Aaron Beverly, 2nd place winner of 2016 World Championship of Public Speaking

[Music] Aaron Beverly leave a lasting memory using as few words as possible and strive with every fiber of your being to avoid being the type of person who Rambles on and on with no end in sight more likely than not causing more listeners to sit and think to themselves oh my goodness can somebody please make this stop leave a lasting memory using as few words as possible and strive with f every fiber of your being to avoid being the type of person who Rambles on and on with no end in sight more likely than not causing more listeners to sit and think to themselves oh my goodness can somebody please make this top Aaron [Applause] [Music] Beverly be honest you enjoyed that didn't [Applause] you now please do me a favor recite that entire title off the top of your head right now go not all at once wait a minute do you mean to tell me that you cannot remember all 57 of the words in that title neither can I but do you know what that proves just because you say more doesn't mean people will remember what you said Thank You contest chair Toast Masters and guests outside of a Toast Masters Club I I actually do not talk a lot I've always been called a quiet person in fact if you went back in time to my college and told the other students that one day Aaron Beverly will speak in front of over a thousand people at a Toast Masters convention they would say wow that's amazing Eric can talk and ever since I was a kid people have always told me Aaron you need to say more Aaron you need to speak up more Aaron people won't remember what you say unless you say more and I remember thinking to myself is that true is it bad to be a quiet person are we truly judged by how much we say or is it what we say that counts I remember a former colleague of mine from work his name was Austin the year was 2013 early in the morning me and Austin were standing at a bus stop waiting for the bus that takes us to work now the bus driver she was about 35 to 40 years old every day her bus would pull up she would open the bus doors and she would greet every passenger in the nicest way possible like [Laughter] this she was actually the meanest person I have ever met in my life do you know what the passengers called called her bus lady of Doom the only time I ever heard her laugh was the day she left someone at the bus station just mean and grumpy for no reason have you ever met anyone like this there we are me and Austin standing at the bus stop bus pulls up bus doors open and there she is [Laughter] now I have not seen Austin in three years but he reminded me back then and today a few words they can make people happy but they can do more they can bring pain and sorrow Prejudice and hatred but also peace and love pride and inspiration and within that realm of inspiration a few words can do something extraordinary I'm in my toast Master's Club it's time for the best part of the meeting that every Toastmaster loves table topics the topics Master stood on the stage he called out May I please have the first volunteer there was one hand but that hand was special because it belonged to a young softspoken young lady named Michelle Michelle was from China she was attending college in America 19 years old and speaking in front of an audience terrified her but there she was standing on that stage the topics Master read the question what was the greatest moment of your life and she froze for what must have felt like eternity to her all she could do was stare at the floor 10 seconds passed and she still could not speak 20 seconds passed her lips began to tremble 30 seconds passed she cried I'm sitting in the audience I'm watching this happen to her and I'm heartbroken until she finally spoke and she shared the greatest moment of her life when my mom said she believed in me what can you say to that those words were spoken five years ago and I still remember them Michelle she may remember her mother's words for the rest of her life because a few words they can touch your heart so ladies and gentlemen I believe that it's okay to be a quiet person to be softspoken to not say that much because when it comes to being being remembered I've learned and you've proven just because you say more doesn't mean people will remember what you say so let's make the words we do say count you'll be surprised how long people remember a few words

Channel: Toastmasters International

Views: 488,796

Keywords: Aaron Beverly, World Championship of Public Speaking®, Toastmasters International, Toastmasters

Id: 7bVSOJL57F8

Length: 9min 11sec (551 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 21 2018