The Traffic Sign

This is my 2nd speech entitled THE TRAFFIC SIGN, delivered last November 10, 2009. The Lenten break is really a good time to reflect and organize, that I am able to post the speeches I had from our Toastmasters...


A sign comes in different colors, shapes and sizes. A sign with symbols in round, square or triangular shape has their own meaning. For everybody’s appreciation, I will talk about a very common sign that we get to see in our day-to-day life, a sign that puts order on the roads we go through, and that is the Traffic Sign. I will not be a traffic officer or a reporter that will give points on how to avoid a terrible traffic. My speech for tonight will give you a different perspective for a traffic sign.
Let me start by envisioning yourself in a car you are to drive. You start your engine and travel to a certain destination. Upon reaching the main road out from your house, you came to an intersection together with the other vehicles trying to get on their way. There you see this traffic sign in a corner. Now, what colors do you see in a sign? There’s green, orange and red. These colors have their own meanings. In a traffic light, green means go, orange means pause and red means stop. Otherwise, without these traffic signs, the roads will be chaotic.
Let me correlate the importance of traffic signs to the ride of life we have. Most of the time, we would always want to be on the go, the green light. We are always rushing, trying to beat deadlines, grab opportunities, speak yourself up, be on the right track and be the first to reach your goal. We do not want to be interrupted with pauses, the orange light, because for us, we know this causes delay in what we are doing. Yet, we have to realize the importance of the other two signs, the orange and red light.
The orange light, means pause, yes it is a pause and not to speed up your car for the red light is about to appear. I used to do that from time to time. A pause is very important in our lives, for it gives us time to think. It is a way to re-align your goals to where you are really heading to. Orange light or a pause does not cause delay for it only gives us time to better decide on which path to go. An example is when you are confused before coming up with a decision. Try to take a break, a pause which the orange light reminds us, take a breather. This helps us to clear our mind and weigh the circumstances accordingly.
Finally, the red light which means to stop. Why do we have to stop? In a road, a stop gives way for others to go. For in an open intersection and all vehicles coming from opposite directions goes for the green light, all of them will definitely crash, paying for their lives. Same as in a relationship, you have to stop to give way for the other, and know when to stop if it is no longer right.
I hope this little sharing of my perspective gave you some things to ponder. We should always notice the signs around us to better appreciate and live the life we have. We may be going through our own hustles and bustles when we go for the green light but always remember when we have to pause for the orange light and when to stop for the red light.

BIGGEST LOOSER

Sharing with you my 5th speech for our Toastmasters session last March 17, 2010 entitled The Biggest Looser...

What do this sign mean to you? For kids, they’ll say it’s a gun. For politicians, they’ll say it’s a sign of Cory Aquino. For others, this is a sign of Looser, especially if they place it on top of their foreheads. Yes, I want to be a Looser, a looser in a way that I will no longer have flabby thighs, bulging belly, double chin and other problematic body parts. I want to loose weight. Why is this important to me? Because I love myself and I am vain of my looks. Being part of the sales team, it’s a must to be pleasant and presentable. Otherwise, clients will not entertain you and give you projects. Another reason is for me to fit in any clothes I wished to wear. And lastly, for healthy reasons, I don’t want to die due to fat related problems.

This has been a goal long time ago and ever since I did not loose weight. This frustration, made me decide to enroll myself to the gym last December 2008. They say that in few months time with the proper diet and exercise, you will definitely see results in 2 months. The first few months are okay because I have been diligent on my diet and exercise. But in the middle of the year, I missed my gym sessions and with the holidays approaching, I lost track of my diet.

To continue with this frustration, last week, the gym’s account manager called me and asked when am I going back? With my goal in mind to loose weight, I went back last Saturday and found out that I gained 7lbs from the first time I started going to the gym. From 127lbs I am now 135lbs. I am 5’2 in height and my ideal weight is only 110lbs. Imagine that I need to loose 25lbs. That’s a big number for me. Now, I am back to start and have not reached the finished line of the weight lost track.

I went back to the thread mill and jogged for 30 minutes. I used the machines carried the dumbbells. But the most difficult part here is the floor exercise, the crunches. For me, doing this will require a lot of will power and determination to have a 6 pack abs. So imagine me in the floor, taking a deep breath as you pull yourself up and exhale as you lie down. I have to do variations of crunches for 360 repetitions. After a stress busting work out, I felt quite different. I felt more energetic with my adrenalins at high but the following day, all my body muscles are aching, that I can hardly take a step. Despite of the body ache, I thought that this is a good sign because it means that my work out is taking effect. I went back the following day and the other day with my motivation in mind that I will succeed in loosing weight. I just have to make time for it even if you have a hectic schedule. I conditioned myself to be in the in the gym every Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tuesdays for the Hip Hop Aero dance, Thursdays for the Belly dancing, and Saturdays and Sundays for the machines. Of course diet is part of the routine, drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day, a complete and nutritious meal with a lot of fruits and vegetables, small servings of meat and a cup of rice twice a day only. I also moderated my cravings for sweet foods, instead of having it after every meal I only have it once a day either breakfast or lunch.

With all these activities done, there is no doubt that I can be a biggest looser in due time. I agree with the saying “No Pain, No Gain!” and “No Guts, No Glory!” I really have to dedicate time, effort and the will power to achieve this. I have to be consistent, diligent and most of all determined to be totally fit. And hopefully someday, I will be one of the biggest looser around.