Every young person has felt it — apathy, restlessness or a desire to find a bigger purpose. On September 29 at Dubai World Trade Centre, three motivational speakers from different walks of life are going to be sharing their own success stories as part of a new youth edutainment event, Make Smart Cool. Meet Prince EA, Jay Shetty and Khalid Al Ameri, who share with Gulf News tabloid! what life was like for them growing up, and why people should think twice before dismissing the voice of the youth. (The below text has been edited and formatted for clarity.)
JAY SHETTY
Online personality and motivational speaker Jay Shetty, originally a New Yorker, was a monk in India before he became a digital entrepreneur. Shetty, 30, rose to popularity after hosting a show for Huffington Post; his 3-minute video ‘Changing the world begins with us’ has 36 million views on Facebook.
On social media:
“I used to play video games, sports outdoors, I remember MSN messenger and hi5 (have you even heard of that?). The choice that is available in every sphere of life [now] is astronomical. This can be quite overwhelming, unnerving and challenging as we have seen through research.”
On blaming millennials:
“It’s called ‘juvenoia.’ As soon as a generation starts behaving in ways we don’t understand, we experience anxiety and discomfort. It happened when TVs were first invented, then computer games and today it’s mobile phones. I can’t wait to be a part of the revolution. I encourage a symbiotic relationship between generations.”
On criticism of motivational speaking:
“I think some forms of motivational speaking can be quite arbitrary, simplistic and person centric. This often makes it idealistic or condescending. I think whatever you share has to come from a genuine place of experience, reflection and realisation.”
On being young:
“I was very shy until the age of 14. Then I became somewhat of a rebel, because I was experimenting with different ideas [and] wanted to learn and grow and not accept the status quo.”
On who he who looked up to:
“Eminem had a huge impact on me growing up. I loved his ability to play with words, craft rhymes out of nowhere and share his personal challenges through his music. The other is my art teacher. He really made me question everything I would create.”
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PRINCE EA
Born Richard Williams in Missouri, Prince EA, 29, is a spoken word artist, poet, filmmaker and rapper, who started the Make S.M.A.R.T. Cool movement in 2009 to encourage “sophisticating minds and revolutionising thought,” particularly within the music industry.
On how times have changed:
“When I was growing up, I was isolated already. I was a loner. I didn’t have many friends, I did what I did to try to be cool. Even today, I feel like we have the big friend list, but many of us are friendless. I definitely didn’t have a phone until I was in high school. Social media wasn’t a big issue, so I didn’t really have to go through cyberbullying.”
On growing up:
“I was definitely shy. I definitely wasn’t book smart because I didn’t care about school. It was only until I came in contact with hip-hop music that I really started enjoying information and education. Immortal Technique kind of changed my outlook on life. He was a very political, very aggressive rapper, and he spoke about the atrocities that different governments carried out.”
On what he would tell his 13-year-old self:
“That nothing happens to me, everything happens for me, and if you can live with that in mind, things will get a lot easier. I would also tell myself that you are perfect as you are — you don’t have to be anything that you’re not, people love you for you.”
On respecting millennials:
“Every generation that came out, the previous generation hated on them. They thought they were bad, they listened to stupid music, they wanted more, they were privileged. Millennials are the future. Until we start respecting all generations, we can never really build a world like we want to have it.”
On being successful, introverted and anxious:
“The reason I gravitated towards music and YouTube was because I didn’t want to stand in front of an audience and speak or do a show. I wanted to make a video — and the good thing about making videos is [that] you can do it a hundred thousand times, and if you get it right once, that’s all people see. I think a lot of successful YouTubers are introverted and anxious people.”
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Khalid Al Ameri
Khalid Al Ameri is an Emirati-Scottish social media personality, motivational speaker and freelance opinion writer. Al Ameri’s work largely focuses on youth, particularly in the UAE. His relationship with wife Salama and two sons has also garnered widespread attention online.
On how times have changed:
“When I was 15, my goal was to be like my dad: in an office, with a briefcase, wearing a ghutrah and agal, driving a four-wheel drive. I was already thinking about marriage. That was the only thing we knew about what it is to be an adult. Whereas now, thinking that way is dangerous.”
On misunderstood millennials:
“For them, owning a house is not a priority. Owning a car is not a priority. Working a 9-5 job, for thirty years, for life, [is not a priority]. Some of these millennials are changing the world.”
On his childhood heroes:
“My father taught me his work ethic — his ability to get things done no matter what. I wanted to be an actor when I was young, and one of the people I absolutely enjoyed watching was Robin Williams. We knew what he was going through at the time, which would just make you have more admiration for him.”
On outspoken youth:
“Imagine you’ve had a piece of tape around your mouth for years, and then someone takes it off, the first thing you’re going to do is scream. Then you’ll start speaking in a more normal tone. I think that’s what we’re going to have, is this youth who are very loud with their ideas and creativity. We just need to be able to harness that energy and use it in a positive way.”
On quitting his day job:
“In 2016, I had an [unpaid] opportunity with CNN to present a Ramadan show on Becky Anderson’s show. I also had a promotion waiting for me at my job. I went home and told [my wife] Salama. She’s like, “If you take the CNN job, you’re fulfilling your dream and you will build off of that. You also have the opportunity to take this job that you won’t enjoy, but pays you very well, and gives you a great title. But: if you turn down the CNN opportunity, and you take this day job, that’s it. Do not ever come home to me complaining about your job. Do not talk to me about dreams and passions. You do your job every day and come home with a smile for your wife and your children.” I was 32 at the time. That was the slap that I had been waiting for my whole life, and do you know what was crazy? It was the easiest decision I made in my life.
Don’t miss it
Tickets for Make Smart Cool range between Dh299-Dh999.
