Abu Dhabi Toastmasters Newsletter 2 by Abu Dhabi Toastmasters

SPEAKING UP The Newsletter of Abu Dhabi Toastmasters, 1950, Area 39, Division H, District 105 Oct-Dec 2018

o m i t o Fil

CONTENTS

President's message

Going through experience

Editor's message

08 Dare to be unique

Choose your influence wisely

Filotimo

The ICONIC 600th meeting

Will it and it may

Change

Misquoted quotes

Moments we created

Pot pourri

Our Winners

Our Contributors

About us

A Toastmaster's Promise

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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Dear Toastmasters, October 16, 2018 turned out to be a great achievement in the history of Abu Dhabi Toastmasters Club. Our 600th meeting was conducted successfully thanks to the dedication and tremendous support of all the members. We were highly honored by the presence of our esteemed chief guest, the 2018 World Champion of Public Speaking, TM Ramona Smith, our respected Patrons (Dr. B.R. Shetty and Mr. Sultan Al Hajji), other dignitaries and District/ Division/ Area Officers, Past Presidents and guests.

TM SAIMA SHEIKH PRESIDENT

As the President of the Club, I really feel proud that this memorable meeting happened under my leadership. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the team members for their efforts to make the day very special in ensuring that we are at “600 & STILL STANDING TALL”. I wish ADTM Club all the best to achieve continued success with 700, 800 and many more meetings by STILL STANDING TALL. We have completed 6 months and achieved another milestone by gaining 5 DCP Points - so we are half way through as of now. This is quite encouraging for which I congratulate all ExCom members. My dear Toastmaster’s family, this is my last message in this newsletter as Club President.

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I wish ADTM Club, incoming President and its members all the best in the year 2019. I close my message by John C. Maxwell’s quote which I always follow, “True leadership must be for the benefit of the followers, not to enrich the leader”.

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EDITOR'S MESSAGE Dear Toastmasters, “Individual effort is important, but it is the team work that makes the dream work “ As we prepare to release this issue of newsletter, I am filled with gratitude for my club members and my EXCOM. Be it receiving the articles from our enthusiastic members or support from tech-savvy toastmasters or guidance from seniors and EXCOM members, I have received it in overwhelming proportions which has made my journey as VPPR seamless. The theme of this issue, "Filotimo" is dedicated to all ADTM members, who inspire, motivate, encourage, support each other and epitomize the very value of this theme. It has been an exciting three months filled with special meetings. The most special of it all being the iconic 600th meeting. Not to forget the splendid Christmas meeting filled with learning, games and display of talents especially by our "lazy toastmasters" marking the end of 2018.

TM NIDHI BHANDARI V P PUBLIC RELATIONS

In this issue, I have tried to include some of the memorable moments that we have created. I hope you all enjoy flipping through the pages of the newsletter. As we move into the New Year, I wish you all a fantastic 2019.

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Going Through Experience and Growing Through Experience By TM Peter Damogbe

ife is a mixture of so many experiences, that arise as a result of the events and L circumstances it exposes us to through the people we meet in our daily life. Whether

we are conscious of it or not, these experiences mould our perceptions and shape our world. Especially those experiences that arises when things do not turnout according to our expectations or those that seemingly hurt us. The way we respond to these experiences can either make or mar us.

In this write up, I will be looking at two kinds of people 1) People who go through experience. 2) People who grow through experience. People who go through experience : There are two main categories of people who go through experience in life which include; a) Those who are passive b) And those who are reactor

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The passive: These set of people believe that they have no control or response to the experiences they undergo. When the experience is good, they believe that they are fortunate and when it is not as expected or when they go through hurtful experience, they see it as just one other thing. They remain at the mercy of their experience. They go through life with the belief that whatever will be, will be. They are living in a state of denial because they are afraid to face the pain in what is happening and would want to escape. The reactor: These people are opposite to those of the passive. These kind of people fight events as if they have total control over it. They are hostile and quarrelsome and mostly see the world as a sick or evil infested place. They see events that do not go according to their expectations or hurt them as an attack from the evil one or from those who hate or are jealous of them.

SPEAKING UP Unlike the passive that live in a state of denial, the ones who react reject reality. People say that experience is the best teacher. However, it is the way we act, react or respond to the experience that either makes it the best teacher or makes us the worst student. People who grow through experience: Those who grow through experience see any situation that do not meet their expectations or seemingly hurt them as a point for growth. They pause to reflect and ask themselves certain questions like: 1) What happened? They accept their present situation and try to understand what happened. 2) Why did it happen? They look at the situation and try to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in relation to the event that happened and see what they have added, learnt and need to learn.

3) Why should it be me? They move to the point of answering this very important question. It may be that they have a talent that needs to be developed, or an ambition that is secretly desired or even a better opportunity that is on the way . They allow their minds to run wild meanwhile exploring many other avenues that this present situation will offer them. In order for you to be able to use this technique effectively, you need to: a) Have love for self, believing that you are the best there is. b) Non-judgmental and don’t see events as good or bad. Rather, see its actions and consequences. Know that there are so many possibilities that life offers and they have other options to choose from if you look wide. c) Surrender to your higher self for guidance with a belief “that all things work for your good and believe that every experience is a chance for healing, a call to look for something missing, a preparation for something better or an opening to something more fulfilling. 4) What should be my response? The key word in this question is response and not reaction. Reaction creates a vicious circle for those “who go through experience.” But those who respond to experience, know that between an experience and whatever that follows there is a gap. They make good use of this gap to avoid the vicious circle that those who go through experience fall into.

The pain, fear and ills that the world has suffered are seeking channels for healing and freedom. Ambitions, inventions, innovation are also seeking ways to manifest. Just like Albert Einstein says “that opportunity comes always but many a times dressed like work.” You and I are called to make the world a better place; it all depends on the responses we give to it.

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In asking, they surrender to their higher self, thereby activating the creative force within them and trusting that the solution will come. They have this consciousness that everything happens for a reason and nothing is an accident as such. In creatively applying the answer they receive, they not only heal, discover new things, new methods, but also heal those around them through their instructions and they affect the collective consciousness the effect of which will be seen over time.

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Dare to be Unique By TM Rameez Sulaiman

n school when my teacher asked me to stand up and give my views on outdoor sports vs. video games, I went blank. Why is she asking me of all people? Why should my view even matter? It’s not going to change anything! I was not the only one to think this way. From children in school to professionals in meetings/ events, majority feel the same. Which makes me wonder why are we so afraid to express, to stand out, to be our unique self?

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I believe it’s because we have been programmed all our life to fit in, to hide our uniqueness deep inside and take a journey through the path of life wearing a mask. What we don’t often realise is that how special we can be, strategically speaking, you being alive in your current state is one in a trillion! You have a greater chance of winning 100 million USD lottery! That means you are a miracle just the way you are, a pearl waiting to be unearthed. In British India, while people were fighting for freedom and succumbing to violence, through the street emerged one man who changed the scenario in his own unique way. His nonviolent ways and peaceful methods were the foundation for gaining independence from the British. He was none other than Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, father of modern India, setting an example for all his followers to emulate.

SPEAKING UP Dare to be unique means dare to be who you truly are. To find your unique qualities, follow the 3 C's, 1-Creativity: Be creative enough to think outside the box. Unleash your crazy, different, unique ideas; its okay even if you fail. Show the world what you have to offer. The greatest people whoever lived, showcased their unique ideas to the world. If you want to be in the top 10%, you will have to think differently than the other 90%. 2-Courage: Move past the fear of what others might think of you and follow your heart. Most successful people at some point in their life were criticized, laughed at and ridiculed, but that didn’t stop them. Follow your dreams when no one believes in you. Speak up when no one else does, make a difference in your life or the life of others by being who you are. 3-Confidence: Be confident with who you are and how you look. Find your purpose in life and be confident and proud of it. We all are unique in our own way, like a puzzle, our uniqueness fits into our purpose of life. People spend years of their life trying to be like movies stars or sports personality, but I believe we need to look within ourselves and find our true purpose and work hard in achieving what you're passionate about. Lizzie Velasquez was labelled as the worlds ugliest woman by the internet. This shattered her emotionally, but she did not let others perspective of her define who she is, her voice was her strength and she inspired millions worldwide. “My life is in my hands. I can choose to make this really good, or choose to make this really bad, I chose the former,” is what she said. When you are authentic and genuine, you can transform others' life by having a strong impact on them. With the challenges our world faces today, from economic collapse, environmental crises, global health problems and advancement in technology, we need new solutions and not rehashed version of old thinking. 09 OCT-DEC 2018 | ISSUE 02

Toastmasters is a great platform to experiment and express your uniqueness, so go ahead, unleash your true colours, you will be amazed with who you can become.

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Choose your influence Wisely By TM Riyas Ahamed

amous comic writer Warren Elis once asked “If you believe that the thoughts originate inside your brain, do you also believe that television shows are made inside your television set ?” Sometimes if you want to change a man’s mind, you have to change your mind first. Everyone dreams of living a perfect life, a life all of us choose and yet for most of us, our dreams never materialize as we keep struggling with various issues that keeps us stuck & sometimes feel as if we are playing by a script written by someone else. What are the most pressing areas of your life right now? Is it money worries that keep you awake at night or is it the health that troubles you? Is it your work situation giving you heart burn? Select your top three concerns and write them down. Be very specific and write down your thoughts about those issues. What do you think is holding you back?

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Many of us may be tempted to blame anything-from lack of time to pressure of family duties and responsibilities, to the economic situation of the nation or even luck. But there is one factor probably you have not considered which is most likely contributing a great deal to your situation. Its your social environment. We take thoughts & characteristics of those around us, unknowingly.

Think of those people with whom you spend most of the time .Your friends, your coworkers, spouse, anyone. Chances are that these people have been sabotaging your life. Now don’t get me wrong, they may be well meaning people, who only have your best interest in their heart-but their beliefs and behavior influence your reality much more than you realize and the reverse is also true.You project belief onto others as

SPEAKING UP well. That’s why success guru Jim Rohn said “You are the average of 5 people you spend most of the time with” It’s not difficult to see that our attitudes and behaviors are influenced by the company we keep. If you prefer healthy food but all your associates are who like junk, you are more likely to take junk food too. If you are always with those who gossip, you unknowingly participate in gossiping, even if you don’t want to. If your friends are risk averse, chances are that you will buy the idea of security from them. On the other hand if they are unduly adventurous, that too is likely to reflect in your decisions. So if you want to change some aspects of your life that you think aren’t reflecting your deepest desires, its time to review the company we keep. I am not suggesting you to give up on all your friends, divorce your husband/wife or stop interacting with your coworkers . But what you can do is to observe the influence of other people on your life and stop associating with them in areas where you think they may hinder your progress. Ancient wisdom says that we have friends for a reason, season, or a lifetime. Some friends will spend their entire life with us. Others will come and then go that’s ok they may have come for a reason to teach us some lessons we need to know. Some people will squeeze the life energy out of us and some will give energy and bring life to our lives. It's our ability to make choices about the company we keep, who stays and who goes, that determines our quality of life. Few secrets for finding friends 1) Choose friends with similar values 2) Choose friends with common goals 3) Associate with people at high level to expand your mind to greater possibilities 4) Choose friends who can bring balance in areas where you are weaker 5) Select friends with same interests 6) Choose friends have a thirst for knowledge as life is about learning, growing and advancing. 7) Choose friends who are go getters who are serious about their goals and about success. 11 OCT-DEC 2018 | ISSUE 02

Robin Sharma said " Choose your influences well. We do not move through our days alone or apart from the world around us. So it’s a mark of wisdom to choose and spend time at places which inspire and energize you and associate with people who elevate and uplift you".

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The Iconic 600th meeting

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Our Club witnessed the ICONIC 600th meeting that was held on 16th October 2018, at Crowne Plaza , Abu Dhabi. Aptly themed as " 600 and still standing tall ", the meeting was attended by the Stalwarts of AbuDhabi Toastmasters Club and Toastmaster fraternity. The occasion was also graced by the 2018 World Champion of public speaking, Ramona Smith.

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Filotimo

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"The generous can forget they have given, but the grateful can never forget that they have received ".

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Filotimo is a greek word, which means "Love of honor". It is a complex array of

virtues. Filotimo is best understood as one's responsibility to himself as a human being to always act in accordance with righteousness and honor. One that lives by this virtue will always choose to do the right and honorable regardless of the consequence. It is a quality that we all need to emulate. In Greece, learning to live with filotimo begins at an early age when children learn to show respect and love for their parents and grandparents. Growing up, one begins to feel pride for their country and ancestry, helps friends with their problems and acts out of generosity without expecting anything in return. It extends to include appreciation and admiration for heritage and ancestors. Being equal with others and respecting them is the key to realizing what filotimo means. The concept was used to embody the assistance rendered by Greeks to Allied soldiers on Crete , during the World war II, after the Axis invasion of the island; locals felt driven by filotimo to hide Australians and Britons despite the death penalty for sheltering soldiers. Neither the fact that they were half-starved due to the Naziinduced Great Famine nor the death penalty for sheltering soldiers fazed them; their sense of duty, honour and courage took precedence. While the West was experiencing enlightenment and developing modern states that tied together individuals under the rule of law and an abstract sense of responsibility, the subjugated and inward-looking Greeks were bound by pride, localism and interpersonal relationships. Instead of developing the kind of institutional consciousness seen in Western Europe, Greek communities were imbued with filotimo, which was triggered not by law and logic but intense emotion. Filotimo is respecting others, helping others, not because there might be something in it for you, but because you have a duty to do the right thing. Filotimo is a higher calling to rise above trivialities and to live not just for yourself but for something larger than yourself. 15 OCT-DEC 2018 | ISSUE 02

Extracted from various sources ( Picture source- CCK)

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Will it and it may By TM Ijaz Nazeer

hat is willpower? You have heard of it from your parents, teachers, bosses, spouses W and others. Easiest advice/criticism one can give – “You need willpower to do that”. Willpower can move mountains, they say. To succeed, you first need the will to succeed, they say. If there’s a will, there’s a way, they say. So, what is this almighty will or will power? Willpower is not the power Will Smith has after his workout sessions. It is, in fact, his ability to make the conscious choice to go to gym every day at 6 am without fail. Isn’t that easy? Isn’t the act of making a choice and acting upon it easy? It should be, but it is not. Willpower is determination, strength of character, resolution, resolve, resoluteness, purposefulness, single-mindedness, drive, commitment, dedication, doggedness, tenacity, tenaciousness, backbone, spine; self-control, self-restraint, self-discipline or self-mastery.

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I am not a morning person. When the alarm clock rings, I curse and switch it off. In the mornings, I feel like lead and find it hard, nay, impossible to get up. I find innumerable excuses to fool myself so that I can lie there for more time without much guilt. What I am doing is not fooling myself, I am betraying myself – robbing myself of the time in the morning, in the process becoming lazier, inept, unproductive, and always ending up late to office.

What I am, is LAZY. Why I am lazy is because I have a weak willpower. Doing as much as possible in a given time to complete a task is called hard work. Trying to find shortcuts to finish the task in half the time (so that you can get extra time to slack off) is called smart work. So, is smart work an attitude of laziness, probably; but is it a result of lack of willpower, definitely not. In that sense, not all kinds of laziness is a lack of willpower.

SPEAKING UP If you procrastinate on an important job and leave it for the last minute, then that is a sign of laziness with a weak willpower. Robin Sharma, motivational speaker and author, says that the lack of willpower is a disease. That means it should be cured. To cure it, we need to develop self-discipline. ‘Isn’t self-discipline for monks? I only know how to discipline my child or sibling. How can I discipline myself? Sounds exhausting; you may think. At least I thought that when I learned that I need self-discipline. “It’s a myth that elite achievers are born with gifts you don’t have. And buying into that idea is a great way to avoid the discomfort of doing the work you need to do to enjoy the success you deserve to have.”, Robin Sharma. To become an elite achiever, we have to improve our willpower. These points may help though. Be my guest and try them out:, 1. Self-control or “self-regulation” is like a muscle: the more you exercise it, the stronger it grows. 2. Everyday we draw willpower from the same reservoir. Invest your time in developing a core skill, scaling your business, getting fit, nourishing a family-life or strengthening your inner self instead of unproductive activities that steal your self-discipline. 3. As you exercise the muscle of your will by making decisions, taking actions and pursuing activities, your self-control “muscle” will strengthen. 4. Daily routine to ensure “willpower renewal”, can avoid ego depletion. Suggestion: schedule practices like visualization, conversation, smart entertainment and even napping into your day. 5. By pushing yourself to do what’s important but not easy, your self-control reservoir will expand. Be willing to get out of the comfort zone. It takes self-discipline to: –put in the years of training like Usain Bolt before genius-level performances begin to present themselves. –make the sacrifices needed to be made to get epic results, like Marie Curie. –to be relentless and display the grit needed to stay in the game and remain loyal to your vision long after the initial inspiration has vanished, like Thomas Edison who had to fail a 1000 times to create a working electric light bulb.

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Ultimately, willpower may not be able to move mountains (tell that to the Mountain man), or willpower may not be able to make castles out of rocks (tell that to Ferdinand Cheval) or willpower may not be able to make you fly (tell that to the Wright brothers. OK, maybe I am giving the wrong examples, or maybe, willpower is truly remarkable. If we are the ones who underestimate the strength of our will, then we are part of the average majority, and not part of the elite minuscule minority that believed in its power and achieved extraordinary things in life. Will power may not guarantee success, it can get you a lot closer to it but lack thereof can guarantee failure before you even begin. We just have to believe and show a little more will in our daily lives and then maybe truly remarkable things could happen to us.

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Change By TM Neha Talwar

he 'half glass full' way to look at change is a 'new beginning' and the 'half empty' T makes me look at change as 'parting from the comfortable old'. The logical human mind deciphers change as both, but the hyper heart lurks to the latter. I often wonder why? Life has been a constant change. From school to college, from college to corporate world, from corporate world to college again, from cities to countries, from friends to foes, from near to far, from success to failure, from joy to sorrow; it has always been changing to & fro just like the pendulum of the wall clock. The uniqueness of these changes have been their unexplained occurrence, their limited or no intervention/ control of the recipient of their impact and the learning they be-hold!

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Irrespective of the fears or the paramount aversion for change, it has to be embraced, as change is the only constant. So, keep marching ahead with faith in the Supreme.

To the humble human, change is just another piece of the jigsaw puzzle and it is only He who knows how it will all fit in together, just as perfectly as it is meant to be!

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Misquoted quotes It actually reads: “curiosity killed the cat…but satisfaction brought it back,” and means although being nosy will likely get you in trouble, knowing the truth in the end is often worth the risk that you take to find it.

The full quote actually says: “when one door closes another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us.” As a result, make sure you look forward and don’t dwell when one of life’s metaphorical doors slams shut on you.

This saying got cut short as well and originally said “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but often times better than a master of one.” It meant having multiple interests but not being an expert in anything could actually prove advantageous.

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This motivational quote also happens to be a misquote. It comes from a UCLA Bruins football coach known as “Red” Sanders. At a physical education workshop in 1950, he said: “Winning isn’t everything. Men, it’s the only thing!”

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Moments we created

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Pot Pourri Know your idioms

Funny English

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It's not funny

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Our Winners Meeting no.

606 607 608

609

Meeting date

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Best evaluator

TM RAZIA

TM DEVI

TM SHREYA

TM ABRAHAM

TM SANJAY

TM NEHA

TM PETER

TM SUJATHA

TM NARAYAN

TM DEVI

TM ALTHAF

TM NEHA

Oct -2

Oct-30

Nov-13

Nov-27

610

Best table topic speaker

Best speaker

Dec-11 TM ZAHIDA

TM DEVI

REEMA (GUEST)

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Our Contributors TM Peter has been in ADTM for over three years. He is an engineer working for NPCC. He is a sincere and dedicated member of our club . He is also holding the position of SAA in the EXCOM. Contribution: Going through experience and growing through experience

TM Rameez has been in ADTM for about a year. He is our focused and dynamic toastmaster. He is working as a junior mechanical engineer in Total ABK. Contribution: Dare to be unique

TM Riyas has been in ADTM for the past two years. He is currently working for Bausch Health Company in Pharma sales. He is a dedicated toastmaster of our club and holds the position of Treasurer in the EXCOM. Contribution: Choose your influence wisely

TM Ijaz has been in ADTM for over two years. He is working as an applications and sales engineer at Fortune International. He is a very active and innovative toastmaster of our club. Contribution: Will it and it may

Contribution: Change

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TM Neha has been in ADTM for more than a year. She has done her MBA and is currently working as a Management Consultant for Protiviti. She is a talented member of our club and holds the position of secretary in the EXCOM.

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A TOASTMASTER’S PROMISE

As a member of Toastmasters International and my club, I promise -To attend club meetings regularly -To prepare all of my projects to the best of my ability, basing them on the Toastmasters education program -To prepare for and fulfill meeting assignments -To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive evaluations -To help the club maintain the positive, friendly environment necessary for all members to learn and grow -To serve my club as an officer when called upon to do so -To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect and courtesy

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-To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits Toastmasters membership offers -To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all Toastmasters education and recognition programs -To act within Toastmasters’ core values of integrity, respect, service and excellence during the conduct of all Toastmasters activities

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ABOUT US THE TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL MISSION We empower individuals to become more more effective communicators and leaders.

THE TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL VALUES - Integrity -Respect -Service -Excellence

MISSION OF THE CLUB We provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self confidence and personal growth.

SPEAKING UP Abu Dhabi Toastmasters: We meet on alternative Tuesdays at Foodland restaurant on Airport road, Abu Dhabi, UAE at 8.00 pm. http://ad1950.freetoasthost.info/

EDITOR Nidhi Bhandari +971506172407 n.bhandari@adnic.ae

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"The generous can forget they have given, but the grateful can never forget that they have received.â&#x20AC;?