Recently, I have been researching speeches on the internet. I was tasked to compose a speech, twice.
On my college graduation day, I was excited to hear our guest speaker deliver his/her speech. Unfortunately, my school invited a politician. He delivered a looooong boring speech of all time. Uninspiring, I should add. Back in high school, our principal invited an excellent speaker I've ever heard so far. My entire batch gave him a standing ovation so many times during his speech. It's all because he speaks from the heart.
When I was in college, there were several times we did this thing; we compose our speech and deliver it in front of the class. Making speech for yourself doesn't come that easily. To start writing a speech, I needed to reflect first or research for a striking quote. I normally needed a week or two to polish and practice my speech. That period of time, will and still, guarantee shakes on my hands & knees and butterflies in my stomach. Like I said, composing one isn't easy, what more composing for other party?!!
I heard there are really professional speech writers. I dunno though if there's a school for one. My boss said, "Do you think Gloria writes her own speech?" In my mind, I was like I don't know, maybe? She adds, "just look up in the internet and make it your pattern." One of my friend shared that he has a relative who make really BIG bucks from making a speech for some Executive of a large fast food chain here in the Philippines.
When I started writing the speech for this other person, the internet was to the rescue, google especially. There were too many results as usual, from Bi-Moon speeches in the UN to "How to write a speech in 5 minutes" in About.com. I discovered, there are some corporate websites that post their executives' speeches online. Lucky me!
I've known some famous speeches, like The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln and I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr. But these are my favorite; Wear Sunscreen by Mary Schmich, and 11 Rules of Life by Bill Gates. And this next one, my recent find..
Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit … and you’re keeping all of these in the air.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or evenshattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for Balance in your life.
How?
Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.
Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.
Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each together.
Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be pave.
Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find time. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings!
Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.
Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savoured each step of the way…
–Brian G. Dyson
President and CEO, Coca-Cola Enterprises during his speech at the Georgia Tech 172nd Commencement Address Sept. 6, 1996
If one day, if you needed a pattern for the speech you're composing either for you or someone you work for. These links might help:
http://www.microsoft.com/events/executives/billgates.mspx
http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/news_speeches.aspx
http://www.shell.com.au/home/content/aus/aboutshell/media_centre/speeches_and_webcasts/
http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/news_speeches.aspx
http://www.shell.com.au/home/content/aus/aboutshell/media_centre/speeches_and_webcasts/
..Because making a speech is NOT a piece of cake.