What does it take to be a Hero

well hello there

uh can you hear me can you see me okay

great

i tell you we’re we’re in this new

season of

open and uh we’re having to all learn

how to use technology differently so

uh so it’s a joy to be here with you

both

uh good evening to all of the uh

students and and to the leadership let

me just first say

thank you to the dubai gym private

school leadership and all of you

uh for welcoming me welcoming me as a

guest speaker

for today’s tedx youth talk on the theme

not all heroes wear capes i tell you i

love your theme it’s such a

it’s such an inspiring uh theme during

the times that we’re living in so

let me thank you all for inviting me to

be a part of this wonderful

uh uh conference and certainly let me

say

uh to the previous speaker i think it’s

kiara or kira

did i say it right what a great speech

you gave my dear you are

uh certainly a rising star and uh what

are

great words that you shared and to the

young lady who sang earlier

as a as an artist in the united states i

certainly want to applaud

another artist across the world and what

a great job you did sweetheart

in performing uh again it’s great to be

here with you and great to

to spend a little time to talk with you

about

the theme of your conference uh about

heroes

uh you know what is the definition of a

hero miriam webster dictionary says that

a hero

is a person who is admired for

achievements

and noble qualities a person who

shows great courage uh an illustrious

warrior as

as the definition says the central

figure

in an event or period or movement

and across the world you know and

throughout history we find

stories of heroes some are certainly

applauded publicly and and we know their

accomplishments well

these persons are leaders of nations

great generals and battles

inspiring leaders of civil movements uh

scientists uh with medical breakthroughs

uh astronauts uh conquering new

frontiers

all types of folks of that nature but

but then there are

our heroes that are unsung those

heroes they’re the quiet armies of

soldiers on the battlefield

uh the factory line workers helping to

produce

those parts needed for that industrial

or

medical breakthrough uh the single

mother or the single father

working double shifts will support their

their child’s education

and most recently uh our courageous

frontline workers uh who have given

much some of their lives on the

coronavirus battlefield

all across the world they those persons

those persons are are unsung heroes

over the course of my life i have had

extraordinary opportunities to

observe heroic behavior from working for

the white house as a white house

presidential appointee for

u.s president george w bush to now as an

entertainer having performed

for three consecutive u.s presidents and

performing all over the world i’ve had

the great pleasure to perform here in

america for

president bush president barack obama

and now president trump

i have witnessed heroic behavior

in leadership performing here in the

united states in america

for our troops and veterans and military

families

i have personally witnessed the bravery

and sacrifice the heroic behavior of

america’s heroes

performing for some of the world’s

largest sporting

arenas such as as the young lady who

introduced so nicely mentioned for the

nfl for

the national basketball league the nba

for major league baseball mlb

and for the 2016 rio olympic season

i have witnessed the heroic behavior uh

within global sports

and serving as a global ambassador in

south africa

and working with the united nations to

bring greater educational opportunities

to underdeveloped and poverty-stricken

communities i have really witnessed

the heroic behavior of volunteerism

and service so here’s the good news

uh you don’t have to be a decorated

soldier or a leader of a great nation

or work at the white house or sing for

the nfl to be a hero

what it takes for you to be a hero

requires

three i believe basic things courage

heart and a drive to make a difference

no matter the cost so today

as a student at dubai gym private school

you can become a modern day hero

and so let’s start uh with courage you

know one of my favorite quotes about

courage

says this in whatever arena of life

one may meet the challenge of courage

whatever may be the

sacrifices he or she faces if he follows

his conscience

the loss of his friends his fortune

his contentment even the esteem of his

fellow men

each man must decide for himself

the course he will follow the stories of

past

courage can define that ingredient they

can teach

they can offer hope they can bring

inspiration

but they cannot supply courage

itself for each man

looks has to look to his own soul

i love that quote about courage and as a

young

student you are faced every day with

moments to exemplify courage that may

cost you friends or popularity or

an opportunity that may seem worthwhile

you may ask your parents or your

teachers or others for guidance

but courage is found in the depths

of one one’s own soul

the decision to be courageous must come

from you when challenged to stand up for

a friend choose courage

when challenged to use your voice for

good even if your voice

stands alone choose courage

when challenged to sacrifice so that

someone else

can benefit choose courage

second examine your heart and hone

your passions the british poor lloyd

alfred tennyson said it is better to

have loved

than to never have loved at all

a life lived through the lens of love

and passion drives you to a life

of purpose and a life of purpose

is one that takes all of those gifts and

talents

that are unique to you and authentically

impacts the world so

i want you as a as a young leader and a

young student

i want you to take those passions those

gifts those talents

and execute through purpose let your

heart

and passions be your sole motivation

for everything not money not possessions

but your passion every morning i wake up

fully confident that i am doing what i

am purpose to do

and that is because i am driven by

by what i love to do i love to sing

i love to create i love to help people

search your heart today and find those

passions that make you come alive

and that bring meaning to your life and

commit

to using them to impact the world

and lastly choose to make a difference

in someone’s life

someone else’s life no matter the cost

you know i believe that the ultimate uh

trait

of a hero is service giving beyond

yourself

giving beyond your means and giving

beyond your benefit

you know a life of service it requires

that you

approach everything selflessly

selflessly so today

i want you to make a commitment to make

a difference

in every life you touch by giving of

your time

your means your knowledge and

never factoring the cost associated

for doing so you know across the world

those who choose courage those across

the world those who have

have chosen courage those who led with

heart

and those who committed to making a

difference no matter the cost

those are our examples in history of

great leaders

many of them they never wore a cape or

desired the spotlight but they

they are just like regular people like

us like our front line heroes

who are fighting every day to make the

world

a better place you know the great albert

einstein says

he said only a life lived

for others is worthwhile

so anyone can be a hero your

contribution

it may not be seen or recorded in

history

uh but you will wake up every morning

knowing that you made a difference in

someone’s life

and that’s that’s what’s most important

so today

i want to empower you to become a modern

day hero

and leave your mark on the world choose

courage

follow your heart and your passion and

make a difference even if it costs

you everything you today can be

a dubai gym unsung hero

i hope that these words bless you today

i hope that you will go out today

and choose to be a modern day hero

courage

following your heart and your passions

and choosing to make a difference

no matter what it costs thanks so much

for having me today

and go change the world