WEBVTT 00:00:00.925 --> 00:00:02.214 Poet Ali: Hi. Audience: Hi. NOTE Paragraph 00:00:02.804 --> 00:00:06.156 PA: I want to ask you guys a question. How many languages do you speak? 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:07.821 This is not a rhetorical question. 00:00:08.362 --> 00:00:10.317 I actually want you to think of a number. 00:00:10.317 --> 00:00:11.960 For some of you, it's pretty easy. 00:00:11.960 --> 00:00:15.695 Inside your head, you're like, "It's one. You're speaking it, buddy. I'm done." 00:00:15.719 --> 00:00:17.350 Others of you maybe are wondering 00:00:17.350 --> 00:00:20.201 if the language an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend taught you, 00:00:20.201 --> 00:00:21.928 where you learned all the cusswords, 00:00:21.928 --> 00:00:23.757 if it counts -- go ahead and count it. 00:00:23.757 --> 00:00:26.288 When I asked myself the question, I came up with four, 00:00:26.288 --> 00:00:28.265 arguably five, if I've been drinking. NOTE Paragraph 00:00:29.343 --> 00:00:30.451 (Laughter) NOTE Paragraph 00:00:30.475 --> 00:00:33.329 (In Italian: With a little bit of wine I can speak Italian.) NOTE Paragraph 00:00:33.329 --> 00:00:35.091 (Applause) NOTE Paragraph 00:00:35.115 --> 00:00:36.524 Cheers! NOTE Paragraph 00:00:36.548 --> 00:00:39.911 But on closer examination, I came up with 83 -- 83 languages, 00:00:39.935 --> 00:00:41.922 and I got tired and I stopped counting. 00:00:41.946 --> 00:00:45.546 And it forced me to revisit this definition that we have of language. 00:00:45.570 --> 00:00:46.777 The first entry said, 00:00:46.801 --> 00:00:49.679 "The method of human communication, either spoken or written, 00:00:49.703 --> 00:00:53.327 consisting of the use of words in a structured or conventional way." 00:00:53.351 --> 00:00:56.424 The definition at the bottom refers to specialized fields, 00:00:56.448 --> 00:00:58.506 like medicine, science, tech. 00:00:58.530 --> 00:01:00.392 We know they have their own vernacular, 00:01:00.416 --> 00:01:01.585 their own jargon. 00:01:01.609 --> 00:01:05.107 But what most interested me was that definition right in the center there: 00:01:05.131 --> 00:01:09.717 "the system of communication used by a particular community or country." 00:01:09.741 --> 00:01:12.744 And I'm not interested in altering this definition. 00:01:12.768 --> 00:01:16.033 I'm interested in applying it to everything we do, 00:01:16.057 --> 00:01:19.452 because I believe that we speak far more languages than we realize. 00:01:19.476 --> 00:01:21.572 And for the rest of our time together, 00:01:21.596 --> 00:01:23.754 I'm going to attempt to speak in one language 00:01:23.778 --> 00:01:27.241 that is native to every single human being in this room. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:27.265 --> 00:01:29.033 But that changes things a little bit, 00:01:29.057 --> 00:01:32.435 because then it's no longer a presentation. 00:01:32.459 --> 00:01:34.438 It becomes a conversation, 00:01:34.462 --> 00:01:35.882 and in any conversation, 00:01:35.906 --> 00:01:38.371 there must be some sort of interaction. 00:01:38.395 --> 00:01:40.652 And for any interaction to happen, 00:01:40.676 --> 00:01:44.673 there has to be a degree of willingness on both parties. 00:01:45.268 --> 00:01:48.852 And I think if we just are willing, we will see the magic that can happen 00:01:48.876 --> 00:01:50.713 with just a little bit of willingness. 00:01:50.737 --> 00:01:55.774 So I've chosen a relatively low-risk common denominator 00:01:55.798 --> 00:01:58.540 that can kind of gauge if we're all willing. 00:01:58.564 --> 00:02:00.863 If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:00.887 --> 00:02:01.980 (Claps) NOTE Paragraph 00:02:02.004 --> 00:02:04.523 Now you're talking! NOTE Paragraph 00:02:04.547 --> 00:02:07.114 (In Spanish: For all the people who speak Spanish, 00:02:07.144 --> 00:02:08.938 please stand up. 00:02:10.575 --> 00:02:14.244 And look at a person sitting to your side 00:02:14.268 --> 00:02:16.205 and start laughing.) NOTE Paragraph 00:02:16.229 --> 00:02:19.552 (Laughter) NOTE Paragraph 00:02:19.552 --> 00:02:21.703 Thank you so much. Please be seated. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:21.727 --> 00:02:23.825 Now, if that felt a little bit awkward, 00:02:23.849 --> 00:02:27.466 I promise there was no joke being had at your expense. 00:02:27.490 --> 00:02:31.773 I simply asked the Spanish-speaking audience to stand up, 00:02:31.797 --> 00:02:35.813 look at a person that was sitting close to them and laugh. 00:02:35.837 --> 00:02:38.514 And I know that wasn't nice, and I'm sorry, 00:02:38.538 --> 00:02:40.141 but in that moment, 00:02:41.211 --> 00:02:43.042 some of us felt something. 00:02:43.066 --> 00:02:45.349 You see, we're often aware of what language does 00:02:45.373 --> 00:02:47.034 when we speak somebody's language, 00:02:47.058 --> 00:02:49.203 what it does to connect, what it does to bind. 00:02:49.227 --> 00:02:52.437 But we often forget what it does when you can't speak that language, 00:02:52.461 --> 00:02:55.165 what it does to isolate, what it does to exclude. 00:02:55.189 --> 00:02:57.649 And I want us to hold on as we journey through 00:02:57.673 --> 00:03:01.256 our little walk of languages here. NOTE Paragraph 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:04.388 (In Farsi: I'd like to translate the idea of "taarof.") 00:03:04.412 --> 00:03:06.317 I said in Farsi, "I'd like to translate 00:03:06.341 --> 00:03:08.957 this idea of 'taarof' in the Persian culture," 00:03:08.981 --> 00:03:12.762 which, really -- it has no equivalent in the English lexicon. 00:03:12.786 --> 00:03:15.638 The best definition would be something like an extreme grace 00:03:15.662 --> 00:03:16.992 or an extreme humility. 00:03:17.016 --> 00:03:18.927 But that doesn't quite get the job done. 00:03:18.951 --> 00:03:20.287 So I'll give you an example. 00:03:20.311 --> 00:03:22.357 If two gentlemen were walking by each other, 00:03:22.357 --> 00:03:24.679 it'd be very common for the first one to say, 00:03:24.679 --> 00:03:26.286 (In Farsi: I am indebted to you), 00:03:26.300 --> 00:03:28.029 which means, "I am indebted to you." 00:03:28.343 --> 00:03:30.202 The other gentlemen would respond back, 00:03:30.202 --> 00:03:32.025 (In Farsi: I open my shirt for you) 00:03:32.045 --> 00:03:34.172 which means, "I open my shirt for you." 00:03:34.724 --> 00:03:36.591 The first guy would respond back, 00:03:36.615 --> 00:03:38.020 (In Farsi: I am your servant) 00:03:38.020 --> 00:03:39.749 which means, "I am your servant." 00:03:39.773 --> 00:03:42.139 And then the second guy would respond back to him, 00:03:42.163 --> 00:03:44.230 (In Farsi: I am the dirt beneath your feet) 00:03:44.230 --> 00:03:46.904 which literally means, "I am the dirt beneath your feet." NOTE Paragraph 00:03:46.904 --> 00:03:47.993 (Laughter) NOTE Paragraph 00:03:48.017 --> 00:03:51.239 Here's an exhibit for you guys, in case you didn't get the picture. NOTE Paragraph 00:03:51.263 --> 00:03:52.351 (Laughter) NOTE Paragraph 00:03:52.375 --> 00:03:54.744 And I share that with you, because 00:03:54.768 --> 00:03:59.295 with new languages come new concepts that didn't exist before. 00:03:59.319 --> 00:04:00.477 And the other thing is, 00:04:00.501 --> 00:04:04.455 sometimes we think language is about understanding the meaning of a word, 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:08.575 but I believe language is about making a word meaningful for yourself. NOTE Paragraph 00:04:09.194 --> 00:04:12.048 If I were to flash this series of words on the screen, 00:04:12.072 --> 00:04:15.139 some of you, you'd know exactly what it is right away. 00:04:15.163 --> 00:04:17.545 Others of you, you might struggle a little bit. 00:04:17.569 --> 00:04:20.055 And I could probably draw a pretty clear-cut line 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:24.514 right around the age of 35 and older, 35 and younger. 00:04:24.538 --> 00:04:26.637 And for those of us that are in the know, 00:04:26.661 --> 00:04:29.435 we know that's text-speak, or SMS language. 00:04:29.459 --> 00:04:33.268 It's a series of characters meant to convey the most amount of meaning 00:04:33.292 --> 00:04:35.280 with the least amount of characters, 00:04:35.304 --> 00:04:38.074 which sounds pretty similar to our definition of languages: 00:04:38.098 --> 00:04:40.913 "system of communication used by a community." 00:04:40.937 --> 00:04:44.324 Now, anyone who's ever got into an argument via text 00:04:44.348 --> 00:04:49.590 can make a case for how it's maybe not the best method of communication, 00:04:49.614 --> 00:04:51.880 but what if I told you that what you saw earlier 00:04:51.904 --> 00:04:54.034 was a modern-day love letter? NOTE Paragraph 00:04:54.058 --> 00:04:55.630 If you follow along: 00:04:55.654 --> 00:04:58.057 "For the time being, I love you lots, 00:04:58.081 --> 00:05:00.611 because you positively bring out all the best in me, 00:05:00.635 --> 00:05:03.675 and I laugh out loud, in other words, let's me know what's up. 00:05:03.699 --> 00:05:07.015 'Cause you are a cutie in my opinion, and as far as I know to see you, 00:05:07.039 --> 00:05:09.885 if you're not seeing someone, would make happy. 00:05:09.909 --> 00:05:12.823 For your information, I'll be right there forever. 00:05:12.847 --> 00:05:15.240 In any case, keep in touch, no response necessary, 00:05:15.264 --> 00:05:18.274 all my best wishes, don't know, don't care if anyone sees this. 00:05:18.298 --> 00:05:21.133 Don't go there, see you later, bye for now, hugs and kisses, 00:05:21.157 --> 00:05:22.766 you only live once." NOTE Paragraph 00:05:22.790 --> 00:05:25.327 (Applause) NOTE Paragraph 00:05:25.351 --> 00:05:28.730 Kind of a modern-day Romeo or Juliet. NOTE Paragraph 00:05:29.384 --> 00:05:31.181 In that moment, if you laughed, 00:05:31.205 --> 00:05:34.400 you spoke another language that needs no explanation: laughter. 00:05:34.424 --> 00:05:37.020 It's one of the most common languages in the world. 00:05:37.044 --> 00:05:40.622 We don't have to explain it to each other, it's just something we all feel, 00:05:40.646 --> 00:05:44.322 and that's why things like laughter and things like music are so prevalent, 00:05:44.346 --> 00:05:47.515 because they seem to somehow transcend explanation 00:05:47.539 --> 00:05:49.964 and convey a profound amount of meaning. NOTE Paragraph 00:05:51.014 --> 00:05:53.706 Every language we learn is a portal 00:05:53.730 --> 00:05:56.361 by which we can access another language. 00:05:56.385 --> 00:05:59.314 The more you know, the more you can speak. 00:05:59.338 --> 00:06:01.292 And it's something common that we all do. 00:06:01.316 --> 00:06:04.174 We take any new concept, and we filter it through 00:06:04.198 --> 00:06:08.040 an already existing access of reality within us. 00:06:08.064 --> 00:06:10.273 And that's why languages are so important, 00:06:10.297 --> 00:06:12.957 because they give us access to new worlds, 00:06:12.981 --> 00:06:14.259 not just people. 00:06:14.283 --> 00:06:18.487 It's not just about seeing or hearing, it's about feeling, experiencing, sharing. NOTE Paragraph 00:06:18.511 --> 00:06:20.710 And despite these languages that we've covered, 00:06:20.714 --> 00:06:22.348 I really don't think we've covered 00:06:22.348 --> 00:06:23.966 one of the most profound languages, 00:06:23.966 --> 00:06:25.927 and that's the language of experience. 00:06:26.157 --> 00:06:28.204 That's why when you're talking with someone, 00:06:28.204 --> 00:06:31.847 if they've shared something you've shared, you don't need to explain it much. 00:06:31.867 --> 00:06:34.607 Or that's why, when you're sharing a story and you finish, 00:06:34.607 --> 00:06:37.045 and the people you're talking to don't quite get it, 00:06:37.045 --> 00:06:38.607 the first thing we all say is, 00:06:39.147 --> 00:06:41.259 "Guess you had to be there." 00:06:41.295 --> 00:06:45.096 I guess you had to be here this week to know what this is about. 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:47.412 It's kind of hard to explain, isn't it? NOTE Paragraph 00:06:47.436 --> 00:06:50.377 And for the sake of our research, I'm going to close by asking 00:06:50.401 --> 00:06:53.515 that you participate one more time in this language of experience. 00:06:53.539 --> 00:06:55.569 I'm going to filter through some languages, 00:06:55.593 --> 00:06:57.636 and if I'm speaking your language, 00:06:57.660 --> 00:07:00.466 I'm going to ask that you just stand and you stay standing. 00:07:00.490 --> 00:07:02.079 You don't need to ask permission, 00:07:02.103 --> 00:07:03.712 just let me know that you see me, 00:07:03.736 --> 00:07:05.672 and I can also see you 00:07:05.696 --> 00:07:08.208 if you speak this language of experience. 00:07:09.870 --> 00:07:12.113 Do you speak this language? 00:07:13.346 --> 00:07:15.813 When I was growing up in primary school, 00:07:15.837 --> 00:07:18.315 at the end of the year, we would have these parties, 00:07:18.339 --> 00:07:21.793 and we'd vote on whether we wanted to celebrate at an amusement park 00:07:21.817 --> 00:07:23.270 or a water park. 00:07:23.294 --> 00:07:25.997 And I would really hope the party wasn't at a water park, 00:07:26.021 --> 00:07:28.232 because then I'd have to be in a bathing suit. 00:07:29.383 --> 00:07:32.757 I don't know about you, but sometimes when I approach a dressing room, 00:07:32.781 --> 00:07:34.984 my sweat glands start activating on their own, 00:07:35.008 --> 00:07:37.516 because I know the garment is not going to look on me 00:07:37.540 --> 00:07:39.123 like it did on that mannequin. NOTE Paragraph 00:07:39.147 --> 00:07:40.299 Or how about this? 00:07:40.323 --> 00:07:43.367 When I would go to family functions or family gatherings, 00:07:43.391 --> 00:07:45.393 every time I wanted a second plate -- 00:07:46.222 --> 00:07:47.507 and I usually did -- NOTE Paragraph 00:07:47.531 --> 00:07:48.535 (Laughter) NOTE Paragraph 00:07:48.559 --> 00:07:52.255 it was a whole exercise in cost-benefit analysis, 00:07:52.279 --> 00:07:54.047 my relatives looking at me like, 00:07:54.071 --> 00:07:58.174 "I don't know. Do you really need that? Looks like you're doing OK there, bud." 00:07:58.198 --> 00:08:01.986 Did my cheeks have a big "Pinch me" sign that I didn't see? 00:08:02.010 --> 00:08:05.260 And if you're squirming or you're laughing or you stood up, 00:08:05.284 --> 00:08:06.688 or you're beginning to stand, 00:08:06.712 --> 00:08:09.174 you're speaking the language that I endearingly call 00:08:09.198 --> 00:08:11.116 "the language of growing up a fat kid." 00:08:12.074 --> 00:08:16.293 And any body-image issue is a dialect of that language. NOTE Paragraph 00:08:16.977 --> 00:08:18.343 I want you to stay standing. 00:08:18.367 --> 00:08:21.613 Again, if I'm speaking your language, please go ahead and stand. 00:08:22.648 --> 00:08:24.558 Imagine two bills in my hand. 00:08:25.130 --> 00:08:27.501 One is the phone bill, 00:08:27.525 --> 00:08:29.284 and one is the electric bill. 00:08:30.430 --> 00:08:33.914 Eeny, meeny, miny, mo, pay one off, let the other one go, 00:08:33.938 --> 00:08:38.185 which means, "I might not have enough to pay both at the current moment." 00:08:38.669 --> 00:08:41.739 You've got to be resourceful. You've got to figure it out. 00:08:41.763 --> 00:08:45.535 And if you're standing, you know the language of barely making ends meet, 00:08:45.559 --> 00:08:47.131 of financial struggle. 00:08:47.806 --> 00:08:51.137 And if you've been lucky enough to speak that language, 00:08:51.161 --> 00:08:55.463 you understand that there is no motivator of greatness like deficiency. 00:08:55.487 --> 00:09:00.053 Not having resources, not having looks, not having finances 00:09:00.077 --> 00:09:01.674 can often be the barren soil 00:09:01.698 --> 00:09:07.103 from which the most productive seeds are painstakingly plowed and harvested. NOTE Paragraph 00:09:07.982 --> 00:09:10.200 I'm going to ask if you speak this language. 00:09:11.604 --> 00:09:14.165 The second you recognize it, feel free to stand. 00:09:16.159 --> 00:09:20.188 When we heard the diagnosis, 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:23.015 I thought, "Not that word. 00:09:24.269 --> 00:09:25.882 Anything but that word. 00:09:25.906 --> 00:09:27.304 I hate that word." 00:09:28.638 --> 00:09:30.648 And then you ask a series of questions: 00:09:31.297 --> 00:09:32.482 "Are you sure?" 00:09:33.633 --> 00:09:35.021 "Has it spread?" 00:09:35.988 --> 00:09:37.149 "How long?" 00:09:37.173 --> 00:09:38.466 "Doctor, how long?" 00:09:39.237 --> 00:09:42.821 And a series of answers determines a person's life. 00:09:44.230 --> 00:09:47.655 And when my dad was hungry, we'd all rush to the dinner table to eat, 00:09:47.679 --> 00:09:49.344 because that's what we did before. 00:09:49.368 --> 00:09:52.104 We ate together, so we were going to continue doing that. 00:09:52.947 --> 00:09:55.544 And I didn't understand why we were losing this battle, 00:09:55.568 --> 00:09:58.753 because I was taught if you fight and if you have the right spirit, 00:09:58.777 --> 00:10:00.183 you're supposed to win. 00:10:00.207 --> 00:10:01.502 And we weren't winning. 00:10:02.657 --> 00:10:04.049 For any of you that stood up, 00:10:04.073 --> 00:10:06.469 you know very well that I'm speaking the language 00:10:06.493 --> 00:10:09.099 of watching a loved one battle cancer. NOTE Paragraph 00:10:09.123 --> 00:10:13.180 (Applause) NOTE Paragraph 00:10:14.445 --> 00:10:18.417 Any terminal illness is a derivative of that language. NOTE Paragraph 00:10:19.655 --> 00:10:21.616 I'm going to speak one last language. 00:10:27.843 --> 00:10:29.236 Oh -- no, no, I'm listening. 00:10:30.264 --> 00:10:33.330 Yeah, yeah, yeah, no no, no no, me and you, right here, yup. NOTE Paragraph 00:10:33.354 --> 00:10:35.012 (Laughter) NOTE Paragraph 00:10:35.036 --> 00:10:37.164 No, I'm with ya. I'm with ya! NOTE Paragraph 00:10:37.188 --> 00:10:38.941 (Laughter) NOTE Paragraph 00:10:38.965 --> 00:10:42.745 Or, imagine the lights are all off and a blue light is just shining in your face 00:10:42.769 --> 00:10:44.501 as you're laying on the bed. 00:10:44.525 --> 00:10:46.089 And I know some of you, like me, 00:10:46.113 --> 00:10:48.186 have dropped that phone right on your face. NOTE Paragraph 00:10:48.210 --> 00:10:50.413 (Laughter) NOTE Paragraph 00:10:51.174 --> 00:10:52.878 Or this one, right? 00:10:54.060 --> 00:10:57.459 Passenger seat freaking out, like, "Can you watch the road?" 00:10:57.483 --> 00:10:59.929 And for anybody that stood up, 00:10:59.953 --> 00:11:04.717 you speak the language that I like to call "the language of disconnection." 00:11:05.987 --> 00:11:08.814 It's been called the language of connection, 00:11:08.838 --> 00:11:11.301 but I like to call it the language of disconnection. 00:11:11.325 --> 00:11:13.998 I don't mean disconnection, I mean disconnection, 00:11:14.022 --> 00:11:15.305 human disconnection, 00:11:15.329 --> 00:11:17.800 disconnected from each other, 00:11:17.824 --> 00:11:20.322 from where we are, from our own thoughts, 00:11:20.346 --> 00:11:22.438 so we can occupy another space. NOTE Paragraph 00:11:24.930 --> 00:11:26.497 If you're not standing, 00:11:28.901 --> 00:11:31.295 you probably know what it's like to feel left out. NOTE Paragraph 00:11:32.382 --> 00:11:35.333 (Laughter) NOTE Paragraph 00:11:35.357 --> 00:11:38.211 (Applause) NOTE Paragraph 00:11:38.235 --> 00:11:43.320 You probably -- you know what it's like when everybody's a part of something, 00:11:45.260 --> 00:11:46.926 and you're not. 00:11:46.950 --> 00:11:49.043 You know what it's like being the minority. 00:11:49.401 --> 00:11:51.356 And now that I'm speaking your language, 00:11:51.356 --> 00:11:52.782 I'm going to ask you to stand, 00:11:52.782 --> 00:11:54.642 since we're speaking the same language. 00:11:54.715 --> 00:11:57.186 Because I believe that language of being the minority 00:11:57.186 --> 00:12:00.564 is one of the most important languages you can ever speak in your life, 00:12:00.564 --> 00:12:02.961 because how you feel in that position of compromise 00:12:02.968 --> 00:12:06.214 will directly determine how you act in that position of power. NOTE Paragraph 00:12:07.937 --> 00:12:09.366 Thank you for participating. 00:12:09.390 --> 00:12:12.027 If you'd take a seat, I want to speak one last language. NOTE Paragraph 00:12:12.051 --> 00:12:14.074 (Applause) NOTE Paragraph 00:12:17.449 --> 00:12:19.107 This one, you don't need to stand. 00:12:19.131 --> 00:12:21.734 I just want to see if you recognize it. NOTE Paragraph 00:12:23.783 --> 00:12:26.492 Most the girls in the world are complainin' about it. 00:12:27.279 --> 00:12:30.150 Most the poems in the world been written about it. 00:12:30.174 --> 00:12:33.283 Most the music on the radio be hittin' about it, kickin' about it, 00:12:33.283 --> 00:12:34.457 or rippin' about it. 00:12:34.655 --> 00:12:37.128 Most the verses in the game people spittin' about it, 00:12:37.128 --> 00:12:39.761 most the songs in the world, people talkin' about it. 00:12:39.959 --> 00:12:42.818 Most the broken hearts I know are walkin' without it, 00:12:42.842 --> 00:12:44.106 started to doubt it, 00:12:44.130 --> 00:12:45.524 or lost without it. 00:12:46.166 --> 00:12:48.855 Most the shadows in the dark have forgotten about it. 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:51.315 Everybody in the world would be trippin' without it. 00:12:51.319 --> 00:12:53.640 Every boy and every girl will be dead without it, 00:12:53.704 --> 00:12:55.834 struggle without it, nothing without it. 00:12:56.735 --> 00:12:59.417 Most the pages that are filled are filled about it. 00:13:00.154 --> 00:13:03.011 The tears that are spilled are spilled about it. 00:13:03.035 --> 00:13:05.520 The people that have felt it are real about it. 00:13:05.544 --> 00:13:07.932 A life without it, you'd be lost. 00:13:07.956 --> 00:13:10.454 When I'm in it and I feel it, I be shoutin' about it. 00:13:10.478 --> 00:13:12.638 Everybody in the whole world knowin' about it. 00:13:12.662 --> 00:13:14.956 I'm hurt and broke down and be flowin' about it, 00:13:14.980 --> 00:13:17.182 goin' about it wrong 'cause I didn't allow it. 00:13:17.206 --> 00:13:19.054 Can the wound or scar heal without it? 00:13:19.078 --> 00:13:21.923 Can't the way that you feel be concealed about it? 00:13:21.947 --> 00:13:24.935 Everybody has their own ideal about it, 00:13:24.959 --> 00:13:26.402 dream about it, 00:13:26.426 --> 00:13:27.816 appeal about it. 00:13:28.382 --> 00:13:30.298 So what's the deal about it? 00:13:30.322 --> 00:13:32.492 Are you 'bout it to know that life is a dream 00:13:32.516 --> 00:13:33.989 and unreal without it? 00:13:34.013 --> 00:13:35.537 But I'm just a writer. 00:13:35.561 --> 00:13:37.092 What can I reveal about it? NOTE Paragraph 00:13:37.830 --> 00:13:42.419 Why is it that the most spoken-about language in the world 00:13:42.443 --> 00:13:46.242 is the one we have the toughest time speaking or expressing? 00:13:46.266 --> 00:13:48.348 No matter how many books, how many seminars, 00:13:48.372 --> 00:13:50.902 how many life-coaching sessions we go to, 00:13:50.926 --> 00:13:52.529 we just can't get enough of it. 00:13:53.610 --> 00:13:54.774 And I ask you now: 00:13:54.798 --> 00:13:57.820 Is that number that you had at the beginning, has that changed? 00:13:58.476 --> 00:14:00.533 And I challenge you, when you see someone, 00:14:00.557 --> 00:14:01.808 to ask yourself: 00:14:03.407 --> 00:14:05.480 What languages do we share? 00:14:05.504 --> 00:14:07.404 And if you don't come up with anything, 00:14:07.428 --> 00:14:09.852 ask yourself: What languages could we share? 00:14:09.876 --> 00:14:12.055 And if you still don't come up with anything, 00:14:12.817 --> 00:14:15.175 ask yourself: What languages can I learn? 00:14:16.315 --> 00:14:19.107 And now matter how inconsequential 00:14:19.131 --> 00:14:23.679 or insignificant that conversation seems at the moment, 00:14:23.703 --> 00:14:26.250 I promise you it will serve you in the future. NOTE Paragraph 00:14:27.238 --> 00:14:29.347 My name is Poet Ali. Thank you. NOTE Paragraph 00:14:29.371 --> 00:14:36.077 (Applause)