This TEDx talk explores the intriguing concept of connecting dots in life, as inspired by Steve Jobs and personal experiences of the speaker. Steve Jobs' journey, detailed in a speech at Stanford, highlights how seemingly unrelated events and decisions in life can align to create a meaningful path. The speaker echoes this idea, recounting their own educational and career choices that initially seemed unfocused but ultimately formed a coherent narrative.

The talk emphasizes the importance of following one's heart and intuition while being open to new ideas and perspectives. The speaker shares personal anecdotes, such as an accidental career in radio that was facilitated by avoiding cleaning her room and pursuing public speaking. She advocates for thinking big, challenging old ideas, and embracing curiosity and growth to connect life's dots.

Main takeaways from the video:

Please remember to turn on the CC button to view the subtitles.

Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. calligraphy [kəˈlɪɡrəfi] - (noun) - The art of producing decorative handwriting or lettering with a pen or brush. - Synonyms: (handwriting, script, penmanship)

Once upon a time, he went into the calligraphy class.

2. multitasking [ˌmʌltiˈtæskɪŋ] - (noun) - The ability to perform more than one task or activity at the same time. - Synonyms: (juggling, balancing, handling)

And it was as simple as multitasking his way to success.

3. destiny [ˈdɛstɪni] - (noun) - The events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future. - Synonyms: (fate, fortune, providence)

I'm destiny's child and destiny always shows me the way.

4. convocation [ˌkɒnvəˈkeɪʃən] - (noun) - A large formal assembly of people, especially for a university ceremony such as graduation. - Synonyms: (assembly, gathering, ceremony)

I was one of those few students who was a gold medalist who received a gold medal on the convocation day.

5. lecture [ˈlɛkʧər] - (noun) - An educational talk to an audience, especially one of students in a university. - Synonyms: (speech, presentation, discourse)

He found inspiration in that lecture as well.

6. intuition [ˌɪntuˈɪʃən] - (noun) - The ability to understand something instinctively, without the need for conscious reasoning. - Synonyms: (instinct, insight, perception)

It is your intuition, it is your gut.

7. extraordinary [ɪkˈstrɔːrdəˌnɛri] - (adjective) - Very unusual or remarkable. - Synonyms: (remarkable, exceptional, amazing)

Because most winners either need to do something which is very sane, ordinary, extraordinarily well, or you need to just do something extraordinary

8. reconnect [ˈriːkəˌnɛkt] - (verb) - To reunite or reconnect something that was disconnected or separated. - Synonyms: (rejoin, reunite, reestablish)

Everything is something that I can always try to reconnect.

9. discern [dɪˈsɜrn] - (verb) - To perceive or recognize something. - Synonyms: (perceive, detect, recognize)

You begin to discern when you actually put in thought.

10. paradigm [ˈpærəˌdaɪm] - (noun) - A standard, perspective, or set of ideas. A way of looking at something. - Synonyms: (model, pattern, example)

She needed to consider a different paradigm when it came to public speaking.

Follow your passion - MOHINI BHATT - TEDxYouth@PWSSama

Everybody, good evening. I think we should give a huge round of applause to her. I think she was amazing there. At your age, I couldn't have done it like this for sure. So you have a long way to go and you've started it so beautifully. So what's your name? Kanishka. Oh, a name very close to my heart. Kanishka. Please give it up for her.

I feel everybody's feeling a little cold. And before I go on to the red circle where I cannot move too much, I'd like to see some energy because without energy I can't function. So can I. When I say 1, 2, 3, can I just have all your hands up in the air and say yay, like children? Okay. I know most of you are adults here, but I'm a child, can't help it, you know? So on my three. One, two, three. Without the mic, I'm louder than you, the tree, much more like it.

Now that everybody is there on the same energy levels and it's not too cold, hopefully for you, my hands are very cold because who's Else or Kiske Acha? Not as cold as mine because you're standing on the red dot here. So this is my third TEDx and every speech or every TEDx that I'm supposed to do, it makes me feel think a lot because on radio there is this rule that you don't talk for more than 40 seconds to one minute. But here you have 15 minutes and you're supposed to make it count.

Making time count, that is what is the challenge, be it one minute or 15 minutes. And I hope that this time that I'm taking from you, I hope I'll make it count for you. So today I'm going to be talking about three things that came to me this afternoon. Connecting dots, ideas, and five rules that make a happy me. I don't know about you. If it helps you, I'll be very glad.

The first thing, connecting dots. Recently I came across an article somewhere on Google. Google is helpful at a lot of times. Misleading mostly, but helpful at a lot of times. So I came across this speech given by Steve Jobs at Stanford, I think, and he had mentioned about connecting dots. Coincidentally, this word was in my mind when I was thinking about this talk.

So when I googled connecting dots and I saw his speech, I'm like meant to be. I'm destiny's child and destiny always shows me the way. So I've done my archaeology in ancient history. I'm trying to do my PhD, trying. And that's not very Easy, because I love the prefix of doctor there. If nothing else, at least I'll do a PhD and get it. And I'm an RJ as of now for the last 18 years.

I think I'm going somewhere from here to connect the dots in my life. So I always say I'm destiny's child. Everybody feels archaeologically though, you will be an archaeologist, but that's not how it was meant for me. So, yeah, today also, it was destiny who played its role. I Googled connecting dots and I found this entire story.

Steve Jobs had mentioned that when he dropped out of the Reed University that he enrolled in. At that time, he didn't know what he was doing with his life. He was adopted by a couple. The couple had almost given up the adoption when Steve Jobs was a baby because his parents had not gone to college. So the couple was very adamant that we would want this child to at least graduate, if nothing else. And education is very important.

So when he went to college, one of the best, with a huge tuition fee. And then he said that, okay, I can't do this. It was a shock to his family, to the environment, to the surroundings, to the people around him. And it was not easy. Most decisions that you might think are coming from your heart are not that easy, is what my experience tells me. If for you it has been easy, hats off.

But Steve Jobs, he dropped out. Since he had dropped out after three or four months, he still had another couple of months to go at the university. So he kept going to different classes, attending different classes that he had not opted for. And once upon a time, he went into the calligraphy class. The calligraphy class had a lot of typography, which was there.

He saw beautifully written things. You know, he didn't read them, he just saw that, how beautiful they were. And ultimately, years down the line, when he designed his first Macintosh, that calligraphy class that he went to, he used all the knowledge that he had into the first Macintosh, which was one of a kind thanks to that calligraphy class. That happened because he dropped out.

That's where his life's dots connected for him. It was always that you can connect your dots not by moving forward, but also by looking back. So when you look back at life, you will see that when you followed your heart somewhere or the other, the dots will connect. My example, I chose 11 science after 12th. During my times, there was no biology or mathematics and separate, you know, streams. It was all there.

You had to do chemistry, biology, maths, on maths to everything. And it was a Nightmare come true for me because I was meant for the arts, but. But I didn't listen to anybody. I didn't even listen to my own heart. Because I wanted to do something called wine making. How many people know what's wine making?

Ah, so analogy I wanted to do. It's called onology in French. I had learned French, I speak French, and I was absolutely adamant, okay, I need biology for it, so I will take up science. My mother asked me that. Okay, you want to do analogy? Then what? You'll study in France. You'll spend a lot of money, my money, parents money.

Then what will you do? I said, I'll come back home. Then she's like, okay, you want to come back to a dry state after learning horology? I'm not spending a single dime on you. You can forget it. And yet I chose Science Stream. I flunked in four subjects. I'm not very proud of it.

Flunking is not a great thing. Rekhamam will say I flunked four subjects. Which ones? Hear me out. Maths one, Maths two. Physics, Chemistry. The only ones.

I passed in biology because I wanted it and I had, you know, fought hard for it. Biology, Sanskrit, I passed. English very well passed. And there was some random other subject. Pt, yes, Physical training, that I passed. So four past four failed.

But that taught me something very, very important. At that point in time, when I was failing badly, when I had zero confidence, my mother, she hired private tutors and she made sure that no matter what, I cleared my 12 signs, even if not with passing, you know, with flying colors. I was not one of those students, but I was very happy that I passed. And after that I took archaeology and ancient history.

And till date, I think I'm one of those few students who was a gold medalist who received a gold medal on the convocation day and everything like that. Which was a dream come true for me because from flunking in four subjects, I to going to a gold medal could be a big thing. But while I was doing my archaeology in ancient history. I told you I was destiny's child. So I got into Radio Mirchi.

Radio Mirchi. I have been associated with them for the last 18 years now. The interview only happened because I didn't want to clean my room. It was as simple as that. How many kids have messy rooms here? Very messy rooms. Raise your hands high. It is a sign of creativity.

It's okay. Ah, see, so the thing is that I had a very messy room. You had to walk through clothes to reach the bed. You had to clear the bed to sit on the bed. It's no longer like that, just a disclaimer. It's just half the room which is like either clean the room or there is this random interview happening.

Go and give this interview. I said, I don't care even if it's interview for cleaning the bathrooms. I'll go, I'll not take the job, but at least I'll escape cleaning my room. So I quickly took the newspaper and I ran out of the home before she could stop me. And I went to the Radio Merchant interview. I got hired. I was surprised.

They were shocked. And the rest is history. But the dots are connecting today for me that even during my 12th science I was on stage. Even during college and archaeology, I was on stage. So it only made sense that the dots connect and I remain in front of the mic.

So I have had my life connect a lot of dots. There have been ideas that have helped me connect those dots. Big, small, not so small, anything, you know. So before Radio Mirchi selected me. Mirchi doesn't select for all those who want to become RJs. Megha would know, of course.

Mirchi doesn't select just randomly people, just through interviews. You need to have an x factor, like TEDx, you know, X. You need to have an X factor. I was a part of Times Public Speaking contest at that point in time and without, you know, thinking too much, I just wanted to win the contest. I had been trying for three years.

It was a challenge that I want to win state level Times Public speaking. So for that I realized that for two years, if I failed, there's something which I'm not doing right. I need to do something drastically different to win. Because most winners either need to do something which is very sane, ordinary, extraordinarily well, or you need to just do something extraordinary. One of the two parts is what I feel.

So I realized that. Ordinary, extraordinary, extraordinary. So I just went ahead and I ditched the podium. Like if I remove my shoes, I have a nice, very nice height, but the podium will come here and that would cover me always. And that wasn't a very happy thing to do, you know, you can't win when you can't.

People can't see what you're saying. So I ditched the podium, which means I would have had to let go of the mic. So I was the only contestant in the history of Times of India public speaking who went on the stage and without the mic spoke for three minutes. And the last row also heard me at CC Meta Auditorium.

For me, that was bigger than hosting an Ar Hama Namitab Bachchan or a Yani concert. At least you know, I've hosted all three and very happily done it. But that challenge, when I aced it, it was like a personal victory for me. And that's when Radio Mirshi people also saw me doing it. That's how out of some 6,000 applicants, when they chose five people, I was one of them. Connecting the dots. Ideas that help you connect the dots.

If I would have not ditched the podium, that idea, if it not occurred to me, or if I had not tried to be that stupid, I could have been very stupid if I would have not won. I would have been extremely stupid if I would have not been heard. But let's try it. You know, what's the harm? So that's how ideas that help me connect the dots there.

Last but not the least, the rules that make life happy for me. Follow your heart, but give it a thought. Very, very important to listen to your instincts. Don't go. There is no reason, there is no logic. It could be completely wrong. Nothing could happen.

But it is your intuition, it is your gut. Sometimes without logic, just follow your gut. Because the dots will connect ultimately in life. The second rule that I follow am trying to follow. Think big. Think big. Do not think that I want to ace my 12 science.

Think I want to become this. And set your parameters accordingly. Go a step forward always. Don't limit yourselves. Number three. It's not difficult to think of new ideas. It's difficult to escape from the old ones. So escape the old ideas.

The first thing that you think of while you're thinking of something, tear it and throw it away. If you're thinking. I want to do an annual show. The first theme that comes to your mind, tear it up and throw it away. Then you realize the depth of your thought when you actually give it a thought.

The first thought is never the right thought. Last, but not the least, conquer your fears. Very important. I hope. I. I am very bad at math. I flunked.

I told you, right? How many did I come up with? Four or five. Four or five? Four. Ah, Ariva. Okay, you're listening. I was just testing. Okay, so for the fifth and the last one that I'm gonna give it out to you is, as I said, conquer your fears. Because ultimately, like Megha, I had stage fear, extreme stage fear. And I could not go on stage, hold the mic and say two words. I had people who helped me out with that, my teachers.

The first Day that I failed at going to the assembly and saying whatever I had to say, the entire class mocked me. Everybody was like, 7th B. Now everybody will say 7th Bholi ni Sakti Fatima Cornet School is where me and Megha, both of us, we have studied in Bhavnagar. We belong to a very small city called Bhavnagar. We are very, very proud. Bhavnagaris Animesh Bhatt, the speaker before me, the very, very nice guy, he's from Bhavnagar as well.

So let geography not limit you. Same school, Fatima Convent. All right, fantastic. So I think we were meant to be here today. Thank you, Rekhamam and the team for getting us here. Connecting the dots as I stand here. All right,

So it was very important to me that that day when I failed, when seventh B, the entire class called me a fool, called me a loser, called me good for nothing. At that time, my heart was broken. How many kids would have faced that here when you have your own? But then I had somebody called Sister Isabel. She was a Spanish sister. And she came and told me this, tomorrow you're doing the speech again. And she went off. That's it.

I had no choice. The next day I was far better. And she made sure that when I was in my 10th standard, three years down the line, I was one of the best public speakers of the school. And that's where the entire journey began. And that's where I stand because of that point.

So connecting dots, making sure that you have big ideas, thinking big, thinking out of the box, conquering your fears will get you to places that your heart wants to be at. Because when you are where your heart wants to be, that's when you win. The society might say BMW, Mercedes, Bangla, whatever. But if your heart is not there, it's not worth it at all. And you can trust me there.

I have a small video clip for you that I'd like to play at the end of this entire talk. It's a Pixar animated film. I love Pixar animations. I watch a lot of cartoons and it makes a lot of sense to me. How it makes sense to me is something that I'm going to be telling you after the video.

Do you have the video ready? Or maybe I can see? Yeah. All right. Watch it carefully. Enjoy it. It's a three minute clip. All right.

By the time they figure out the sound, I'll just tell you, it's a very simple thing. It's about the three things that I spoke of. One, you know, following your instincts. Two. Escaping old ideas. Three. Sharing what you gain with the rest of the people so that they benefit from your ideas. So connecting first of all, collecting the dots, then connecting and then sharing.

That's where it all comes down to. It's okay if the sound doesn't work. Just play the audio. Are you guys okay with the audio only? I like the video only. No, sound is fine. Can I see your thumbs up? Okay. People are still resting. Great.

Okay. Just play it without the sound. It's fine. Don't worry. Because anyway Tracer doesn't have a dialogue in. It's for me. This video means conquering your fears, making sure that you think outside the box. You keep learning, you keep sharing and you keep living life to the fullest.

So I really hope that these couple of minutes that I've taken from you, they give you something in life that helps you live to the fullest. Love to the fullest dream, to the biggest that you can and somewhere share whatever you have with those you feel who need it. So thank you so much for this time and thank you Podar World School for this opportunity to share my tiny two bits with everybody. Thank you so much.

INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION, STEVE JOBS, LEADERSHIP, EDUCATION, CONNECTING DOTS, TEDX TALKS