Three years ago I competed in my first international speech contest. It was in 2012 and I had been a member of Toastmasters for two years at that time. I remember having a difficult time choosing a topic for my speech. My name was called up and I began my speech. It was going well... until I reached the half way point and my mind just went blank as I lost my place. I froze but did not panic. A good 20 seconds went by, although it felt like 20 minutes, as I stayed silent trying to think what to say next. I eventually remembered and finished my speech. After the contest, a fellow Toastmaster walked up to me and said that "It's not how you start, but it's how you finish people remember."
Fast forward to 2015 and I am competing for the second time. I learned a couple of things from three years ago which helped. The first was to focus on a story (rather than a topic) and find your message through it. The second was that no matter how you begin, you can still turn it around. With these points in mind, I began my speech. However, nerves set in and I became unsure of my introduction and fumbled a little in my opening. My heart sunk a little remembering back three years ago but my brain marched on as I told myself the reason I was doing it was to improve. I found that this time I could remember my topic a lot easier because I used a story and found a message in it. This helped me focus and finish strong. Many in attendance told me afterwards it was the most complete and best speech they had seen me give. I felt vindicated a little as the same Toastmaster walked up to me and said again "It wasn't how you started, but how you finished that was the difference."
Just like in speeches, sports, and life in general it is true that it is not about where you came from but where you are and where you are going that counts more. The next time something happens, remember that It's not how you start that matters, but how you finish.
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