Ciao everyone!
While my last post was all about the whirlwind of traveling across four countries in four days, life back on campus at CIMBA has also been impactful. A few weeks ago, I wrote about our Genesis workshop. Recently, we went through another intensive 2.5-day structured program called Live2Influence.
Growing up, I honestly hated public speaking. The thought of standing in front of a room trying to capture an audience's attention was terrifying, and my heart rate would rise just thinking about it. But Live2Influence was designed specifically to tackle that hesitation by working on our public speaking skills. It wasn't just about learning how to project our voices; it was about learning how to genuinely influence other people and invoke real emotions.
The program broke down the mechanics of a great speech. We took a deep dive into the classic methodology of ethos, pathos, and logos, and explored the concept of our sphere of influence. One of the most interesting parts of the program was discussing the "lighthouse" and "foghorn" people in our lives- those who guide us and those who warn us. We learned how to tap into those deeply personal connections to effectively invoke emotion in our audience.
When it came time to deliver our speeches, I decided to lean heavily into those lessons. I shared a formative memory of my dad introducing me to chess at a young age, talking about how we played over 400 games before I finally managed to win one. Channeling the genuine emotions tied to that "lighthouse" relationship made standing up in front of everyone feel much more natural and authentic than I ever expected.
But the program wasn't just about delivering a speech. During the last day of the program, we were handed a specific influence objective. The ultimate challenge was that we had to think on our feet and adapt the speeches we had just poured our emotions into, seamlessly tying them down to this new objective. It completely tested our ability to pivot while maintaining our emotional core.
Looking back, I can confidently say this program helped me get significantly better at something I used to dread. Learning how to truly connect with an audience, rather than just reciting words at them, is a skill I know I’ll take far beyond CIMBA.
Sometimes it's worth reflecting that traveling isn’t the only way studying abroad can change you. Practicing gratitude and being mindful of the opportunities we have are very important. To build off that, here was the final line of my speech, and one that I’d encourage all of you to internalize.
“I’m grateful for the person I was, the person I am, and the person I will be”
I can’t believe I’m saying this- but T-2 weeks to go. Wow.
Grazie,
Srikar