A TMOD theme titled “how I wish”

The dictionary defines a wish as “feel or expresses a strong desire or hope for something that cannot or probably will not happen”

In short, it means our longing for something that has low chances of happening

It is not wrong to say that every man in his heart harbors some wishes. “How I wish to be smart, how I wish to be rich, how I wish to be famous.” These innate wishes of man have led to some interesting turn of events through history.

Right now, “How I wish” is in three words the entire secret working model of branding industry. Brands spot one wishful thinking people have and lure them into buying their products in the hope of fulfilling their wish. Let me explain it with some examples.

Every person on earth wishes to be creative. Apple figured this and promoted their products as the tools of creative people who “think differently”. Now, we have people lining to buy apple products to show to the world that they are creative.

Coco cola captured people’s wish to be happy. We now open a bottle of coke when friends or relatives come over, because opening cokes “opens happiness”.

Loreal went a step ahead. It found people, especially women’s wish to feel valued in their lives, that they matter. Hence you have advertisements asking you to buy Loreal “because you are worth it.”

Weather these brands help us make our wish come true is anybody’s guess but if you ever found yourself wishing to be a good public speaker, you are in the right place. We here at Toastmasters have definitely seen many of our member’s wish coming true. We will dig more into the history of “how I wish” fancies of man but for now let me dig into the working of a Toastmasters meeting.

A Toastmaster’s meeting is divided into three parts. The first part consists of prepared speeches where members prepare in advance for a 5 to 7 minute speech, get it mentored and deliver the same. The second part is the fun filled Table Topic session where anyone from the audience can come up and give a 1 to 2 minute speech on a topic given by the Table Topic Master. And the third part is the most important evaluation section where our GE or General Evaluator for the day will give a report on the meeting today. Having said that, let me invite on the stage our GE for the day – TM Name. Can we have a big round of applause everyone please?

Once the General Evaluator is done explaining his role, you may start the Prepared Speech section. Later you can continue with your theme as under.

Brands are not the only ones who cashed in on the “how I wish” fancy of people. Way before brands, wishing wells or fountains were used in Europe to attract tourists. People could drop a coin into the fountain and have their wish come true. You may be surprised to know that even in 2016 Trevi fountain in Rome collected 3000 Euros every day. On the other hand intelligent restaurateurs in America came up with fortune cookies that had a chit inside it with some good luck wishes. But right now, it’s time now to wish good luck to our audience because TM Name is ready with the impromptu speaking session called Table Topics.

Once the Table Topic session is over, continue with the theme as under.

Before brands and wishing wells, it was folklore stories that first addressed the wishful fancies of man. In the Arabian Nights, it was the magical lamp housing a genie that fulfilled three wishes of Aladdin. In the Indian mythologies Ramayana and Mahabharata, meditating for months led to fulfilling of ones wishes straight from the Gods. In fact if we check any mythology, we always find reference to some magical beings or actions that fulfilled man’s wishes.

Let me now invite the General Evaluator of the day to present his/her report on today’s meeting.

Once the General Evaluator is done presenting his/her report, you can conclude the theme as under.

So there you go Toastmasters, the entire chronology of “how I wish” fancies arriving to where it stands today. From people meditating in India and wish granting genies in Saudi Arabia to wishing wells making them common in Europe to brand trying to make our wishes come true through their products in every store around us.

While I am sure your wish to be a great public speaker will come true as you are in Toastmasters, let us now see whose wish to win the awards today came true.