Here's a great article I found about public speaking:
http://www.freetoasthost.org/A_Quick_Guide_to_Public_Speaking.html
Exactly explains why anybody should bother about honing their public speaking skills. A few additional points on why I myself have joined the Toastmasters club, an organisation for developing your speaking skills:
1) Effective public speaking not only helps you in your career by giving you that edge over your colleagues, it also helps in every other facet of your life, in your relations (as I have been learning myself), in your friends, everytime you interact with people. Because as they say, "Man is a social animal" and You have to have good communication skills to make your presence effective in your society!
2) Different people speak different languages and have their own accents while conversing in English. Its unarguably useful to be able to understand what the other person is saying, without getting bogged down by his/her heavy or different accent. Atleast for me, this has been a strong motivation to join Toastmasters, ever since I moved to the US of A! We Indians are not at all used to the heavy American accent!
3) To carry forth my second point, A good conversationalist is always a Good listener first. I have myself being a very impatient listener in the past. Listening to other speakers in the club, performing small roles like checking grammer and verbal cliches, and taking part in the club activities, i believe, will definitely improve my listening skills.
Enough for a good motivation to myself! Yeah, I am happy I joined the toastmasters. I am already on my path of being a confident speaker.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
The nobleman...
Here's a very inspiring story I received as a mail forward today.
"
His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while
trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from
a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.There, mired to his
waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free
himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and
terrifying death.
The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse
surroundings.. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced
himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.
"I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life."
"No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied,
waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door
of the family hovel.
"Is that your son?" the nobleman asked.
"Yes," the farmer replied proudly.
"I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my
son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow
to be a man we both will be proud of." And that he did.
Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, he
graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to
become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the
discoverer of Penicillin.
Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was
stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time? ..... Penicillin.
The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name? Sir
Winston Churchill.
Someone once said: What goes around comes around.
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
"
What goes around comes around! So true! Do good to others, you will recieve the rewards someday in some or other form. Bad deeds and you will reap the results for your life. Choice is yours!
"
His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while
trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from
a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.There, mired to his
waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free
himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and
terrifying death.
The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse
surroundings.. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced
himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.
"I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life."
"No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied,
waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door
of the family hovel.
"Is that your son?" the nobleman asked.
"Yes," the farmer replied proudly.
"I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my
son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow
to be a man we both will be proud of." And that he did.
Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, he
graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to
become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the
discoverer of Penicillin.
Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was
stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time? ..... Penicillin.
The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name? Sir
Winston Churchill.
Someone once said: What goes around comes around.
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
"
What goes around comes around! So true! Do good to others, you will recieve the rewards someday in some or other form. Bad deeds and you will reap the results for your life. Choice is yours!
Words!
Just heard again the immortal song from Boyzone! Here's the song lyrics, posted for the most special person in my life:
Smile an ever lasting smile
a smile can bring you near to me
don't ever let me find you gone
'cause that would bring a tear to me
this world has lost its glory
let's start a brand new story
now my love
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
talk in ever lasting words
and dedicate them all to me
and I will give you all my life
i'm here if you should call to me
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da da da da
this world has lost its glory
let's start a brand new story
now my love
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
Smile an ever lasting smile
a smile can bring you near to me
don't ever let me find you gone
'cause that would bring a tear to me
this world has lost its glory
let's start a brand new story
now my love
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
talk in ever lasting words
and dedicate them all to me
and I will give you all my life
i'm here if you should call to me
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da da da da
this world has lost its glory
let's start a brand new story
now my love
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
The Ice-Breaker!
Here is my first speech at the Toastmasters club I joined recently. That speech mostly describes the person as I am, so the best place for the permanent writeup would be on my blogpage! So here it goes:
"I am the 'Geek' called Software Engineer!"
Hello Friends,
I would like to start my icebreaker speech with the inspiring words from the Chinese philosopher, Confucius: " Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life!"
Well Friends! I am a software engineer! I am a geek! Well I was fortunate enough to have a career in a field I thouroughly enjoyed. I started my career as an Embedded Systems Engineer about 6 years ago. For starters, Embedded systems are the computers designed to perform a few well-defined tasks, unlike the general purpose PCs. Examples vary from mp3 players like IPODs, microwaves, car dashboards to robots and aircraft control systems! We write the softwares that program these hardwares.
Coming back to my topic, I joined a small company called Aftek Ltd in central India in September 2001. I was yet to finish the last semester of my masters. That was soon after the Y2K bubble burst. The software industry was in a bad shape and the job markets were down. I was among the lucky few who could get through the few campus interviews that came our way. I was literally jumping with joy, excitement and pride when I got my appointment letter. I was to start as a trainee engineer with a meagre salary of 5000 Indian rupees per month, which was really peanuts. But still, I was lucky enough to get a job in an industry tormented with layoffs and pinkslips! I still remember the anxiety and excitement of my first day at work; the chill that went down my spine as I was introduced to the product I was to work on. It was a small portable ticket-issuing machine, with a tiny printer attached to it. I was awestruck when I read the source code that controlled the tiny device. It was so different from whatever i had learnt as a student! Real life experience as ALWAYS is SO different from the formal training! I was amature as a programmer.. how was I supposed to grasp all that knowledge? As time passed on, I not only learnt the nuances of the software but also understood the business aspect of my product. I could use the knowledge i learnt to help make my product a success in the local market. I eventually got absorbed in the company and got to work on many more exciting projects like an IR projection keyboard for handheld devices, bluetooth headsets for mobiles to name just a few. I really enjoyed all my projects and I can talk on and on for hours about them :)..
Ok, that was about the geek in me! Apart from this, there was also an important aspect of my career: the peopleware. That includes my colleagues, my clients & my bosses. I learnt a lot from all of them. What I learnt, could easily be another speech topic. I made some of my best friends at Aftek ltd. I still remember the time we used to spend sipping hot coffee while we took break from our glaring monitors! We used to call it coffee break. But it was more of chatting than coffee! I can still smell the hot and delicious snacks that our company served us every evening sharp at 5 pm. Ahaha! Good enough to stretch us for another 4-5 hours of hard work! Yes! We used to work from 10 am in morning to usually 9 at night, sometimes more than that. My family used to get really irritated bcoz of my irregular timings. They used to say "Why even bother coming home? Stay in your dear office forever!" But I never complained. My work gave me such a high, I didn't really need additional caffeine to keep me going! My company was my second home, and my team was my second family!
I spent 5 of my best years in Aftek ltd. But as they say all good things come to an end. November last year, i bid adieu to my exciting career and got married to my prince charming from Dallas! Life took a 360 degree turn as I started a new career as a simple homemaker. I completely enjoy doing that too, though I never imagined that from myself! :) .. As my luck would have it, I got the coveted work permit for this year meaning I can start the second innings of my career in a couple of months. Till then, I am making the best use of my time here with toastmasters. To conclude, I would quote Paul Clitheroe, a successful TV presenter and financial analyst. He said "For many people a job is more than an income - it's an important part of who we are." Yes, My job at Aftek gave me financial stability and freedom, a sense of satisfaction & achievement, the pride of having done something creative, and most important, my identity! I am sure something similar awaits me here, as I get ready to 'restart' my career as the Geek called Software engineer!
"I am the 'Geek' called Software Engineer!"
Hello Friends,
I would like to start my icebreaker speech with the inspiring words from the Chinese philosopher, Confucius: " Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life!"
Well Friends! I am a software engineer! I am a geek! Well I was fortunate enough to have a career in a field I thouroughly enjoyed. I started my career as an Embedded Systems Engineer about 6 years ago. For starters, Embedded systems are the computers designed to perform a few well-defined tasks, unlike the general purpose PCs. Examples vary from mp3 players like IPODs, microwaves, car dashboards to robots and aircraft control systems! We write the softwares that program these hardwares.
Coming back to my topic, I joined a small company called Aftek Ltd in central India in September 2001. I was yet to finish the last semester of my masters. That was soon after the Y2K bubble burst. The software industry was in a bad shape and the job markets were down. I was among the lucky few who could get through the few campus interviews that came our way. I was literally jumping with joy, excitement and pride when I got my appointment letter. I was to start as a trainee engineer with a meagre salary of 5000 Indian rupees per month, which was really peanuts. But still, I was lucky enough to get a job in an industry tormented with layoffs and pinkslips! I still remember the anxiety and excitement of my first day at work; the chill that went down my spine as I was introduced to the product I was to work on. It was a small portable ticket-issuing machine, with a tiny printer attached to it. I was awestruck when I read the source code that controlled the tiny device. It was so different from whatever i had learnt as a student! Real life experience as ALWAYS is SO different from the formal training! I was amature as a programmer.. how was I supposed to grasp all that knowledge? As time passed on, I not only learnt the nuances of the software but also understood the business aspect of my product. I could use the knowledge i learnt to help make my product a success in the local market. I eventually got absorbed in the company and got to work on many more exciting projects like an IR projection keyboard for handheld devices, bluetooth headsets for mobiles to name just a few. I really enjoyed all my projects and I can talk on and on for hours about them :)..
Ok, that was about the geek in me! Apart from this, there was also an important aspect of my career: the peopleware. That includes my colleagues, my clients & my bosses. I learnt a lot from all of them. What I learnt, could easily be another speech topic. I made some of my best friends at Aftek ltd. I still remember the time we used to spend sipping hot coffee while we took break from our glaring monitors! We used to call it coffee break. But it was more of chatting than coffee! I can still smell the hot and delicious snacks that our company served us every evening sharp at 5 pm. Ahaha! Good enough to stretch us for another 4-5 hours of hard work! Yes! We used to work from 10 am in morning to usually 9 at night, sometimes more than that. My family used to get really irritated bcoz of my irregular timings. They used to say "Why even bother coming home? Stay in your dear office forever!" But I never complained. My work gave me such a high, I didn't really need additional caffeine to keep me going! My company was my second home, and my team was my second family!
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Dipawali in Dallas...
Surprised by the title eh?? Dipawali? that too in July/august? and in Dallas? what could be the occasion?
For starters, Dipawali (also called Diwali) is the festival of lights, celebrated in about the month of October/November according to lunar calendar in India. Its the time when the entire cities get lighted up with clay diyas (decorated oil lamps) and fireworks. The sky at night looks stunning with all the stunning fire displays by enthusiastic people from all corners of the society. I just love this festival for all the energy that runs in the air and all the lights.
And I saw Dipawali, right here in Dallas a few days ago! I was taking a walk with my family in a nearby park (on Alma road) late in the evening the other day. As time passed and it got darker, we started seeing a few lights in the distant bush. We were wondering what that could be when all of a sudden the path in front of us lit up by hundreds of small lights in the air. Those were the works of the nature's amazing little creatures called firebugs! I had never seen such a thing in such enormous proportion back home in India. It was fascinating to see the bush, the trail and everything in front of us sparkling with the tiny lights of these bugs! I was looking at the most beautiful & harmless firework in Dallas, so far away from my homeland. And it was all natural! "No artificial anything"! We were stunned and stupefied as if we were in some dreamland. We must have spent countless moments appreciating the splendid work of nature in front of us! I could have stayed in that dreamland for hours together, watching the marvelous displays by the tiny things; but we had to head home due to time constraints. A tasty Mediterranean food at the Kosta's Greek restaurant on our way back, with steaming hot n delicious pita bread and hummus completed the more-than-perfect evening for us! I am grateful to those tiny bugs for giving me the most beautiful evening of recent days!
For starters, Dipawali (also called Diwali) is the festival of lights, celebrated in about the month of October/November according to lunar calendar in India. Its the time when the entire cities get lighted up with clay diyas (decorated oil lamps) and fireworks. The sky at night looks stunning with all the stunning fire displays by enthusiastic people from all corners of the society. I just love this festival for all the energy that runs in the air and all the lights.
And I saw Dipawali, right here in Dallas a few days ago! I was taking a walk with my family in a nearby park (on Alma road) late in the evening the other day. As time passed and it got darker, we started seeing a few lights in the distant bush. We were wondering what that could be when all of a sudden the path in front of us lit up by hundreds of small lights in the air. Those were the works of the nature's amazing little creatures called firebugs! I had never seen such a thing in such enormous proportion back home in India. It was fascinating to see the bush, the trail and everything in front of us sparkling with the tiny lights of these bugs! I was looking at the most beautiful & harmless firework in Dallas, so far away from my homeland. And it was all natural! "No artificial anything"! We were stunned and stupefied as if we were in some dreamland. We must have spent countless moments appreciating the splendid work of nature in front of us! I could have stayed in that dreamland for hours together, watching the marvelous displays by the tiny things; but we had to head home due to time constraints. A tasty Mediterranean food at the Kosta's Greek restaurant on our way back, with steaming hot n delicious pita bread and hummus completed the more-than-perfect evening for us! I am grateful to those tiny bugs for giving me the most beautiful evening of recent days!
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