I'm Perfect

I'm Perfect  (International Speech Contest 22Mar2014)

(pretend to apply makeup to cheek.  Looking frustrated.  Holding foundation, concealer.   Stop and speak) Whenever I do my make up, I feel … frustrated!      Foundation cream (show), concealer (show) , these cosmetics can’t…. cover my moles!   (frustrated  & throw away both tubes) 

Look!  I’ve 1.. 2… 3… 4 moles on my cheek!    Can you see?  These moles…. are bothering me!   Anyone knows … the implication of mole … on our face?   Is it good or bad?      

I googled and found a fortune teller website – (say slowly)  “Mole on your forehead, you will be rich & famous.”   The fortune teller is right – (take card) Look at Sit Ka Yin! (put down card)   ”But if the mole is on your cheek, (pause)    you—will—lose—a--fortune ……and….. have… an…. imperfect life!”   (look worried)    

Mole on the cheek?  Like mine!!        Losing fortune?   An imperfect life?       No way!     I don’t like the moles on my face↘!    (Pause)          I will get a doctor / to remove them. 

‘It costs 5 thousand dollars’ the doctor said  ‘Phew!  5000 only. Ch—e—a--p!’ (look relief)  Ms Ng, 5000 ….. (pause, smiling, teasing)   EACH MOLE’ (look shocked) 

(as if crying) The fortune teller is right – (slowly) with mole on the cheek, I will lose a fortune!     

Now I understand / Fortune Telling is / telling you… to spend a fortune↗! 

Should I spend the fortune… to remove the moles and to be perfect?   You see, quest for perfection ..is great. Perfection.. is excellence. Some_of_us …pur-sue… per-fect-ion.   We desire a perfect spouse, a perfect job and even (pause) perfect ..floor tile.   When renovation at my house was completed, I found a piece of floor tile (point to floor) of … s—light--ly different color.   I wasn’t happy.  I wanted to change it,   But my husband said ‘The tile is not that bad. Why waste money …& time to remove it?’   I was mad!   ‘We’ve spent a fortune, yet it’s not …perfect! (hand on waist) (pause)  

(sigh) Quest for perfection is tiring↘.  We feel stressed and unhappy.  Very often, money & time are wasted, (pause) no no no, in-vest-ed.  

To pursue a perfect body,    I..….invested      in a gym program.  

One day, at the gym, I saw this girl.   She.. was pretty, had a great smile and …a perfect body shape.  The girl wore a tank top / which revealed her arms.  Her arms were slender, her skin was so.. fair... but ...  it was full of scars.  Full of ugly scars.  (pause) It dawned on me.  This girl… doesn’t attempt to hide her scars.  She is confident ..n happy …despite ..her imperfections.  (look shocked) PAUSE (count 3sec)

(walk to left)  That night, I looked into the mirror for a long time (pretend mirror).     Her scars … reminded me of my moles.   (pause 2sec)  (say slowly) ‘My moles are not that bad. Why waste money & time … to remove them?  Yes!  I should keep my moles and..  of course my fortune!’     (pause)

I put down the mirror …and saw the floor tiles .. under my feet – the imperfect tile.  (pause)   I realised / the imperfect floor tile/ doesn’t matter anymore↘.  (pause)  

I looked at my husband. He was very pleased.  He said “It’s the little imperfection / that makes you / perfect.  // You are /  beau-ti-ful-ly  /  im-per-fect my_dear!” (looking sweet)---PAUSE (count 3 sec)—

Fellow Toastmasters & friends, (say slowly) do you think ….. you are perfect?  If you think you are, please raise your hand.  You! And You!  You think you are perfect! Haha !  (laugh, clap hands)  Alleluia, God is among us.    

If you say to yourself (take card)      I’M PERFECT,   do_you_know      u_r_actually saying (pause)      IMPERFECT.  (pause)    The truth is / NO ONE.. IS PERFECT.     –PAUSE (count 3sec) (put down card).    

Do not confuse  /  perfection with excellence.        Excellence, we can_strive_to_reach       but        perfection/  may_be_just / an   illusion.       Excellence /  doesn’t require / perfection.     ---PAUSE (count 3 sec)—

Ladies & Gentlemen, being happy /  doesn’t mean that everything is perfect.   It means you’ve looked / beyond / the imperfections.    Let’s Accept / and / Embrace our imperfections.

I know my speech is not perfect.   It doesn’t matter↘. I’m happy to be here / to deliver an important  message : that is    We_may_be↗               perfectly                    imperfect   

But_we_can↗_be↘    perfect       in_our      imperfections.