“Time doesn’t wait for anyone, so what are you waiting for, go out into this world and get what’s yours.”
“Time doesn’t wait for anyone, so what are you waiting for, go out into this world and get what’s yours.”
A year or two ago I remember telling my closest friends my ambition to do a TEDx talk. The road to doing it had its ups and downs, and it was full of rejections and difficult experiences – but I wouldn’t change it for a thing. Why? Because when I finally did it, it was amazing! I was given the opportunity to deliver a TEDx talk at the acclaimed Barbican Centre in London.
The theme of the event was ‘surviving or thriving.’ I decided to speak about adversity as I believe it truly encompasses my experiences in life. My whole life has been filled with adversity, from growing up in the poorest borough of London to being racially profiled on trains, adversity has become part and parcel of my daily life. Despite this, however, I wouldn’t change a thing. It has made me who I am today, it has shifted my life into a new direction, and it has given me the passion to inspire people.
In my talk I aimed to convey two messages – one, that the world is a cruel place for many minorities and two, for those who face adversity on a daily basis (whatever it may be), that there is hope. All it takes is for you to ask yourself three questions: What do you want to achieve in this world? Why do you want to achieve it? And finally, who do you want to achieve it for?
It was a TEDx talk that made the audience laugh and cry, but most importantly, be inspired. Inspired to go out and chase their dreams no matter the obstacles they face or the barriers they are forced to face. My favourite line in the talk is something I would like to leave you with, a saying that I hope motivates and inspires many to come:
“Time, time doesn’t wait for anyone, so what are you waiting for, go out into this world and get what’s yours.”
Listen to the full TEDx talk here.
