“Be like water” — A Toastmasters speech
I recently came across a quote from Bruce Lee that I ended up using as an inspiration to write a speech that I gave at my Toastmasters club meeting. The original quote from Bruce Lee is the following:
Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.
Following my speech at the club, I was requested to share the speech with others.
Speech Text
People stand here every other week and talk about all kinds of interesting topics. We discuss topics like climate change, interesting books and life experiences. But today, I am talking about ol’ plain Jane. I’m talking about water. And you might ask me, what do you have to say about water? We all know about it equally well. But sometimes, within simplicity there is complexity and it just takes a different perspective to appreciate the nuance. Fellow Toastmasters, today I am here to make a bold claim that we can learn a lot from water. In our lives we should all be like water. Let me repeat it. Be like water.
Be refreshing. Few things are as refreshing as a glass of cold water, especially after a long walk under the hot sun. A few you of who walked here today, will probably know what I’m talking about. “So hot outside!”. Water is the closest thing to the elixir of life. What can we learn from this property of water then? We should aim to be someone whose presence refreshes others. Just as water energizes all life around us, look to energize the lives of those around you.
Be clear. Pure water is clear, fully transparent and lets you see through it. I can hide something in a container of sand, but can I hide something in a container of water? No! Be like water then, in both your personal and professional life. In your work, look to be ethical and honest in your dealings. In your personal life, look to be transparent about your feelings with your loved ones and family.
Be flexible. You pour water into an empty glass. What happens? The water takes the shape of the glass. Pour that water into an empty bottle and presto! the water takes the shape of the bottle. Water is one of the most flexible and formless substances that we come across everyday. So what does water teach us here? Water teaches us to be accommodating and have situational awareness. Sometimes, we get into arguments over the silliest things. I know. I’ve been there before. The next time you are in an argument, look to take the shape and perspective of the other side and look to be considerate.
Be a universal solvent. Water is called the universal solvent, because it dissolves more substances than any other liquid. Sugar, salt, minerals and nutrients all dissolve in water. Some of the most powerful acids dissolve and get diluted in water. Impurities in our body dissolve in water and get flushed out of our system. Just as water then, take a dissolving effect in any group you belong to. Just as a sugar cube dissolves and makes the entire glass of water sweet, look to distribute the feelings of happiness to everyone in any group you belong to. On the other hand, if there is acrimony or sadness in concentrated in someone, look to empathize with them and dilute their feelings.
Be precious. Clean water is the life blood of all living organisms and yet millions of people around the world don’t have access to fresh clean water everyday. Every 90 seconds, a child dies from a water related disease. I was watching the commencement speech that Matt Damon gave at MIT a few weeks ago and he said that lack of access to fresh water is one of the most significant influencers of extreme poverty. The fate of entire communities, economies, countries is caught up in that glass of water; something the rest of us take for granted. I want all of us to realize that water is indeed precious. Without it, we wouldn’t be here. Just as water then, be precious to the people around you. Too many times, we take things for granted. Our families, friends and support systems. Realize that they are all precious to you and in turn look to be precious for them.
Finally, in everyday life, we are always told to look for role models. We are told to emulate these people who have led noble, eventful lives and positively impacted people around them. Well today, I am asking something different of you. I am asking you to emulate an inanimate object: Water. Water — that object we use everyday, yet don’t think twice about. Water has many things to teach us about he we live our all aspects of our lives. So next time you look at a glass of water, think of it as a reflection of what you should aim to be!
Thank you!
Liked this speech? Please comment below on what you thought about it. I would love to know if you recently came across any other speeches that you thought were interesting.
