Erudite Roulette: Needle in a Haystack - TM Swathi, Mysore Toastmasters

It has been such a short time after I have moved into a new city away from my family, everyone and everything seem different, things don’t seem to be the same anymore. To be frank I’m now understanding the concept of evolution and the survival of the fittest. I’m evolving and I’m trying to survive. On this journey, finding people with similar interests as mine is like looking for a needle in a haystack especially because this city is extremely large and crowded. At this point of time, all I can remember is that one lesson which I had learned so far in my life that is - everything that seems to be impossible once can definitely be solved.

The pursuit of that needle in this haystack began; the first thing that came to my mind was Toastmasters. Because of the fact that Toastmasters is present in 142 countries having 345,000 members in 15900 clubs; this is not even close to the fact with my family. So rather than searching for my relatives, I Googled to "Find a Club" in the city; Guess what I found… 119 clubs in Bangalore. Where I’m sure that even if I call every relative of mine, that number is unbeatable for my family. That was a surprise for me, though. Then I planned to visit clubs close to my place, this gave me a sense that I was not away from my family. However now I have found some amazing people who are extremely talented and inspiring; which seems as something that is impossible or extremely difficult to find, In the end, I found my people and I am as happy as finding that needle in the haystack. Cheers to Toastmasters! 
Topic given by TM Ilavenil

Erudite Roulette: Without a Reason - TM Anish - Infosys Toastmasters (Chennai)

He was not a typical 19 year old. At his age, he had the utmost love for collecting perfumes, sitting down for coffee to discuss business ideas and had the latest updates in the technology world at the tip of his tongue, while his peers were busy with football, barbeque and one night stands. But a new hobby that he ventured into, eventually changed his life. Here’s his story…

Without a reason, he persuaded a couple of teetotaler friends in accompanying him to a bar and taking the ambience of coffee table discussions to the next level. His deep knowledge and research into alcoholic beverages made him no stranger with the menu except the taste. “I’ll have a dry martini, please”, were the words first uttered. One drink, one hour of chatting and one round of pool later, this circle of friends felt they have FINALLY GROWN UP!

Two years later, a typical day in his life looked like this – The evening began with a large bottle of scotch, no tab was kept on time, junk food was his only source of nutrition and sleep his only best friend – for everyone who enjoyed his presence have moved away from the liquid courage that he became dependent on. Without a reason, time demolished his judgment, intellect and replaced it with dependency.

Three years, thirty planned detox sessions and three hundred hours of listening to speeches at Toastmasters, he finally understood that it’s okay to let go. And better, it’s okay to space out the drinks and accommodate every other priority in life because “The next drink will always come” and it’s pointless to go cold turkey or seek counseling without a reason.

At 23, he’s out of the dependence and looks back not to regret for those few years but thankful that he has faced the extremes only to write this article to share his story. It’s easy to begin any hobby, habit, heartfelt conversation with an open mind (without a reason) and it’s easier to move out of it without a reason. The phase that we go through in the middle, is just an experience worth narrating some other day.

What will your next leap of faith look like, without a reason?

Topic given by: TM Avinash