I get a thrill out of speaking at the edge of my comfort zone. In my
Toastmasters speech about rediscovering theatre, I teetered on the
brink of tears, my voice slightly hoarse with emotion. Even with a few
years of experience in public technical speaking, tension still closes
up my throat and pushes me to speak faster.

I have to stretch my voice and my skills. Just like Kuya Ed had me go
over the rough spots in my vocal range when he was teaching me how to
sing, I have to go over the rough spots in my vocal and emotive range
when I speak. Each challenge stretches me and makes me grow.

The competition is an excellent opportunity for me to learn how to use
humor. Greg’s right. People don’t really listen to speakers in order
to be educated. They want to be entertained. It’s scary as heck, but I
want to learn how to do that. It’s fun. =)