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When I was 14 years old,

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I had low self-esteem.

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I felt I was not talented at anything.

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One day, I bought a yo-yo.

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When I tried my first trick, it looked like this.

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I couldn't even do the simplest trick,

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but it was very natural for me,

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because I was not dextrous, and hated all sports.

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But after one week of practicing,

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my throws became more like this.

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A bit better.

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I thought, the yo-yo is something for me to be good at,

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for the first time in my life.

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I found my passion.

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I was spending all my time practicing.

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It took me hours and hours a day

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to build my skills up to the next level.

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And then, four years later, when I was 18 years old,

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I was standing onstage at the World Yo-Yo Contest.

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And I won.

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I was so excited. "Yes, I did it! I became a hero.

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I may get many sponsors, a lot of money,

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tons of interviews, and be on TV!" I thought. (Laughter)

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But after coming back to Japan,

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totally nothing changed in my life.

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I realized society didn't value my passion.

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So I went back to my college

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and became a typical Japanese worker

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as a systems engineer.

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I felt my passion, heart and soul, had left my body.

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I felt I was not alive anymore.

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So I started to consider what I should do,

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and I thought, I wanted to make my performance better,

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and to show onstage how spectacular the yo-yo could be

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to change the public's image of the yo-yo.

36
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So I quit my company

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and started a career as a professional performer.

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I started to learn classic ballet, jazz dance,

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acrobatics and other things

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to make my performance better.

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As a result of these efforts, and the help of many others,

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it happened.

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I won the World Yo-Yo Contest again

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in the artistic performance division.

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I passed an audition for Cirque du Soleil.

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Today, I am standing on the TED stage

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with the yo-yo in front of you.

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(Applause)

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What I learned from the yo-yo is,

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if I make enough effort with huge passion,

51
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there is no impossible.

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Could you let me share my passion with you

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through my performance?

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(Applause)

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(Water Sounds)

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(Music)

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(Applause)

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(Music)

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(Music) (Applause)

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(Applause)

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(Music) (Applause)

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(Applause)

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(Music)

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(Applause)