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Please raise your hand

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if you have ever dreamed
of becoming a famous footballer.

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OK, not that many footballers
in the house.

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Please raise your hand

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if you have ever dreamed
of becoming a famous politician.

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OK.

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Please raise your hand

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if you have ever dreamed
of being a professional musician.

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We have musicians in the house.

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Keep your hands raised
if you are a professional musician.

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Very nice.

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So, what we did just there
is the perfect example

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to illustrate how each and every one of us
has or has had dreams.

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No matter how diverse
and different they are,

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they are really important
to how we live our lives.

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So in order to make anything a reality,

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you have to dream about it first.

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The best things in life
stem from ideas, right?

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Humans have evolved
into such an intelligent species

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that we can manifest these ideas
and create something amazing.

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In order to succeed,
you need to assess things

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using your own unique perspective.

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Think about things that are
suited to you, personal, individual.

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Think about your dreams as a kid.

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I spoke to some of my friends,
and I got responses like:

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"When I was six,
I wanted to be a dragon tamer."

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Think about what makes you tick,

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based your dreams on something you love,
something that you are interested in.

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So hopes and dreams can be
absolutely anything you want them to be.

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They don't have to be conventional;

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don't limit them to solely careers or jobs

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but just remember
that if they are steered that way,

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in ten years time, you might be in a job
that does not even exist yet,

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but it exercises every aspect
of the dream that you're dreaming today.

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Opportunities are like diamonds:
take them when they are given to you

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because they help shape
and inspire new dreams

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or they can develop
the dreams you have already.

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One of my favorite quotes
from Walt Disney:

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"All our dreams can come true
if we have the courage to pursue them."

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Now there is something very exhilarating
about having a dream so big,

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that scares you a little bit.

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It gives you drive, ambition,
and it gives you motivation,

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something amazing
that you can work towards

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and the journey itself is so rewarding.

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The key to starting your journey
is to visualize success.

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It's easy to work towards something
if you can see yourself achieving it.

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For this, you need passion.
Lack of passion is fatal.

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If you are passionate enough
to dream in the first place,

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it's essential to channel that power
and that enthusiasm

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into making your dreams a reality.

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Another one of my quotes
by Eleanor Roosevelt is that:

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"The future belongs to those who believe
in the beauty of their dreams."

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We are the children of today,
the leaders of tomorrow,

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and every single one of us
is powerful and strong enough

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to pursue our dreams.

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The results are usually very rewarding,

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but you must remember
that every coin has two sides.

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Don't ever let failure hold you back.

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I am just being honest now
when I say that sometimes,

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failure is going to hit you,
and it will hit you really hard.

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and it takes every ounce of strength,
and determination, and courage,

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to get right back up,
and look it in the face,

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and smile because you've learnt something,

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and now you can only
make yourself better.

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We are all familiar with Freddie Mercury

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as the lead vocalist
from the rock band, Queen.

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But what a lot of people don't know
is that this man was born Farrokh Bulsara,

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in a place called Zanzibar, which is now
a part of Tanzania, in Africa.

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He moved to the United Kingdom
at the age of eight.

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In fact, he studied art in this very venue
in West Thames College

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and he always used to say to his friends:

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"I am what I am. So what?"

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And I think what his message here is

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no matter what background you come from,
no matter what your roots are,

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you have potential, so long as you work,
and you put the hard work in.

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From my own observations,

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I have seen that our current generation
seem to be absolutely terrified

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at the prospect of being judged
for who they are and who they want to be.

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There is so much pressure from society

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to strive for this unrealistic
idea of perfection.

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In the words of Lock, Stock, and Barrel
rise above it and stay true to yourself.

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You owe yourself that much
to refuse to be confined

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to these restrictions
of flawed societal perceptions.

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If not now, then when?

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Tomorrow? Tomorrow never comes.

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Next week? You said that last week.

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Might make it my New Year's resolution.

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How's that working out? Start now.

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Now, this got me thinking
about some of my own dreams.

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I am a very keen musician.
I sing and play the piano.

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It's my dream to pursue my passion
in music in the future.

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I'm currently studying A level music.

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I am the only student
in my academy who is doing so.

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I had to fight for that class of one.

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I'd like to see myself one day
performing somewhere really prestigious

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like the Royal Albert Hall,
or even globally,

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and this is just a step to getting there.

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That leads very nicely
onto my next point.

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So, the quote behind me
primarily tells us to work.

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"Take small steps if you have to.

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If following your dreams entails

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making small realistic goals
each day, do it.

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If you can't run, then walk.

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If you can't walk, then crawl.

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But, by all means, keep moving forward
and never ever give up."

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Aim high.

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In the words of Les Brown,
"Shoot for the Moon.

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Even if you miss,
you'll land among the stars."

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Today, I leave you with this message.

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"Never be afraid to follow your dreams.
Taste them, conquer them, own them.

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believe them, achieve them,
and let nothing hold you back."

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There is such wonder
and fascination in our dreams,

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and I wish each and every one of you
with all of my heart

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that you and your beautiful
dreams come true.

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Thank you.

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(Applause)