before entering into high school I had
already made plans myself for these four
years you see back then I had a cousin
well I mean she still is my cousin but
she was what I thought as the perfect
high school student an honorable student
on so many sports and clubs and of
course miss popular I idolized her I
wanted to be just like her when I got
into high school so I told myself I
would study really hard and achieve all
A’s I would join the debate club and I
will also try for the basketball team
this was my image of a perfect high
school student that would be successful
in the next four years however I never
realized that I never once thought about
anybody other than myself I never once
took the time to think about somebody
other than me it was all about me me me
and me I guess it fitted right into the
me generation the me generation our
generation the generation that is so
self obsessed that doesn’t even take the
time to think about anyone other than
ourselves I asked myself am i selfish in
grade 10
one of my friends encouraged me to join
global action Council to be honest just
by hearing the name global action I
thought it was something where we go
every Sunday to the local community park
and help pick up garbage but after some
persuading from her I decided to give a
shot I mean why not right okay it turned
out it had nothing to do with picking up
garbage but more so with people less
fortunate than us in just the first
couple of meetings I learned that
there’s so many Aboriginal youth today
that are living in poor conditions and
so many don’t even have the opportunity
to go to school I mean I was so shocked
to hear this when we think about people
without standard health care or without
running water with
about coastal nations or the Sahara
Desert not places near home I mean we
live in Canada a developed country so
how come we are so blind to notice
what’s even going on in own country and
even after we take off her sunglasses
why do we have to do anything about it
that’s when it hit me to be the best
possible human being it isn’t entirely
to achieve good marks have a high social
status or join clubs and councils it’s
also about to take a minute step back
ask yourself what now what can I do to
make this world a better place for you
and me by just taking the time to
recognize these issues and then acting
upon them but are already starting to
make a difference recently I had an
amazing opportunity to attend we date
right here in Toronto with my fellows
fellow global action peers this was a
great experience for me to listen to so
many famous speakers tell their story on
how they helped to change the world
after getting so motivated and inspired
and withholding all this knowledge I
decided that I should do something about
it now Here I am right on this very
stage talking to all of you I went from
watching TED talk presentations by
mathematicians and scientists to having
the courage to actually write one of my
own and share them with you starting
today I must begin my journey for a
long-lasting positive effect in this
world I don’t expect to change the world
in one day but I know I can definitely
start just like how I hesitated to join
global action many people today are
hesitating to take time on these issues
they say them they’re too busy or that
they’re already satisfied what they’re
doing and they’ll make time for it once
they’re done the important issues in
their life but let me ask you something
what makes something important if
people in third-world countries are
going to bed on an empty stomach
is that not important to us if people
right here in Markham don’t have clean
clothes to wear is that not important to
us by just taking the time to realize
these issues we’re already gonna be
start to make it you’re already going to
be starting to help make a change deep
down inside every one of you is the most
powerful tool known to man and that is
your voice your voice can be used to
incite a mass movement and actually
rewrite the future of this earth but
your voice it should be use effectively
if you never use it it will die within
you
many people are silenced to use their
voice or we aren’t it actually all comes
down to the idea of being selfless being
selfless means to care about somebody
else other than yourself we have the
potential and the ability to change from
the me generation to the we generation
but we must start today it’s really easy
to shrug this idea off and let somebody
else worry about it but if we all have
these thoughts of mentality who is going
to be left helping these people you and
I we both share this world and it is our
duty to get back to it that’s when I
realized my cousin she wasn’t actually
perfect
she was actually nowhere near perfect it
was just my thoughts on what is perfect
10-meter the best possible human being
but now I know that to be a good human
being and to be a good citizen means to
be selfless and to think about somebody
else other than yourself so now I ask
you a question are you selfless thank
you [Applause]
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