker did not tell their wives that they no longer like tuyo or tinapa.. In fact, they could just have swapped viands, right? Because the 3rd worker knows he can only afford galunggong for lunch and did not do anything about it!
Because I know I am in-charge of my future, months ago I attended a short seminar on How to be Rich. In the seminar I learned 3 secrets of becoming rich that I intend to share to all of you. Are you ready?
The first secret is to understand that to be truly wealthy, you have to have an ever-expanding wealth. Your 2009 income should be more than you 2008. This year, you have to be richer than your 2010.
Keep track of that. What I do is that I compare excel sheets of my income, assets, minus liabilities and compare year after year. The fact is no one gets rich by saving alone. You can save since day zero but you can never really be rich. And you know why? Because money fluctuates. It fluctuates every year! It fluctuates greater than the average percentage of what you can save in a year. To be rich, you need to invest. Wealthy people get wealthy not by hiding their money under the mattress?!?! They don’t get wealthy by just saving on the bank?!?! They get rich because they invest. They buy stocks! They buy insurances! They put up businesses! You need to battle fluctuation. I am not only talking about financial wealth but also physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, and mental. Invest on gym to keep your body fit. Invest on books to keep your mind sharp. Invest and have an ever-expanding wealth!
The Second secret is that You and I have Infinite Potential. We have no limitation.
You know.. Robert Kiyosaki, The author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, once wrote that, “If you want to be rich, don’t go to school”! That’s very ironic, isn’t it? We have always been taught by our parents to do good in school so that when we graduate we can be good employees. But think about it… and zoom it out to the Philippine Educational System. The Philippine Educational System is designed for us to be poor. Example: When you talk about History – we talk about the Fall of Bataan, the Fall of Katipunan, and the other Fall. When we think of store, what first enters your mind? Sari-sari store. Even our nursery song talks small – Bahay Kubo kahit munti.. ang halaman doon ay sari-sari.. See what I mean? At the start, we are being projected of a country that has been invaded, a country filled with corruption. At the start, we have been educated that we are limited… that this is the only thing we can do.. that this is only how far we can go. These are viruses. They have programmed us to be poor.
Another virus is the motto, “no pain, no gain”.. Why do you have to feel pain to gain something, right? Rather, believe that “unto your faith, be it unto you”. We’re the ones who place limit on ourselves. In this world we are in, God is showering us with blessings. Some brings out a basin while others only a cup. At the end, they will only receive a basin and others will only receive a cup because that is only what we are willing to receive. We are limiting ourselves with a basin and a cup. Now I ask you, what will you bring under a rain of blessing? A basin? A cup? Or a bottomless container? You and I have Infinite Potential!
The third secret is to understand and abide on the laws of nature. The laws of nature are:
1. Law of Attraction – like attracts like. Attract positive vibes, and the whole universe will work together to make that come true. BUT also be mindful of what you attract because you might also be attracting your fears.
2. Law of Tithing – give back to God what’s due to God and it will be returned to you a hundred fold
3. Law of Giving – give until it hurts no more. If it hurts to give 100, continue giving a hundred until it hurts no more. Then upgrade to 150. And continue giving.
4. Law of Sacrifice – to achieve something, you need to sacrifice. More savings mean a stable lifestyle. Less expenses.
5. Law of Rhythm – like a wheel, when you go up, you always go down.. So, always prepare for the downtime.. the rainy season.
6. Law of Forgiveness – free yourselves of anger and hatred and you’ll live happy. Let go, let God!
7. Law of Gestation – only God knows when it will happen. Trust that it will.
Now that I’ve shared to you secrets of becoming rich, do something about it. If you want to earn more and be free from debt, if you're sick and tired of the usual tuyo, tinapa, or galunggong, if we want to put more joy in your marriages - then go back to your kitchen and prepare yourself another dish. Because you decide your own future.. Because YOU prepare your own lunch.
