In the season of the Holidays, I was tonight’s Table Topics Master at the Woodridge Toastmasters and was slated to come up with some “Quotes” from the holidays, so those contained below are the quotes which were spoke about “impromptu” this evening.

(My sources for these quotes were a random series of google queries :))

• People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas.  ~Author Unknown

• He who breaks a resolution is a weakling;
  He who makes one is a fool.
  ~F.M. Knowles

• We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.  Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential.  ~Ellen Goodman

• Expecting the world to treat you fairly
  because you are a good person
  is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you
  because you are a vegetarian.
  -DENNIS WHOLEY:

• “I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up – they have no holidays.” -Henry Youngman

• “Christmas is the season when you buy this year’s gifts with next year’s money.” -Unknown

• “There’s nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child.” -Erma Bombeck

• “The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. This wasn’t for any religious reasons. They couldn’t find three wise men and a virgin.” -Jay Leno

• This is not a time for resolutions but for setting of goals.   What is a goal you plan to set for yourself, Personally or Professionally

• Christmas is a time when kids tell Santa what they want and adults pay for it.  Deficits are when adults tell the government what they want and their kids pay for it.  ~Richard Lamm

• Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special!  How touching to have the meaning of Christmas brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer…. Who’d have ever guessed that product consumption, popular entertainment, and spirituality would mix so harmoniously?  ~Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes

So, think about these and how would you respond if you’ve been put on the spot to talk (somehow) about these subjects if you were given this quote and were asked to talk about it for 1-2 minutes

With necessity being the mother of invention, his father indeed was competition.
Speaking of competitions, I happen to be in one for this Friday, April 25th, 2008!

Within toastmasters, I’ve recently been through a number of competitions. Starting at the club level where competition was fierce and then moving on to the area level with a similar stiff rivalry, only to be brought to triumph at the Division level against 5 other excellent and eloquent speakers of their kind. I battled at the Division level with the best of the SW Divisions clubs, only to see success shine through my eyes as I wowed not only the judges but the audience alike. And later this week it will come to its final battle for me at the District 30 (Northwest Chicagoland) to go up against the best of all of the Districts alike.

The subject I’ll be speaking upon? Is unknown to me. Only to be revealed to me in the seconds before I am to speak upon it.
This matter of extemporaneous speaking is called “Table Topics”, and it is an area in which I enjoy as I’m given the whole of a few seconds to prepare; worst case if I do not do well, the excuse commonly referenced is “I only had a few seconds to think about it”, however if I do indeed do well as I have in the past the reinforcement of my own training and educational I’ve invested in myself can be said “I only had a few seconds to think about it!” Yes, my downfall is also my uprising! All those years of having little time to prepare for something and having to act upon it certainly are doing their justice to pay off.

However, it is not all easy-street, as “Table Topics”, revered as one of the hardest things to do in Toastmasters (and often in life as others have told me) does take a fair bit of preparation; and is something I’m constantly tuning and honing to try to improve it to be even better.

I’ll further get to see how well my preparation has taken me when it comes down to the wire and I’m up against the best of the best in the Chicagoland this Friday at 7PM in Tinley Park, but I will do my best and bring out my best.

Reportedly, the challenges in this (for me in particular) should the subject be something I have no interest in, or very little knowledge I am doomed to mediocrity and will not be at my best; furthering the reasons why educating yourself in handling these types of situation is wholly beneficial and will help you infinitely down the road.

I encourage anyone to come on down and investigate this phenomenon of people talking on a subject they’re not aware of, seconds before hand with whatever level of mastery that can surmise; to discuss and relate no less than 60 seconds, and no more than 2 minutes and thirty.

The future is here, and my journey to the next (and last available in this competition) trophy is only days away!

Anyone interested in seeing me compete, or in this general Toastmasters event (Open to the public)
I encourage you to come on down to the Spring Conference!

It will be held at the Holiday Inn Select & Convention Center, Tinley Park, IL
The Table Topics contest will be Friday Night, (Apr 25th) at 7:00PM

You can find out more information at the District 30 Toastmasters site www.toastofchicago.org

This coming June 14th I will be installed as the new President of the Toastmasters in Woodridge, IL (Club #983, District #30)

Anyone interested in coming see me in action, or also in coming to check out what Toastmasters is about, and especially why I’m interested in this particular Toastmasters out of all of the ones available, I urge you to come on down as a guest one of these days.

This Toastmasters meets every 2nd and 4th Thursdays, at 7:30PM – 9:30PM.

It is a very educational, warm and accepting group, and we always embrace guests when they come (Which is quite often).

For those interested, the address is:

*Woodridge Resource Center
8274 Janes Avenue
Woodridge, IL 60517

I’ve included links to my local Toastmasters, the local District as well as the main site on the side. If you do not use them, like all of my links, I will. :)

Take care, and if you’re interested in visiting one of these times and want some more details about it, feel free to give me a call. Before hand, or even the night of (before 7:30 ofcourse :)) 630.362.1320

Christopher Kusek

Woodridge Toastmasters Club #983

District #30 Toastmasters

Toastmasters International