[Applause] hello everyone I’m super excited to be
hello everyone I’m super excited to be
hello everyone I’m super excited to be here today and the theme what now is
here today and the theme what now is
here today and the theme what now is very intriguing I of course had to ask
very intriguing I of course had to ask
very intriguing I of course had to ask myself that question when thinking about
myself that question when thinking about
myself that question when thinking about what I wanted to accomplish with this
what I wanted to accomplish with this
what I wanted to accomplish with this talk today and to be honest it actually
talk today and to be honest it actually
talk today and to be honest it actually took me some time to commit to an
took me some time to commit to an
took me some time to commit to an approach to the question my initial
approach to the question my initial
approach to the question my initial thought was to tell my story an 8-minute
thought was to tell my story an 8-minute
thought was to tell my story an 8-minute of radiated version of my journey to
of radiated version of my journey to
of radiated version of my journey to this stage and how I’ve tackled what now
this stage and how I’ve tackled what now
this stage and how I’ve tackled what now over the past six years also because
over the past six years also because
over the past six years also because I’ve often been told that my story of
I’ve often been told that my story of
I’ve often been told that my story of helping to reverse my dad’s time to
helping to reverse my dad’s time to
helping to reverse my dad’s time to diabetes at eight founding my nonprofit
diabetes at eight founding my nonprofit
diabetes at eight founding my nonprofit at 12 and becoming the youngest
at 12 and becoming the youngest
at 12 and becoming the youngest certified integrative nutrition health
certified integrative nutrition health
certified integrative nutrition health coach at 16 is quite inspirational but a
coach at 16 is quite inspirational but a
coach at 16 is quite inspirational but a few days ago I had an epiphany and this
few days ago I had an epiphany and this
few days ago I had an epiphany and this realization was all about passion so
realization was all about passion so
realization was all about passion so that’s what I really want to share with
that’s what I really want to share with
that’s what I really want to share with you all today but I love being
you all today but I love being
you all today but I love being interactive with my audience so before I
interactive with my audience so before I
interactive with my audience so before I get into my revelation by quick show of
get into my revelation by quick show of
get into my revelation by quick show of hands how many of you feel you are
hands how many of you feel you are
hands how many of you feel you are actively pursuing your passion okay
actively pursuing your passion okay
actively pursuing your passion okay that’s good good okay now how many of
that’s good good okay now how many of
that’s good good okay now how many of you have no idea what your passion is
you have no idea what your passion is
you have no idea what your passion is right now and not really worried about
right now and not really worried about
right now and not really worried about it okay all right and finally how many
it okay all right and finally how many
it okay all right and finally how many of you are actively trying to figure out
of you are actively trying to figure out
of you are actively trying to figure out what your passion is okay so we’ve got a
what your passion is okay so we’ve got a
what your passion is okay so we’ve got a good mix of both here so great I’m
good mix of both here so great I’m
good mix of both here so great I’m really excited to get started so for me
really excited to get started so for me
really excited to get started so for me I’m big on passion I’ve even done
I’m big on passion I’ve even done
I’m big on passion I’ve even done workshops with peers younger kids and
workshops with peers younger kids and
workshops with peers younger kids and adults on pursuing their passion I
adults on pursuing their passion I
adults on pursuing their passion I remember telling the people in my
remember telling the people in my
remember telling the people in my workshops that the key to finding their
workshops that the key to finding their
workshops that the key to finding their passion is embracing their special
passion is embracing their special
passion is embracing their special skills talents and interests and
skills talents and interests and
skills talents and interests and persistently pursuing those things but
persistently pursuing those things but
persistently pursuing those things but it recently occurred to me that passion
it recently occurred to me that passion
it recently occurred to me that passion isn’t that straightforward it’s a lot
isn’t that straightforward it’s a lot
isn’t that straightforward it’s a lot more magical than that I realized that
more magical than that I realized that
more magical than that I realized that people pursue their interests all the
people pursue their interests all the
people pursue their interests all the time
time
time they use their special talents and
they use their special talents and
they use their special talents and skills and jobs they’re good at and even
skills and jobs they’re good at and even
skills and jobs they’re good at and even initially enjoy but often end up bored
initially enjoy but often end up bored
initially enjoy but often end up bored or having those interests change over
or having those interests change over
or having those interests change over time or even have factors like
time or even have factors like
time or even have factors like ever-evolving technology and other
ever-evolving technology and other
ever-evolving technology and other things interrupt those special skills
things interrupt those special skills
things interrupt those special skills from being important and we all know
from being important and we all know
from being important and we all know that sometimes talent is pretty
that sometimes talent is pretty
that sometimes talent is pretty subjective we all have that one friend
subjective we all have that one friend
subjective we all have that one friend who thinks they can sing let’s just
who thinks they can sing let’s just
who thinks they can sing let’s just admit it so what happens then if passion
admit it so what happens then if passion
admit it so what happens then if passion can be fleeting with a person’s change
can be fleeting with a person’s change
can be fleeting with a person’s change of heart interest and mindset or is
of heart interest and mindset or is
of heart interest and mindset or is dependent on skills that can change over
dependent on skills that can change over
dependent on skills that can change over time
time
time then clearly there is more to passion
then clearly there is more to passion
then clearly there is more to passion than I initially thought
than I initially thought
than I initially thought and this challenged me because I
and this challenged me because I
and this challenged me because I believed I found and followed my passion
believed I found and followed my passion
believed I found and followed my passion to help kids live healthier lives when I
to help kids live healthier lives when I
to help kids live healthier lives when I decided that it was completely
decided that it was completely
decided that it was completely unacceptable for our generation and
unacceptable for our generation and
unacceptable for our generation and younger to be plagued with preventable
younger to be plagued with preventable
younger to be plagued with preventable health issues not enough nutrition and
health issues not enough nutrition and
health issues not enough nutrition and culinary education that empowers us to
culinary education that empowers us to
culinary education that empowers us to make good food choices and become
make good food choices and become
make good food choices and become victims of a food system that often does
victims of a food system that often does
victims of a food system that often does not have our best interests at heart
not have our best interests at heart
not have our best interests at heart so with all of that I dedicated my time
so with all of that I dedicated my time
so with all of that I dedicated my time energy and attention to help solve a
energy and attention to help solve a
energy and attention to help solve a problem that needs solving and amazing
problem that needs solving and amazing
problem that needs solving and amazing things happened but along the way I also
things happened but along the way I also
things happened but along the way I also got good or better at different skills
got good or better at different skills
got good or better at different skills and even developed new ones
and even developed new ones
and even developed new ones my focus sharpened and shifted and my
my focus sharpened and shifted and my
my focus sharpened and shifted and my earring fell off too my focus sharpened
earring fell off too my focus sharpened
earring fell off too my focus sharpened and shifted and even changed in some
and shifted and even changed in some
and shifted and even changed in some areas completely as I learned the ins
areas completely as I learned the ins
areas completely as I learned the ins and outs of running a non-profit
and outs of running a non-profit
and outs of running a non-profit effectively and working to sustain it
effectively and working to sustain it
effectively and working to sustain it and not to mention all the lessons I’ve
and not to mention all the lessons I’ve
and not to mention all the lessons I’ve learned putting myself out there as a
learned putting myself out there as a
learned putting myself out there as a health activist speaker and educator at
health activist speaker and educator at
health activist speaker and educator at ten years old so what’s my big epiphany
ten years old so what’s my big epiphany
ten years old so what’s my big epiphany I think passion is actually the magic
I think passion is actually the magic
I think passion is actually the magic that comes out of us doing something
that comes out of us doing something
that comes out of us doing something important and giving it all of our full
important and giving it all of our full
important and giving it all of our full attention
attention
attention energy so that means that passion can’t
energy so that means that passion can’t
energy so that means that passion can’t really be followed found or even lost
really be followed found or even lost
really be followed found or even lost because it lives within us and when we
because it lives within us and when we
because it lives within us and when we do meaningful work it thrives and
do meaningful work it thrives and
do meaningful work it thrives and flourishes especially when that work is
flourishes especially when that work is
flourishes especially when that work is in the service of others it also means
in the service of others it also means
in the service of others it also means there’s room for us to have many
there’s room for us to have many
there’s room for us to have many different interests to pursue different
different interests to pursue different
different interests to pursue different paths over time to develop strengthen
paths over time to develop strengthen
paths over time to develop strengthen and even excel at schools we didn’t even
and even excel at schools we didn’t even
and even excel at schools we didn’t even have before or even knew we were
have before or even knew we were
have before or even knew we were interested in but we mastered them after
interested in but we mastered them after
interested in but we mastered them after focusing our energies in that direction
focusing our energies in that direction
focusing our energies in that direction so my answer today to the question what
so my answer today to the question what
so my answer today to the question what now is we should stop pursuing passion
now is we should stop pursuing passion
now is we should stop pursuing passion or believing that we’ve lost it or don’t
or believing that we’ve lost it or don’t
or believing that we’ve lost it or don’t even have it at all because passion
even have it at all because passion
even have it at all because passion again lives within us and we only can
again lives within us and we only can
again lives within us and we only can fuel it by taking chances pursuing big
fuel it by taking chances pursuing big
fuel it by taking chances pursuing big goals failing forward and learning new
goals failing forward and learning new
goals failing forward and learning new things as well as changing our minds and
things as well as changing our minds and
things as well as changing our minds and focus to where our hearts special
focus to where our hearts special
focus to where our hearts special interests and the demands of social
interests and the demands of social
interests and the demands of social issues lead us and trust me there are a
issues lead us and trust me there are a
issues lead us and trust me there are a lot of social issues today so we also
lot of social issues today so we also
lot of social issues today so we also have to recognize that passion also
have to recognize that passion also
have to recognize that passion also blooms out of us knowing and believing
blooms out of us knowing and believing
blooms out of us knowing and believing that we all have something to give and
that we all have something to give and
that we all have something to give and then giving it also do something
then giving it also do something
then giving it also do something meaningful to someone else commit to
meaningful to someone else commit to
meaningful to someone else commit to helping solve a problem that needs
helping solve a problem that needs
helping solve a problem that needs solving that affects us our families our
solving that affects us our families our
solving that affects us our families our communities our country our planet and
communities our country our planet and
communities our country our planet and all beings who inhabit it form
all beings who inhabit it form
all beings who inhabit it form partnerships collaborations and
partnerships collaborations and
partnerships collaborations and relationships with those who not only
relationships with those who not only
relationships with those who not only share our interests and beliefs but also
share our interests and beliefs but also
share our interests and beliefs but also those who challenge us and most
those who challenge us and most
those who challenge us and most importantly those who for whatever
importantly those who for whatever
importantly those who for whatever reason feel like they have no voice
reason feel like they have no voice
reason feel like they have no voice platform or support to make positive
platform or support to make positive
platform or support to make positive change in the world for me I decided to
change in the world for me I decided to
change in the world for me I decided to go ahead and teach kids everything I
go ahead and teach kids everything I
go ahead and teach kids everything I learned about nutrition and cooking when
learned about nutrition and cooking when
learned about nutrition and cooking when I was younger and honestly doing that
I was younger and honestly doing that
I was younger and honestly doing that made me believe that I was helping them
made me believe that I was helping them
made me believe that I was helping them to live
to live
to live healthier happier lives in the future
healthier happier lives in the future
healthier happier lives in the future and now also when I get these great
and now also when I get these great
and now also when I get these great amazing hugs from kids who tell me that
amazing hugs from kids who tell me that
amazing hugs from kids who tell me that they love eating healthy or that they
they love eating healthy or that they
they love eating healthy or that they enjoy looking up their food labels to
enjoy looking up their food labels to
enjoy looking up their food labels to see if their food is real it really
see if their food is real it really
see if their food is real it really impacts me and because of this my
impacts me and because of this my
impacts me and because of this my passion started to blossom people
passion started to blossom people
passion started to blossom people believed in me my parents and other
believed in me my parents and other
believed in me my parents and other adult mentors supported me and amazing
adult mentors supported me and amazing
adult mentors supported me and amazing opportunities came about and when I hear
opportunities came about and when I hear
opportunities came about and when I hear things from adults who also say that
things from adults who also say that
things from adults who also say that they’ve reversed their own health issues
they’ve reversed their own health issues
they’ve reversed their own health issues or have started eating healthier because
or have started eating healthier because
or have started eating healthier because of my story it truly shows me that what
of my story it truly shows me that what
of my story it truly shows me that what I’m doing is meaningful and that it is
I’m doing is meaningful and that it is
I’m doing is meaningful and that it is important to the world and that feels my
important to the world and that feels my
important to the world and that feels my passion within me to continue to do what
passion within me to continue to do what
passion within me to continue to do what I do so with that said as a newly
I do so with that said as a newly
I do so with that said as a newly certified health coach just have to give
certified health coach just have to give
certified health coach just have to give you a little pointers here take care of
you a little pointers here take care of
you a little pointers here take care of yourselves
yourselves
yourselves eat good food get some rest
eat good food get some rest
eat good food get some rest play respect yourselves and others and
play respect yourselves and others and
play respect yourselves and others and of course do something meaningful and
of course do something meaningful and
of course do something meaningful and let your passion shine through thank you
let your passion shine through thank you
let your passion shine through thank you so much
so much
so much [Applause]
”
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