TEDx Youth: Dream it. Live it. Share it.

On 17th November this year, youth thinkers and doers in Singapore come together to celebrate the audacity of ideas, the birth of innovation and a spirit to constantly seek and believe in our true selves. 

Along with the other Year Two students from Singapore Polytechnic Diploma in Media and Communication, I'm honored to be given the opportunity to attend this deeply inspiring event that leaves me with stirring thoughts. 

Every year in November, Tedx events happen all around the world, with just a goal in mind: 

To inspire and empower young people 

As the post progresses, I'll be sharing with you the insights from several of the speakers who have graced the stage; of whom, despite age, race and culture, come together with a moving story to share, igniting hope in each and every one of us. 

Our youngest speaker of the day, 13 year old Jon Lee bravely took the stage and shared with us his hopes and aspirations. 

Thirteen and already the Cadet Champion of 2011 Singapore Karting Championship,

Jon leaves us with a reminder:

"It's never too young to dream."

"Before I die, I want to drive an F1 car".

I applaud Jon's spirit in striving to achieve a balance between school, kartracing and leisure. 

When we were 13 and just a 

budding and confused teenager, 

what were we hoping for? 

_______________________________

Before the social initiative While You Were Sleeping (WYWS) came about, Josiah Ng had asked himself all the wrong questions and a weird reminder. 

• Steve Jobs is his weird inspiration.
• Sesame Street were just big guys wearing costumes to entertain kids.
• Spiderman goes around saving people in his spandex costume. 

"I've worn my own spandex too," he beams.

It's WEIRD to NOT BE WEIRD. 

And so, WYWS was developed around the idea of simply doing something nice for a person while he / she snoozes (out of exam lethargy and stress!) at a desk!

The video went viral. People came onto the weird bandwagon and started doing nice and considerate things to others while they were sleeping. "Weird could just be the new normal," Josiah Ng challenges and his prophecy came true. 

"Wearing Spandex without saving the world just makes you a fashion disaster," he adds, to laughter in the crowd.

With great power comes great responsibility. 

A kind act can mean so much to someone. 

_______________________________

A graduate from Singapore Management University, Joanne is passionate about marketing and corporate communications and has always dreamed of working in an advertising agency. 

However, just like every other struggling fresh graduate, Joanne finds herself tied down by the constraints and pragmatism of society. 

She was left helpless and searching for a job even after graduation. Reality is not a bed of roses like her dreams were made of, apparently. 

There are two kinds of people in this world: The Reachers and The Settlers.

The first kind of people (Reachers) are people who are not satisfied with their current status quo.

And then, we have the Settlers: Despite having an inkling that they are made for more, they really just want to live to survive.

Joanne believes that we are all unique human beings with unique strengths and a unique calling.

“You were made to fill a certain gap in the

world. If you don’t stand up for your dreams, 

who will?”

Be brave. Believe in your dreams and don’t 

let the immense fear of rejections 

paralyze us. 

"Settle to not Settle, Ever." 

The “I Still Have A Dream” project shows the world two things: What people of today are studying to be, and what they actually dream of becoming. 

* Do watch it! It really deeply inspired me. 

She shares with us a meaningful story that leaves a deep impression on me.

There was once a man with a recurring dream of a lion chasing him and every night, he would wake up screaming. 

This went on for a while and eventually, he decided to confide in his pastor. The pastor told him to pray and ask God for help. 

The pastor said, "The next time the lion appears in your dream again, ask yourself three questions. 

1. Who are you?

2. What do you want from me?

3. What are you doing in my life?

That very night, the Lion indeed visited him in his sleep again and this time round, the man, instead of running away like he always does, turned around to face the Lion.

The lion finally says,

"Why are you running away from me? I am your courage."

In life, it is humans instinct to run away from our dreams and aspirations because facing your 'Lion' involves heartache, pain and obstacles. 

Why don't we all turn around to face our Lion today? 

_______________________________

"Kumaran is a 27-year-old medical doctor at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He is the first Singaporean who summited Mount Everest to raise funds for a charity cause and encouraged the public to donate a total of $30,000 to the Tan Tock Seng Community Charity fund through his widely publicized summit to Mount Everest."

He asked a question that spurred me to give it a deeper thought. 

"Is dying at the place of your dreams failure?"

Many have dreamt of conquering Mount Everest, but few made it back. 

Those who died on their way back, and whose bodies lay in the cold and relentless snow,

can we say that they have failed? 

Or have they eventually managed to seek the success they longed for? 

"Everybody is climbing their own Everest silently."

Failure is only when one doesn't get up after a fall. 

_______________________________

The last and final speaker that I would like to pen in this post is 

Mr. Kan Lume, an award winning film-maker and a Lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic. 

As a kid, he has always been a creative child, but an average student. 

His dad is a perfectionist and since young, Mr. Kan has to live up to expectations.

On his 20th Birthday, he was labelled a failure. 

There were times when he would question himself in the midst of despondence:

Maybe I should have stayed in Accounting

Maybe passion should be pursued as a hobby 

Maybe my dad was right 

• However, he eventually realised the importance of keeping his eye on his dream to be a film-maker, thus, he got a tattoo of the words “film-maker” on his hand. 

Without this spark of courage and perseverance, I would not have been privileged to be taught by such a wonderful and encouraging tutor who constantly urges us to pursue our dreams and believe in our true selves. 

_______________________________

Now, I would like to share with my readers and youths of TEDxYouth@Singapore some uplifting and encouraging quotes from the talk. 

From Ms. Krystal Choo, Marketing Director for the non-profit start-up “One-Cent Movement”

From Ms. Kuik Shiao-Yin, the founder and creative director of Thought Collective. 

Under Thought Collective’s entrepreneurship umbrella are School of Thought, Think Tank Publishing, Food For Thought, Thinkscape Learning Journeys and Common Ground. 

From Mr. Daniel Wong, author of "The Happy Student" 

TedxYouth@Singapore 2012 

TEDx Youth Talk may have come to an end, but the impact it has on youths who have attended the event and for everyone else who have contributed and remained positively affected will never be forgotten.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to have graced this event and I look forward to a pleasant TEDx Talk 2013 in the coming year.