Hassan Wadi

Transcript

Here he was, frozen, unable to speak or move in front of more than a thousand people. The only thing I could do was close my eyes, take a deep breath, and count to three. 3 2 1. Now let's take a break. Let's rewind time a few days back, it was a normal day at the office. I was typing when I suddenly received an email from my boss, Slibby, asking if I could fill in as a presenter for Fresh Air Fitness, the largest outdoor fitness class held on Mississauga's largest stage.

I'll tell you honestly, when I received that letter, my heart sank. I was just a personal trainer. I had no experience in public speaking, although I was always fascinated by public speaking, but fear always overcame fascination, so I never pursued it. But this time, something inside me told me to say "yes." I had to take this opportunity. And I did it. I replied to the boss: " Listen, I can handle it." Send me notes." She sent me notes. I took them and practiced, practiced.

You understand. Come on, guys. More active. Now back to the day of the event, 15 minutes before the start, I'm pacing back and forth, terribly nervous. My heart was pounding so hard I thought I was going to die. My hands were shaking like this. I was sweating so much. I still remember the taste of my sweat. A mixture of sweat and about 5 pounds of hair gel. Right now I only have gel. Raise your hand if you understand how I felt.

We've all been through this, right? 15 minutes. The time has come, the sound engineer comes and gives me the microphone. He says: " You are ready." "You can start." I grabbed the microphone and walked to the metal door. The only thing that separated me from the crowd, and I'll tell you, I was walking as slowly as possible. I did n't want to do this at all. When I finally reached the door, I only gave it a slight push. I wanted to see what was on the other side.

And I looked, and there she was—the only person who always supported me—my mom. In the front row, with arms outstretched, he is filming, shouting, rejoicing. This is my son! I love my son! Now, are there any parents in the room? Make some noise if you are a parent! Do you do that too? At that moment, I opened the door completely and walked to the middle of the stage, where I stopped for a few seconds, just looking around: the huge stage, the cameras, the spotlights, the crowd, and my mother.

But I was numb. I couldn't move or say a word. I felt like I was chained to the floor. My lips felt like they were stuck together. So I decided to close my eyes, take a deep breath, and start counting down from three. Three, two, one. And I started, I introduced myself. I announced the event. Everything worked out for me. And then he got to the details. And that's when I started forgetting my text. And the more I forgot the words, the more I panicked, the more I panicked.

The more I forgot my text. It was a vicious circle that I couldn't escape. So I just stopped and walked off the stage. I failed. I let people down. I let my mother down. And most importantly, I let myself down. I remember walking away from that scene with only negative thoughts running through my head. You have disgraced your mother. This is what happens when you try to do something new. You're just a personal trainer. These thoughts haunted me week after week, until one day I woke up and said, "Enough."

I opened my laptop and found all the public speaking trainings and events. And I visited them all three years in a row. And today, three years later, I stand before you after all the hard work, all the effort, all the sleepless nights, and all the arguments with my wife. I am very happy to report that I have since been able to launch my own charity event, using my speaking skills to raise over $50,000 for families in need. Yes. Thank you. Thank you.

Next month, next month I'm launching a free public speaking course for young people at my local mosque to help them gain confidence and find their voice. And finally, I was able to return to the same event where I once failed, and every year I become its official host. Thank you. Thank you. And yes, my mom is still in the front row with open arms. This is my son. Like she's doing it now, friends, she's just filming me there right now. Thank you.

I, I, I told her not to scream this time. You see, this experience allowed me to discover something in myself that I didn't know before. And that was my passion for performing. Each of you has hidden passions, skills, strengths, and weaknesses that you will discover throughout your life through the opportunities you use or create. Richard Branson once said, “If someone offers you a great opportunity and you’re not sure if you can handle it—just say yes and you’ll learn later.” I want you to be curious today.

Curious about what else you might be good at, what else you can do, and what other hobbies you might have. After all, since I was 18, all I knew, all I loved, and all I thought I could do was fitness. It wasn't until I stepped out of my comfort zone and did something different that I discovered something new. So for everyone who sits here today and thinks they have fully known themselves. Trust me, you still have so much to discover. But the question is, will you take this opportunity and just say yes?

Transcript generated from the recording and lightly cleaned. Some names and wording may differ from the spoken speech.