Opening Remarks: Why Something Needs to be Said Before Something Can be Done

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Some folks hate talks and believe that action is all we need to get things done. Cut the crap talk and let's just do it, right? Well, look at God--he didn't just do it. He had to say something before things got created. A lot of times, you have to word the idea to form a mental vision. And then you pursue that vision. Where there is no vision, people die [Proverbs 29.18].

Words are important. For instance, before any baby can be birthed, there had to be words--sweet, romantic words, to be exact. Your dad told your mom something and an idea was formed. They both pursued it and out came life. Imagine a man and woman just doing it without saying any words. Absurd, isn't it?

And you see those huge malls and commercial buildings popping out everywhere in the city? They didn't just get done. There had to be a lot of words said in a lot of corporate meetings before they came into being.

And so, opening remarks in graduations, intrams, or any formal or informal programs are vital. The next time you hear one, make sure you listen. One day, I was asked to do opening remarks (actually, lots of people ask me for this) for a grade school event and a university event. I had to make them as simple as possible, so I did them in less than 3 minutes each. Just want to share them here. Make sure you read them:

For a Grade School Science Program

THEME: Simplifying our Daily Tasks with Science

Good morning pupils, parents and teachers! This morning you had breakfast, took a bath, and wore well pressed uniforms without much effort. Science made it all possible. Without it, we would all be gathering dry woods daily to make fire where we could cook our meals. Without Science we'd be fetching water from the river for cooking and bathing—if there would still be water in the river fit for human use.

In fact, we would all be living in a primitive way without Science simplifying our daily tasks for us.

Today, we set aside a special time to appreciate God’s wonderful gift to us—which is Science—and think of the ways it helps us cope up with daily life. For instance, can you imagine what we’d do today if Science had not enabled man to invent the microphone, the sound system, video filming, the Internet, the projector, and everything we see around us here?

In fact, what would we be all wearing today if Science had not enabled man to invent manufacturing machines for making garments and shoes?

So let us all thank God for making Science and its advancements possible so we can simplify our daily tasks and cope up with new problems presented by daily life in this world, from generation to generation.

So brace yourselves for the fun and adventure we’d be having with the experiments and video viewing. I hope we’d all have a wonderful time. Thank you!

For a University Intrams

Welcome everyone—participants and guests—to our Intercollegiate Intramurals! I know how excited everyone is about this much awaited sports event, probably with a wide variety of ecstatic emotions swirling around us today! A lot of us are here to prove ourselves better than how we performed last Intrams, and I understand how this causes anxiety to most of us. But rest assured, we want you all to succeed, one way or another!

We’re not here just to take home a trophy or title but to participate in a worthy inter-college cause that spurs one another to athletic excellence and one that also promotes deep camaraderie and rapport among fellow college athletes, students, instructors, and even among administrative staffs to build stronger ties and cohesion. By being part of this alone, you are already winners. Congratulations!

Intramurals like this are held not just to develop our psycho-motor skills and improve health and fitness in the process. It’s not just to give honor to our colleges in the realms of sports. And definitely, it’s not just for winning. But equally important, intramurals help instill and develop discipline and patience in us, preparing us for the life ahead, particularly in our careers, community engagements, social life, and even in raising up our families.

Finally, Intramurals teach us the vital lessons of teamwork and sportsmanship. In the real work environment waiting for us out there, teamwork is the reality that produces solid success. Anywhere we are, be it at home or the corporate world, we will find ourselves working with a team. And with sportsmanship, we learn to take both triumph and defeat with a positive outlook and apt maturity.

Athletes—the heroes of your colleges—play fair, play safe, and have fun! Just enjoy the games and the values we can get from them. God bless us all!