The Journey Of A Vision

Long Entry ahead.

This is my speech for Effective ORal Communications.

It's a true story.

So enjoy =D

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Decisions. Sometimes they are made without any single thought of what can happen in the future yet at times even when it is well thought of, it can still end up as the worst decision ever made. Decisions are like that; it is a choice that you make today that determines your future. Whatever future you get is because of the decisions you make in the now. The future is made in the now, not in the past. As I take you towards the story of my life, you will see that even decisions you regret the most can become the greatest decision that you have ever made.

To begin my story, let us start where it all began: when God created Adam and Eve. Just kidding. 

I believe that my life truly began while I was in secondary school. I feel that this is where most of our decisions matter the most. This is also where we are commonly influenced by the culture around us and where we lose most of our innocence. For me, this is where I made the decision that I regret the most. However, that decision turned out to be the factor that catapulted me to a higher purpose.

A purpose that till today I am still running with. A purpose that will continue to give me my visions in life. A purpose that have transformed me to become who I am today.

You see, I was never the role model of the class, never the one who helps the teachers carry their things, never the one who sits in front to listen to the teacher attentively, never the one to follow the rules.

 

Rather, I was the notorious one, the one who spills vulgarities like there is no tomorrow, the one who kicks tables and chairs around. To sum it all up, I made other’s lives a total living hell. It may not be so obvious now: the idiosyncrasies of the past Carlo. However, I tell it as it is. When I was in secondary 1, things started to deteriorate. I started hanging out with the people who are the most cullion of all. I felt as though I belonged in the group. They made me feel really as part of their family. So I started doing what they do. I started to speak vulgarities in almost all forms of language, be it from English to Hokkien to Mandarin and even to Malay. I felt that it was as though whenever I pointed the middle finger and scolded them with all the expletives that I know, I obtained a power of dominance over them. I felt as though I was the king of the world and it gave me the power to inflict fear and trembling to the very core of their soul.

The thing that made me so formidable was that I was charismatic. That was the very reason I even became a student counselor. I was able to bring people to my way of thinking and manipulate them to do my bidding. Being a student counselor just gave me more opportunities to abuse my newfound power so I was never really a role model but in the eyes of the teachers, I was a completely different person. All that ended because of an act of defiance that I did during a science lesson. My teacher was bugging me. I was seated peacefully minding my own business but she kept nagging and nagging because I was not writing any notes so my patience ran thin. In the end, I got so irritated that I decided to point the finger at her and scold her the worst vulgarity you can think of. As a result, I faced the sack. 

However, this is still not the decision that I regret the most. It’s coming. Wait for it.

 

Although I faced the sack, I was feeling extremely happy. Elated as a matter of fact. Being a student counselor kind of limited me so when I got sacked, it was when the true terror began. I started to hang out with my unruly friends more often after that. We drank, we smoked, we watched porn, and we did most of the things that you can ever think of. I believe that you can almost classify us as the epitome of hooligans.

Almost everyone in my batch feared us. All except one.

My CCA was Chinese Orchestra. I was in the percussion section. In my section there was a guy named Ranford Neo. He was a typical, ordinary guy. I didn’t really talk to him much, taking the fact that I was rarely in practices. I only came for the attendance. Once my attendance was taken, I would simply sneak my way out. This continued on till I was in secondary 3. That was when Ranford decided to offer me a better life, a life that has a purpose and never wasted.

Although Ranford was just your average Joe, he was never scared and timid. He is bold and he fears nothing. So, one day, he approached me. We were on the way home and we were taking the same route so we started talking. In some mysterious and divine way, our conversation ended up on the topic of our purpose in life.

He asked me, “Carlo, why do you do what you do?”

I was stunned by that question and just replied, “huh?”

“You are violent, vulgar, perverted and rebellious. Why is that?”

I was going to give him the most sarcastic remark ever then followed by an expletive but I changed my mind and finally replied, “I have no idea.”

He stared at me for what seems like ages and asked me, “Is it because you have no purpose in life?”

At this point in time, I was fuming mad. I was ready to pounce on him and beat him to a pulp but strangely I just said, “Do you have a purpose in your life?” It was so strange. I was actually interested to find out why he was leading a happier and more meaningful life compared to mine. He seems to be even happier than me even though he was at peace with everyone around him. He was always smiling and enjoying life as it is! In me was anger yet I was curious.

He replied with a smile, “Yes! I have.”

That statement alone created a series of event that transformed me and opened my eyes to see the light. What are they? I will leave it for you to find out for yourself.

By now, you would have realized that I have not mentioned what is the decision that I regret the most. So what is the decision that I regret the most?

 

It is the notion that I did not meet Ranford earlier. If I decided to talk to him earlier, I would have changed earlier and not have to suffer so much purposelessness. Thinking about it, thinking about all the time wasted on nonsensical things, I just feel a strong feeling of regret and guilt.

But I believe that we are all placed in the right specific locations at the right specific time. This is when we make the decisions that we will regret or rejoice. But from this I have learnt a lesson that has become my principle in life. The principle that has made me to become who I am today; an accomplished leader working to create an impact in society by raising up a new generation of leaders who will impact all levels of society and all walks of life by providing equal opportunities regardless of unequal heritages.

Keep moving forward.

Ultimately, that is what we should do. Keep moving forward, because the future is made in the now. The future is never about what you did in the past, the future is amazing because of what you do in the now. Your past is nothing but a learning point so that you can create your future in the now.

Like what the great Master Oogway states: “yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift, that is why it is called the present.”

Thank you so much and I wish you a good day ahead of you. God bless