WSC's Thirty-fourth Meeting

This month's World Speakers’ Coalition Kuala Lumpur's meeting was organized and hosted by Cyril Jonas. 

 

And at this thirty-fourth session – on Wednesday, October 16th – we notched up an attendance that comprised of six members and two guests (Michelle and Ray Fernandez).

Our meeting venue was Healy Mac's Bangsar which is an Irish Bar & Restaurant located along Jalan Telawi 3. A good choice, I daresay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The meeting theme is "Embrace Impermanence" – and right away, Wes Moore comes to mind. The US politician, businessperson, author, and veteran, serving as the 63rd governor of Maryland since 2023 says: “Life’s impermanence, I realized, is what makes every single day so precious. It’s what shapes our time here. It’s what makes it so important that not a single moment be wasted”. 

 

Personally, I find it pertinent and relevant and so, it goes without saying that I agree with the apropos quote. In fact, my speech at this meeting echoes this said sentiment.

 

Reminders of impermanence are everywhere. We cannot escape from them. In fact, Santhi urges us to enjoy the "now". Instead of clinging to the past with regret, we should accept what has happened, live in the present, and appreciate what’s real. Instead of worrying about the future, we can live in the moment without treating it as an obstacle in the way of an imagined future. Instead of trying to cling to permanence, accept that all things are impermanent – and in doing so, we actually honor the truth of life.

 

Michelle shares that the seasons make her see that all of life is impermanent, that life, is always transitioning. 

 

More than that, every new season teaches her the value of embracing what is and letting go of what used to be. And she entreats us, now and then, to pause. stop. and. smell. the. roses. It means taking the time to recognize the every day moments that give us meaning and purpose. It means to take time out of our busy schedules, real or imagined and appreciate and enjoy the simple and beautiful blessings in life.

 

Both Pregalathan and Suriakumar make reference to a river's constant flow that remind them of the impermanence of time. It's a powerful metaphor for the way things are always changing, moving forward and never staying the same. And therefore, we should seize every opportunity that comes our way.

 

The above are just a sample of the sharings. I am sorry if I couldn't share everything.

 

Methinks, Somerset Maugham, English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories, sums it up nicely when he asserts that "Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it". Hear, hear!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#publicspeaking 
#theartandscienceofrhetoric
#confidentcommunication
#communicationinnovations
#worldspeakerscoalition