I gave this speech at the first Toastmasters Meeting of 2023 in hopes to inspire our visitors and members to not give up on reaching their goals. The following is text, slightly edited for clarity. Enjoy!
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Anyone know what happens when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve?
At 11:59, the rear view mirror is full of the departing year’s disappointments, our hearts are awash with hope and the wide windshield ahead of us is full of optimism with change fresh on our minds. All hurts and challenges are behind us. Truth is there is an ebb and flow of expectation when a fresh start presents at the start of each new year.
We promise ourselves better and that feels right. What does new year optimism look like?… a treadmill? new car? new job? new experience? new husband? [A joke]
Clock strikes midnight,…
“Should auld acquaintance be forgot,…
“And never brought to mind?
“Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
“And auld lang syne.”
[“Auld Lang Syne” — which roughly translates to “times gone by”— was written by Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788 and is thought to have been based on a Scottish folk song.]
We kiss our companion and drink giddily to the fresh start we are handed. All the things not accomplished last year, we want to tackle with the new year. Motivation is high to start but the motivation wains but why? Life happens, distractions and cell phones being the primary issue. We need to go into the new year with both eyes open understanding the road blocks and pit falls that will obstruct down the road. We need grace and determination for the journey.
Lets get started… Looking back at the previous year we see areas of improvement that need attention. We commit ourselves and show up on Dec 31 NYE and toast with champagne.. boy what a lead-in for Jan 1. Then the motivation remains high on Jan 2. Takes us a lil longer to get to the gym on Jan 3. holding on Jan 4. we’re making excuses and miss the gym on Jan 5. We procrastinate on Jan 6 and by Jan 7, it is the day of rest then gym no more. Ah ah! We gotta break the cycle. So lets rename this whole thing… how about let’s give the New Year a new name, New Year New Day. New Day… get it?
It is you being gifted another chance to try each day. It is you showing up and identifying the needs in your life and addressing those needs…showing up for who? For yourself, for your family and coworkers, for your future. Honoring the small things and taking small steps to make a collective, impactful difference, one day at a time.
We must recognize it is you being hungry for the things you want in this life and using your agency to prepare a table for yourself with the fruit of discipline, a full cup of faith and plates of ambition to make a difference for yourself and for those around you. And when opportunity presents, life requires you to show up if growth is what you seek. Opportunities are the gateways to greater possibilities.
Lets break that down… Opportunity…what is it? Merriam-Webster defines opportunity as
– a favorable combination of circumstances, time and place
– a chance to better oneself
The definition I love most is the one by Oxford Languages
– a chance for promotion (the perfect summation for all three)
Promotion… has a nice ring to it right? Let’s be careful though. We should not rely on the world’s standards for “promotion” as it pertains to our personal growth. Those standards are myopic, short sighted sometimes because waiting for a boss who does not believe in you or your potential to “promote” you is a hard pill to swallow and [i think its ok to say] aint nobody got time for that. No, let me share a thought that just might shift the paradigm for you. You read that book you’ve been meaning to read… promotion. You find yourself in the gym 1 of the 4 saturdays in January when last year you did not go at all… promotion. You enroll in the masters program that you’ve been meaning to for years… promotion… You put down your cell phone when your child begs for your attention and you choose her or him over self indulgence (work related or not)… promotion… New year new day…
Promotions are the reward for showing up for the little things and the big things…both still lead to the same result…PROMOTION! at home, at work, in life…promotion
Ladies and gentlemen I hope you see the pattern here. Does anyone get it yet? If so, send me a heart. The lesson of the new day, take the opportunity to SHOW UP for yourself and for those around you. I challenge you to sit for a moment and think on it. Know that life will happen, but plan your response and dig your heels in to choose a win for yourself. So here’s a lil rhetorical that I want to do with you. Mics on, I state a challenge and you say “New year, new day” got it?
– Alarm clock goes off and its time for the gym but you’re tired…
– Its lunchtime and you been carrying around a book you been meaning to read…
– Baby girl is pulling on your leg to show you her painting and you are on your cell phone…
– An ad comes across your computer screen for a trip you’ve always wanted to take to Africa but you hesitate…
– You attend a Toastmasters meeting and are still on the fence about membership…
Shameless plug I know but we are serious about this. We struggle too but showing up is a must in this space because when we show up here, we show up for you to encourage you to show up. Yes, it is a new year but today is a new day! Are you ready?
For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
Alright everyone, let’s do this!
Shaun Martin Architect 