A LOT has happened since I last touched or looked at this blog!

A new semester has begun..

New challenges are faced..

And a new pride and joy on my shelf?

About 2 weeks ago, I bagged home the 3rd place trophy in the International Speech Contest Club Division Category. A few days before that, I had a messy speech draft. A week before that, I had no draft prepared and a month before that, I didn't even have a topic in mind. I was far from squeezing in top three!

I didn't think when I signed up to compete in the International Speech Contest. I had a few months to write an inspiring speech! I thought all I had to do was whip up a good story, so I didn't see what the problem was. I procrastinated for about two months, pushed it off until I had less than a month to go when I finally sat down and starting thinking seriously about what I wanted to talk about. That was when it struck me that I had nothing in the ideas vault. It has been months since the last time I delivered an actual speech! That was when I started to panic.. I munched on every piece of dark chocolate in the house hoping for a light bulb to pop on top of my head but for weeks, there was nothing.

Searching for a speech topic (especially an inspiring one) takes a lot out of a person. It takes knowing yourself and having the ability to pick that out, share it to others and make them understand it too. I look up to people who are able to whip up a good inspiring story and deliver it so immaculately that you don't even notice the amount of work put into that one particular speech. It's art and passion!

I can't explain to you how I came up with the topic of my speech but I did and after countless nights of worrying, endless restless sleeps, re-drafts and rehearsals, I polished my final draft and told myself that if I don't win it, there's always next year. If I don't perform my best, there's always next time. And if I disappoint myself, well, at least I know what I have to do. On the day of the contest, I plastered a smile on my face, slipped my heels on and prayed for the best. Before me were contestants who wowed the audience with incredible speeches, had people roaring in laughter and listening intently. I thought my heart was going to drop out of chest the moment my name was called up the stage. Grabbing onto the microphone and turning my head to face the audience, there were so many familiar faces smiling at me that I immediately felt like home. So what if I don't come home a winner? So what if I forget a line? SO WHAT? I started speaking because I wanted to tell stories. I started speaking because I wanted to share. I started speaking because I wanted to inspire. I told myself that if I don't come home a winner, I want to know that  my story today at least inspired one soul in that room. With that, I dove straight into my tale.

3rd place in my very first attempt at an Inspiring Speech Contest. Not too shabby.

Let me know if you're curious to know what my speech was about hehe

Liyana Sidek