Makeup 1/25/10

As I'm pretty sure no one knows, I will be competing in the Public Speaking II state competition for our school's FBLA at the end of March. The speech that I will be giving is based off of a quote by Henry David Thoreau, which I first saw on the inside of the Balfor graduation cataloge when they were handed out in the beginning of the year. The speech discusses this quote (which is now one of my alltime favorites) and my interpretation of it. I wrote the entire speech (except the quotes of course haha).
"Dreams.
When I was young, my dreams changed every few minutes. One minute, I wanted to be a firefighter so that I could drive around in a big red truck with a Dalmation by my side; the next minute, I wanted to be a doctor, so that I could save peoples lives and make the world a better place to live, But as I became older and gained more experiance in the world, my dreams became more solidified than they had been when I was younger. When I was in the fifth grade, I decided that I either wanted to be an equine veterinarian, or a fighter pilot for the Navy. In pursuit of my dream to become an equine vet, I became an instructor at my barn. Instructing horseback riding lessons has shed light upon a different talent of mine- teaching. Seeing my students finally understand a concept that we have been working on, or seeing them connext with their horse warms my heart, even on the coldest winter day. It is because of these feelings that I now have a new dream, which is to become a teacher.
One of the main goals of FBLA is to inspire confidence in students and their work. As Henry David Thoreau once said, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined,". While many say that dreams are naught but the results of an over active imagination, I agree with Thoreau in his thoughs that the achievement of dreams and confidence go hand in hand. If one always doubts herself, she will never be able to believe not only in her work, but herself. Belief in one's self is apparent in everything that a person does, and the best leaders are those who can convince those around them that they truely do believe not only in their words, but their actions as well.
One of the most valuable lessons that I have learned is one tha a very good friend and excellent teacher taught me. A few summers ago, I took a rather disturbing fall from a horse. From then on, I would have a panic attack every time I was riding and felt my horse speed up. My friend Heather took me aside one day during a lesson and told me to close my eyes and let go of my reins. She then put my horse on a lunge line and urged him into a canter, talking to me the whole time. Her confidence in me quiickly helped me to build my own confidence, and I overcame my fear of speed when riding. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to teach a girl who was afraid to allow her horse to go faster than a trot. I did the same thing with her that Heather did for me. The young girl is now happily cantering along in every lesson, and can not wait to go faster. The look on her face everytime I see her ride is what has made me want to be a teacher. That feeling of warmth and undderstanding that I feel every time one of my kids gets even the smallest of things. That confidence that understanding gives them as they strive for their dreams.
To some, dreams are the equivalent of fantasies. What these people do not realize is that everymajor leader in our society has had a dream. For Doctor Martin Luther King, it was equality among people no matter their race, and Aristotle's dream, was hope. Dreams are goals that we set for ourselves, pep-talks from our subconscious to give us confidence. Without our dreams, our individual confidence would dwindle, leaving our leaderrs without hope, and our societies without cause. However, this is not a one way street. Without confidence, we cannot dream. Confidence in ourselves, our work, and who we are going to be are all fundamental parts of life, which is why it is essential we are taught these valuable skills now. FBLA inspires this confidence in its followers, urging them to become the hopeful leaders that our world so desperately needs. Every meeting, every service oppertunity, every professional speaker, and every competitive event oppertunity inspires a dream, which in turn, inspires confidence in the leaders of tomorrow. This confidence inspires even more dreams. Dreams that are inspired by FBLA."