趨勢科技示範例會前奏曲

今天下午我打扮的光鮮亮麗，從頭到腳都是紫色系列，不到三點半就抵達位於敦化南路二段一九八號的趨勢科技公司，參加該公司舉行的第一次演講會示範例會。由於示範例會的召集人丁海華最喜歡紫色，而且是她兒子公司的首次例會，我當然竭盡所能與她搭配，讓她臉上有光啦！

從昨天放鳳凰颱風假開始，我就努力地在家背稿子，今天下午在新店文化中心值班時還演練了許多遍，然後興高采烈地出發，希望今天下午的演講能贏得滿堂彩，並期昐趨勢科技演講會能儘速成立。

三點半到了趨勢科技公司八樓，接待小姐沒聽說今天有任何演講會的通告，打電話給公司的公關部門，也回說不知道有這回事，我在會客室苦等到四點，沒有任何一位演講會友出現，到底發生了什麼事呢？難不成鳳凰過境，災情嚴重，所以示範例會取消了嗎？左等右等，還是沒人來，我只好死心。回家打開電腦看示範例會通告，地點對、時間對，但日期不對，八月十九（星期二）的示範例會，我今天就跑去了，真是迫不及待！

PS: I was notified by Trini that the demo meeting had been postponed by TrendMicro infinitely a week later while I was planning to change my topic from "RISE" to "A Blessing in Disguise".

~~~~~~~~R.I.S.E~~~~~~~~

Two decades ago, I was like you, you, and you, being invited to a toastmasters meeting not knowing what toastmasters had to offer. Twenty years later, I am standing here to tell you one of the greatest joys in my life, that is being a toastmaster.

I joined Grand Toastmasters Club in 1986. I believe some of you were just born, some of you were in elementary school at that time. I finished my graduate studies in the US, returned to Taipei, worked for the government. I fell in love with toastmasters at the first sight. I loved meeting with people from all walks of life, people with quality, people of energy.

People come and go, employees come and go, so do toastmasters. New members come and old members go. But, I stay because Toastmasters offers many communication and leadership training programs. And I love to be a non-stop learning machine till the day I expire.

Ten years ago, I became the Charter President of Kyoto Toastmasters Club when I was an exchange student in Kyoto. I made many Japanese friends. The older I become, the more I enjoy energetic, enthusiastic, non-stop learning toastmasters friends. They are like my family members to laugh and to grow together.

If you could please take a look around you and pick up a leader! Is leader born or made? I say leaders rise and shine upon others. Serving as the club officers in Toastmasters trains us to rise above self. The core values of RISE of the Toastmasters International guide us to the respect for the individual, integrity, service to the member and excellence.

Life is but a rollercoaster, sometimes we are up, sometimes we are down. When you are down, think of toastmasters, think of the RISE of sun to give light to people around you. Now all toastmasters, please all rise and repeat after me. The mission of a Toastmasters club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth.