1st Speech
Title: The Pace of Life
Hello Toastmasters and guests,
It is my great honor to deliver a speech during the national holidays, especially with the weather being such a boon for outdoor leisure activities.
Has anyone here traveled to New Zealand for work, study, or vacation? Have you watched The Lord of the Rings trilogy? The movies were filmed in New Zealand by Peter Jackson, a renowned director from there.
For those of you who have watched the films may have notice that New Zealand offers spectacular scenery. To know why, let me explain the geologic history of New Zealand.
Location
New Zealand is an island country situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and consists of two main islands: the North Island and the South Island. Located at the fringes of the Pacific and Indian-Australian tectonic plates, New Zealand has undergone a painful birth,
In the North, the Pacific Plate is forced beneath the Indian-Australian Plate, while in the South, the Pacific Plate rubs against the Indian-Australian Plate and forces it downward. As part of the Ring of Fire that runs through Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan in Asia, New Zealand experiences frequent geological activities, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
Over time, the land has been pushed upward to form mountain ranges, and water has been trapped as snow on its summits. Today, we see the Southern Alps, which stretch over 500 kilometers with 18 peaks like a backbone across the South Island. The highest, Mount Cook, stands at 3,724 meters with snow on its summit. Lake Taupo, the largest freshwater lake in New Zealand, is about the same size as Singapore and was formed after a massive volcanic eruption. Gradually, it has collected water to fill itself to the fullest. Nature crafts the spectacular landscapes at its own pace.
My Travel Experience
New Zealand is a paradise for those who love nature and the outdoors. I’d like to share some of my travel experiences there, which were incredibly relaxing and slow-paced.
My first stop was at a national park. The park offers many trails, each showcasing different landscapes and plant life. Completing just one trail took me 8 hours. Despite the large number of tourists, the park was so vast that it never felt crowded. Some visitors moved quickly, seeking off-track adventures, while others took their time, savoring the scenery, especially the colorful lakes. Everyone moved at their own pace, according to their abilities and goals. Just being there in that moment was enough to qualify me as a tourist and check it off my to-do list.
Next, I visited the coastline. New Zealand has more than 700 small islands, and this particular one is home to a variety of wildlife and beautiful beaches. I strolled from one beach to the next, enjoying the ocean views and sea breezes. Some beaches in New Zealand are great for surfing while others are covered with black sand formed by volcanic rocks. Along the shore, I spotted wild elephant seals basking in the sun, lying flat, and hanging out together.
The Pace of Life
New Zealand offers us a chance to enjoy the natural beauty of the earth. Life in New Zealand is relaxed and unhurried. My travels have taught me that it’s okay to slow down. As spiritual beings having a human experience, we need to remember that the pace of life is far slower than the fast, stressful, and artificial life many of us lead in post-industrial urban environments. Life is like a marathon. Sometimes, we need to speed up, but other times, we need to slow down. Ultimately, we must find our own pace, because we can’t hope to finish the race happily if we’re always trying to keep up with someone else.
Instead of rushing by, try slowing down
Instead of hurrying up, try standing still and enjoying the moment…
Instead of feeling squeezed, try stepping back and finding more breathing space.
Thank you for listening.
2nd Speech
Title: The Pace of Life
Hello Toastmasters and guests,
Have you traveled to New Zealand for work, study or vacation? Raise your hand if you have.
Have you watched The Lord of the Rings trilogy? The movies were filmed in New Zealand by Peter Jackson, a renowned director from there.
My Travel Experience
I’d like to share some of my travel experiences there, which were incredibly relaxing and slow-paced. New Zealand is a paradise for those who love nature and the outdoors.
My first stop was at a national park. The park offers many trails, each showcasing different landscapes and plant life/ plants. Completing just one trail took me 8 hours. Although the park attracted many tourists, the park was so vast that it never felt crowded. My friend moved quickly, seeking off-track adventures, while I took my time, savoring the beautiful scenery, the mighty mountain and the colorful lakes. We followed our own pace, just right for our fitness and ambition.
In addition to the parks, I visited the beaches. New Zealand is an island country, with more than 700 small islands. This particular ISLAND ! you are looking at is home to endangered birds and wildlife / plants.
I strolled from one beach to the next, enjoying the ocean breezes and the simple vastness. Some of them are good for surfing while others are covered with black sand formed by volcanic rocks. Along the shore, I spotted some wild elephant seals !!!!! basking in the sun, lying flat, and hanging out together.
Where does the beautiful scenery come from? The scenery comes from the craft of nature.
New Zealand is situated at the fringes of the Pacific and Indian Australian TECTONIC plates, so she experiences frequent and violent geological activities, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Over a long long period of time, the land has been pushed upward, forming what we now see today, the Southern Alps, which stretch over 500 kilometers with 18 peaks like a backbone across the South Island. The highest, Mount Cook, stands at 3,724 meters with snow on its summit. Formed after a massive volcanic eruption, Lake Taupo, the largest freshwater lake in New Zealand, is about the same size as Singapore.
Nature takes its time to craft such magnificent landscape. Such magnificent landscape exists before I arrived in New Zealand, and it continues to exists after I left. But the moment I was there as a traveler, I was relaxed, happy and content, for I had enjoyed the beauty of nature at my own pace.
LIFE is like that too. Economies, companies, regulations, societies, and all troubles of the world exist before we are born, and they shall continue to exist after we are long dead. But the moment we are here as a traveler, we, must live our life to the fullest, the truest, for there is nothing more enjoyable than to express the true nature of ourselves. We cannot ever hope to achieve that, if we constantly struggle to catch up with someone’s pace. IT is never fair to compete against someone at their pace, right? So, why do we do it then? We must eat, sleep, play, work and even do toastmasters in ways that fit our true nature. This is my advice for you.
Instead of rushing by, try standing still
Instead of hurrying up, try slowing down
Instead of squeezing hard, try letting go
Thanks
Beautiful Scenery
