Wake-Up Calls

This is an adaptation of my 6th speech project delivered to Jabil Toastmasters on August 26, 2014.  The goal of this speech project was to use vocal variety.

7 out of 10 speech projects done now.. getting closer to completing my Toastmasters' CC!

Sometime ago a college student had just completed her studies and moved away from home for the very first time.  She was FINALLY on her own, free to be herself and become a grown-up.  How EXCITING!!

The scenario keeps playing out.  True, she had her own place and could start calling her own shots.  She should have been ecstatic because it was the freedom she had been looking forward to her WHOLE life.

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But, adulthood realities and pressures were quickly realized as well.  Along with that new space came her first full-time job.  It wasn't an easy job either.  They had hired her to clean up a mess because they knew she could.  Before long though, extended workdays took their toll.  She was EXHAUSTED.  Morning after morning she endlessly found herself barely able to crawl out of bed.

Sleep, precious sleep - how comforting and restful!

But then would come the rude awakening... BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP!  Imagine the most ANNOYING sound that just won't stop.  She prayed, "Oh God, please just let me sleep for 10 more minutes!"  Each time she would roll over and stretch to hit the snooze button.  SMACK!

But the annoying sound wouldn't stop.  It was the sound of her neighbor's alarm clock blaring through paper-thin walls after he had already left for the day.  No matter how many times she smacked her alarm clock, she finally realized the annoying sound wouldn't end any time soon.  She might as well drag herself out fo bed and face the day ahead.
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Have you ever experienced a rude awaking?  It's not fun, is it?  Fellow readers, the girl in that scenario was me.  Even now whenever I hear an alarm clock with a similar tone, I vividly remember the sensations of that harsh wake-up call.  Instantly I cringe and want to bury my head under the pillow.

I'd rather have a more pleasant wake-up call -- like those on Christmas morning when I was a kid.  After staying up late playing games on Christmas Eve it was all I could do to convince my baby sister to go to bed.  Throughout the night she'd constantly wake up and ask if Santa had come yet.  At the break of dawn, no longer able to contain her excitement, she would shake me awake and shout "He came! He came!  The stockings are full!  Let's go wake up Mom and Dad so we can open presents!"

Ladies and gentlemen, wake-up calls come at each end of the spectrum and every point in between.  Some are more gradual with increased awareness over time.  Others smack you between the eyes and immediately get your attention.  In all cases, these events wake us up to elements of life that may need change or should not be missed.

What's YOUR wake-up call?
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I receive wake-up calls quite often.  Recently I was chatting with a co-worker who said he noticed me often walking quickly down the hall past his office, looking very stressed.  OH NO!  He reminded me of all the times I've told myself that I would never let stress overtake me to that point again.  In my last job, I lulled myself into sleep due to stress.  In an effort to try and be everything for everybody, that often translated into working late, skipping lunch or a workout, and bringing tons of work home.  I started noticing people avoid approaching me for help because they didn't want to make me more stressed.  It was a gradual wake-up call, but I realized things had to change.  I didn't want to life my life with barriers between myself and others.  At the first available opportunity I changed jobs and looked forward to a fresh start.

Fast forward to another call that jolted me awake when I started this job.  High stress levels also physically took a toll on me.  Knee pain and "pin and needle" sensations in my feet as I walked became a new pesky problems.  One morning I stepped on the scale and was SHOCKED to see the display.  How in the world had I let myself get in such poor health?!?!?!  I've NEVER weighed that much before!

Weight is a sensitive topic and what's heavy for one person is lighter for another.  But relatively speaking I woke up suddenly finding myself in the worst physical shape ever.  I quickly realized that things would only get worse if I didn't do something IMMEDIATELY.  Without delay I remedied the situation.  Through mindful diet and exercise improvements over a 2-year period I ultimately shed over 50 pounds from my frame and felt MUCH better and more motivated to stay take care of my health.
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I leave you with this thought today:  don't wait until the wake-up call in your life screams so loudly that you are rudely awakened.  Be mindful.  Be alert.  Know your triggers - both the sudden and the gradual ones.  Heed your wake-up calls and act while you can.