[Music]
I am really bad at directions so bad
that even top-notch navigation apps
cannot save me from complete and utter
disaster
I find myself continually frustrated
because these apps are not as precise as
I need them to be
while the warning feature of 200 meters
may be fine for everyone else unless
you’d like to witness an accident I need
at least 700 meters of warning before
making a turn especially a sudden left
turn like my diagnosis of Crohn’s
disease it often feels like my gut is
twisting inside out like I’m drowning
and spit waiting to vomit but the
trapdoor in my throat will never open
like the fighter pilot in my stomach has
decided to do an airshow and no one can
see that I’m in pain
except for me with 25% of the Millennial
Generation suffering from two or more
chronic illnesses my story is not unique
but what is unique is what I have done
to find success since my diagnosis
following other people’s maps is just
something I was never really meant to do
when you think of the best way to get
from point A to point B it’s often a
straight line
we’re told that success starts with
graduating high school and then with a
white picket fence two point four kids
and a partner of the opposite sex but I
want to tell you is that the world
offers us one narrative one pathway to
success that I would have most
definitely failed had I have tried to
follow it further even if I had followed
the straight and narrow and became
successful in the way that’s been sold
to us I might not be happy and maybe
neither would you
do not be fooled I’m still sick and it
is still difficult for me to say that I
am sick out loud
but now I have found ways to no longer
compare myself to others instead I’ve
decided to learn cartography and draw my
own routes to success most of the times
my professors teachers and employers
have been more impressed about my
ability to adapt then they are
frustrated that I’m not following their
routes to success sometimes no matter
how hard we try to design our Maps
perfectly there will always be potholes
u-turns obstructions and even dead ends
I know this because while I was
following other people’s Maps I tried to
drop out of high school more times than
not I failed far too many university
courses and I never really took care of
myself I was nine years old when I was
chosen to be a mediator on the school
playground after a weekend of training
in conflict resolution I was set out on
the playground and ready to go the first
time I stopped a bully from picking on
another student I was so proud and
excited about my new role that’s when I
knew I wanted to stop the world’s
biggest bullies and become a foreign
service agent but once I was diagnosed
with Crohn’s disease
I needed to draw my map a different
colour my treatments require me to be
tethered to IV poles every six weeks I
need to be near cities with hospitals
and I need a few days off after to
recover sadly this Justin isn’t a normal
work scenario and the type of role I had
dreamed of with the Foreign Service
so my direction changed I thought long
and hard about what I wanted and what I
needed out of my life I want a job that
challenges me and helps my country I
still need to know where the closest
bathrooms are because the fighter pilots
in my stomach give air shows daily now I
want to work as a strategist with the
Department of National Defence a job
that challenges me and helps my
country immensely and a job in a city
where I can get treatment and find
bathrooms at every corner I’ve been able
to connect what I want with what I need
while I was following other people’s
maps and even before I became good at
creating my own maps I was in and out of
hospital constantly I was on the
heaviest of medications to be considered
normal or whatever that looks like and I
almost didn’t make it to University
today because of my cartography skills I
am no longer on steroids
I went from 10 inches to six inches of
diseased bowel and I am seven years 8
months surgery free since my diagnosis
I’m also a published author I have won
national awards in debate and I run a
successful non for profit while you may
be impressed by my map what I want to
tell you is to create your own Maps keys
and legends because I have planned my
own route and I am ready for detours I
am successful in the areas that I focus
on so what I leave you with is a key
question why is it that we enforce
societal norms on everyone even when we
cannot or do not follow them ourselves I
would tell you that it is because it is
easier to follow a predetermined route
than to resist others expectations and
follow your own map but there will
always be potholes obstructions u-turns
and even dead ends so learn cartography
make your own map thank you
[Applause]
[Music]
[Music]
I am really bad at directions so bad
that even top-notch navigation apps
cannot save me from complete and utter
disaster
I find myself continually frustrated
because these apps are not as precise as
I need them to be
while the warning feature of 200 meters
may be fine for everyone else unless
you’d like to witness an accident I need
at least 700 meters of warning before
making a turn especially a sudden left
turn like my diagnosis of Crohn’s
disease it often feels like my gut is
twisting inside out like I’m drowning
and spit waiting to vomit but the
trapdoor in my throat will never open
like the fighter pilot in my stomach has
decided to do an airshow and no one can
see that I’m in pain
except for me with 25% of the Millennial
Generation suffering from two or more
chronic illnesses my story is not unique
but what is unique is what I have done
to find success since my diagnosis
following other people’s maps is just
something I was never really meant to do
when you think of the best way to get
from point A to point B it’s often a
straight line
we’re told that success starts with
graduating high school and then with a
white picket fence two point four kids
and a partner of the opposite sex but I
want to tell you is that the world
offers us one narrative one pathway to
success that I would have most
definitely failed had I have tried to
follow it further even if I had followed
the straight and narrow and became
successful in the way that’s been sold
to us I might not be happy and maybe
neither would you
do not be fooled I’m still sick and it
is still difficult for me to say that I
am sick out loud
but now I have found ways to no longer
compare myself to others instead I’ve
decided to learn cartography and draw my
own routes to success most of the times
my professors teachers and employers
have been more impressed about my
ability to adapt then they are
frustrated that I’m not following their
routes to success sometimes no matter
how hard we try to design our Maps
perfectly there will always be potholes
u-turns obstructions and even dead ends
I know this because while I was
following other people’s Maps I tried to
drop out of high school more times than
not I failed far too many university
courses and I never really took care of
myself I was nine years old when I was
chosen to be a mediator on the school
playground after a weekend of training
in conflict resolution I was set out on
the playground and ready to go the first
time I stopped a bully from picking on
another student I was so proud and
excited about my new role that’s when I
knew I wanted to stop the world’s
biggest bullies and become a foreign
service agent but once I was diagnosed
with Crohn’s disease
I needed to draw my map a different
colour my treatments require me to be
tethered to IV poles every six weeks I
need to be near cities with hospitals
and I need a few days off after to
recover sadly this Justin isn’t a normal
work scenario and the type of role I had
dreamed of with the Foreign Service
so my direction changed I thought long
and hard about what I wanted and what I
needed out of my life I want a job that
challenges me and helps my country I
still need to know where the closest
bathrooms are because the fighter pilots
in my stomach give air shows daily now I
want to work as a strategist with the
Department of National Defence a job
that challenges me and helps my
country immensely and a job in a city
where I can get treatment and find
bathrooms at every corner I’ve been able
to connect what I want with what I need
while I was following other people’s
maps and even before I became good at
creating my own maps I was in and out of
hospital constantly I was on the
heaviest of medications to be considered
normal or whatever that looks like and I
almost didn’t make it to University
today because of my cartography skills I
am no longer on steroids
I went from 10 inches to six inches of
diseased bowel and I am seven years 8
months surgery free since my diagnosis
I’m also a published author I have won
national awards in debate and I run a
successful non for profit while you may
be impressed by my map what I want to
tell you is to create your own Maps keys
and legends because I have planned my
own route and I am ready for detours I
am successful in the areas that I focus
on so what I leave you with is a key
question why is it that we enforce
societal norms on everyone even when we
cannot or do not follow them ourselves I
would tell you that it is because it is
easier to follow a predetermined route
than to resist others expectations and
follow your own map but there will
always be potholes obstructions u-turns
and even dead ends so learn cartography
make your own map thank you
[Applause]
[Music]
[Music]
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