Declare your uniqueness

Declare your uniqueness

[Toastmaster's Club Basic Speech 1]

Before Paris Hilton got arrested for DUI, before Britney Spears became a mom, before Brad and Angelina got together, before Kobe Bryant became a star, there was Patrick Garcia.

I basically spend my high school life in what I call the "Patrick Garcia Era". And if you were around that time, you would probably understand why I call it as such. Patrick Garcia, that time, was just a phenomenon. I mean, every body loves Patrick Garcia; his hair, his smile, his braced teeth, his skin, his acting, his everything. I could still remember the famous commercial that jump-started his showbiz career it goes like this “Carlo sat beside me today, he was sooo cute...” These are the words of that girl in the commercial and these are probably the same cry of most of my girl classmates and schoolmates at that time. Every high school and college lady I know loves to be with Patrick Garcia. Some probably would even go as far as taking their clothes off for him. Some are simply crazy about him.

Every guy I know in my school wants to be him. Who would not? To be Patrick is to be chased and desired by ladies. Not bad huh? The idea of being adored is like a dream of a lifetime.

At one point, I would say I was willing to trade all I have to be like Patrick Garcia. And I tried. I tried, like other boys in my town, to change my looks. I started with my hair. You see, Patrick Garcia was famous for his straight one-length hair so I started by combing my hair so that it will styled in the same manner. I still remembered spending hours and hours in front of the mirror or in the bathroom pouring shampoo and conditioner so that I can have a hair like Patrick's. I failed. I have a wavy-curly hair. And somehow my curly hair is stronger than any shampoo or conditioner can handle. I got it from my father. My hair just won't conform to the Patrick Garcia hairstyle. But I still pushed through with it. I still styled as closed as Patrick-like as I could. Imagine a wavy hair formed like TM Lloyd’s hair (Install Team TL); It was a disaster. Later on I got frustrated with my looks. I feel so ugly. I started not to like myself. Who would not? I mean, if we start our comparison with the hair I already failed miserably. I even asked my mother why in the world I inherited my father's curly hair and not her very beautiful straight hair. My mother responded like any loving mother would say to her son, “you look handsome to me”. I still hated my hair no matter what my mother would say. I became insecure. I had trouble expressing my feelings to anybody I like- I was "torpe". At that time, it seems like being rejected was inevitable. It was just an emotional mess.

Until I got admitted to a hospital and later on was diagnosed with pneumonia, which I got from the camping trip that I attended to. There my life took an unprecedented turn. I thought I was going to die because my back hurts; I was coughing blood and I have a hard time breathing. I prayed to God and realized that I was too young to die. Death really put the things in my life into right perspective. It gave me a great view of time and it showed me what the important things in life. If only I had the time to show my mother how much I love and appreciate her. If only I have been a good brother to my sisters. If only I can hug my mom as much as I can and as tight as I can. If you only I told Mylene, the girl of my dreams, how much I love her before I came to the hospital. If only I was braver. These are just some of the thoughts that seized me while I was lying in a hospital bed. I realized I have not really enjoyed my life. I was busy becoming somebody else. I was busy wanting to be Patrick Garcia. "What a waste.” I thought. I have not lived my life wisely and I regretted every single thing about it. Somehow I wanted to survive and make up for the lost time. I told the Lord that I want to live but if He wants me to die it's alright but I regretted living the way I lived. I prepared myself to die in regret. But the day after, the doctor told me that I'll be alright. And so I went home but I was no longer the same guy who went into that hospital. I was determined to be alive. I was determined to live my life better. I decided to show my love to my mother and sisters. I decided to face my fears; the moment I came back to school, without fear I declared my love to a girl I secretly love for 3 years. Though she was probably shocked seeing me so alive and so passionate about life we never got together but I didn’t regretted expressing my feelings to her. I no longer fear rejection. To me entertaining fear is a waste of time. I focused on living and I started to love myself. I realized that God created me to be Joseph and not to be Patrick. Yes, I may not have a straight hair but I am, as the Bible says, fearfully and wonderfully made by God. I am a unique creature and proud of it. And you know what, the moment I became myself and discovered how God wants me to live, the people around me begun to recognize the life in me; they begun to appreciate the living and unique me compared to the ugly conforming trying hard-Patrick-copy-cat.

I am a unique creature and so are you. We are created by God to be unique and to walk in that uniqueness. As the Bible say, do not conform to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And if you listen to what God is saying to you right now He will probably tell you the same thing, “Be as I created you to be. Walk in your won anointing and calling.”