and award disappears. The kind we're always trying to avoid. Not long ago, I found myself in a similar situation.I was at a small gathering where I barely knew anyone. There was music, people talking, phones buzzing, and for most of the time, I stayed quiet, not sad, nor uncomfortable. I was simply just listening.Then out of nowhere, Adele approached me and asked, "Hey, are you okay? You hadn't said anything." And it's extremely strange how that simple comment changed the whole audience. Because a minute ag ...

Okay. Uh, good afternoon everyone. I know all of you might be a bit tired but I need a promise from you.I am about to share a journey right now of how I became what I am today. I just want you to pay little attention if you can. Right.Uh so standing here today feels a bit bit unreal cuz this is the same place where I once grew up. These corridors, these classrooms, these teachers are the ones who shaped me. They gave me something very important.A sense of safety, sense of encouragement and a place to become ...

I walked into the living room and I heard the most awful sound. It was a voice I just couldn't make sense of. Slow, stupid. It was like nails down a blackboard. Imagine the horror when I realized that voice was mine. I was eight or nine years old and I was visiting some male cousins in Dunigal and they loved two things more than anything. The latest gadget and making fun of their English cousin. So, they'd hidden a recorder and they'd captured my voice and now they were playing it back. They thought it was ...

Let's think about space for a second. Cold, scary, probably full of man-eating aliens. Those may be some of the words and phrases that come to mind when you think of outer space.Now, if you're anything like me, which is to say an absolute nerd, you might think space is pretty awesome. After all, who doesn't love a good sci-fi story like Interstellar or Gravity. And who can't appreciate the beauty of the countless stars in a night sky.To me, the appeal of outer space comes from the fact that it represents th ...

To become a successful business leader, leading yourself comes first. Now, why is inner leadership so important? Inner leadership begins with self-recognition. Recognizing your own strengths, recognizing your own weaknesses, and recognizing the beliefs that you have about yourself that are holding you back from reaching your full potential. My name is Elino Mulahal and my story begins about two years ago at an international college in Norway. I was in the final year of preparing for my diploma, living toget ...

Before we begin, let me give you a disclaimer. This smooth sailing journey that it sounds like went to IIT Bombay, became a deep sea diving instructor and athlete. This is not a story about that.I want to take you into the depths of the messy middle as well because this is a story of when life feels like a whirlpool. Have you been in a whirlpool. Anybody else.Maybe when your river raft overturns into Ganga, you know, and you when you are in that whirlpool, you are trying your best, but you do not have any p ...

I used to think silence was safer. When things felt heavy inside me, I keep it to myself. I would lie in bed at night staring at the ceiling, wishing I could just say what was wrong.But I couldn't. I was scared of being misunderstood, scared of sounding dramatic, scared of being too much. So, I stayed quiet.Sometimes I'd be in class or swim at friends and I just zone out, lost in my own head. In those moments, I imagine myself finally saying everything out loud. How tired I felt, how heavy my chest was, how ...

[music] [applause] I've lived in many worlds, each alive in its own way. I grew up in the US and Germany, where life was fast-paced and structured. Backpacking through Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, life was colorful and vibrant.My time in Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, life was bold and adventurous. In my home in Uganda and time in Rwanda was eyeopening and humbling. Our world is alive.It's awake. And there is noise everywhere from our cities to our phones and even our thoughts. We're constantly moving, w ...

Core Argument - The speech emphasizes the importance of questioning systems and norms, drawing parallels between historical oppression and contemporary issues like book bans and censorship [4][5][10] - It argues that silence in the face of injustice normalizes it and empowers oppressive forces [11][12] - The speech advocates for the human right to ask questions and challenge the status quo in various settings, including classrooms, workplaces, and communities [11][15] Historical Context & Examples - The speech references historical figures like Frederick Douglass, James Baldwin, and Mahmud Darwish, who used questions to challenge systems of oppression and advocate for change [6][7][8] - It draws connections between historical events like America's Jim Crow era and the British 13 colonies, highlighting how revolutions stemmed from questioning and the suppression of those questions [4] - The speech uses the example of Frederick Douglass questioning why slaves couldn't read to illustrate the power of knowledge and questioning in achieving liberation [6] Call to Action - The speech encourages individuals to ask "why" in various contexts, even when it's difficult or uncomfortable [10][15][16] - It asserts that ordinary people have the power to enact change by using their voices to question systems and challenge injustice [14][15] - The speech concludes that questions are essential for defending freedom, protecting lives, and ultimately changing the world [16]

[applause] Silence makes you smarter. In the silence, a process called neurogenesis occurs in the brain. In the hippocampus, associated with memory and learning.Growth of new brain cells is stimulated. So technically, silence has literal mindaltering effects. I'm going to talk to you about silence.the science behind it, how you can use it as a tool, and the impact it can have. Unfortunately, our lives have less and less room for silence in them. Instant communication, telephones, screens.All of these create ...