The actor in me!!!!!

All the world is a stage where we actors have our entrances and exits. You act your role properly,
you get the glory, you steal the show.

Good evening fellow Toastmasters and guests. How effectively have you acted in life! Lets rewind
and see how we mastered the art of acting and became successful actors in life. Very often, we are
confronted with issues that make us an on the spot chameleon. So, is acting bad? As its generally
considered. Is being able to adapt to the needs a crime? Not really.

Lets have a close look at how an actor is born and how he becomes an expert step by step. The first,
step in acting comes when we are kids. Often, we are told not to do this, not to do that and a host of
expected actions. We go to school late and are met at the gate by Headmistress. We search for
reasons rummaging through the Minds Library of Reasons. We hear one or two voices from the
back of other kidsExcuses were abundant. You do crowd sourcing to find a good reason and you
are left scot-free. You understand your potential. But your skills are suppressed then. Elders were
there always to correct you and to guide us. We were filled with good thoughts and utmost care was
taken to set us on the right path. There was a guiding light which we could happily follow. As days
passed by, the light starts to diminish and we seek out in search for destiny. We go out in search for
what is interesting and brings happiness. This phase of Acting, I call it the Search for Destiny phase.
You are never happy in these days and often get into trouble.

As we grow up, the actor in us too grows. Expectations shoot up high. We are supposed to multi-
task. You are required to study at school, crack Olympiads, be a school leader and on top of all these
prepare for entrance exams. You definitely need to put out your best role possible in all these areas.
You make a flaw, and you are criticised so badly that your very existence on Earth gets questioned.
Oh! My GOD, what a great piece of art Acting is. Acting is like weaving a cloth. We do it carefully
and we get a perfect product. We commit a small mistake and it will end up in a huge disaster
though we may not immediately feel the effect. How wonderfully, different people act their roles
aptly. I used to wonder in awe. I soon wanted to master this Great Art, though the ground reality is
No one is a Perfect Actor.

Acting does not just involve facial expressions. Acting is not just about adapting to the situations. It is
more than that. It involves great effort and often requires introspection to make it better. It involves
hard work, dedication and perseverance to be a good actor in life. We need to study and prove our
worth to be a successful student. We need to lead from the front to prove our might as a Manager.

In my journey, I have taken many roles. Some were challenging and some gave me good memories.
Of the best Acts I have performed, the act that I cherish is that of a student at NIT Calicut. We had
the worst form of ragging there, but it was done state wise or region wise. So, North-Indians ragged
their juniors and South-Indians their juniors. My ability to switch languages, proved a great boon for
me as I could escape both the Ragging groups. Another acting skill which was inherent in me was to
act like a professor. I always wore formals in campus. Some seniors have even wished me thinking I
was a new Professor. Besides, I always spent my time at the library which furthered their belief that I
was indeed a faculty there. I was good at class too. My passion to study and my thirst for knowledge
were unquenchable. This earned me a good name in class. But succeeding in class was not an easy
task. The back bench in every classroom was filled with seniors who failed in the particular subject
and were repeating the course. The moment they identify you to be smart and answering all
questions, they give all their assignments to you and make your life miserable. Again my skills at
languages and the actor in me rescued me.

Even now, I am acting my role as a Toastmaster Act 1 CC5. Even now, I am acting Engineer by
profession, Philosopher by passion.