A few weeks ago I joined Toastmasters (www.toastmasters.org) as a way to practice and improve my communication and leadership skills. Yesterday I gave my first speech, called the "Ice Breaker", to the group. The "Ice Breaker" is used to introduce myself to the Toastmasters group and let them know more about me. I chose to talk about my purpose, mission, and vision.

Purpose: Help other people reach their dreams and goals.

Mission: Instill discipline, show the value of hard work, respect other people's views and opinions, stay in great physical and mental shape, and support and love my family to the fullest everyday.

Vision: Lead and organization that creates the best people and leaders in the world and uses its profits to create a non-profit organization that teaches youth life lessons through athletics. Love and support my family and support the local community through volunteer and fundraising efforts.

I ended my speech with the following quote from Pericles: "What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others." Great quote and hopefully I can weave a piece of my life into the lives of the other members of the Toastmasters group.