When You're Lost, Pursue Yourself | Khairani Ashry | TEDxAnggerek Desa Youth

Key Concepts:

• Self-discovery
• Inner voice/Intuition
• Personal fulfillment
• Entrepreneurship
• Community building
• Overcoming societal expectations
• Choosing your hard
• Alignment
• Personal shopping business
• Value sharing

Early Life and Academic Struggles:

• The speaker recounts feeling lost and uncertain about her future during her O-level years (around age 15-16).
• She attended a prestigious school in Brunei, where there was pressure to excel academically.
• She admits she wasn't a "straight A student" and didn't have "academic as my weapon."
• She compensated by participating in extracurricular activities like choir and field performances, even becoming a choir captain and head of field performance.
• She struggled academically and considered not pursuing A-levels.
• She was convinced to continue A-levels by her teachers and parents, who emphasized the prestige of her school.

The Beginning of Entrepreneurship:

• During her O-level years, she started a venture selling her clothes online to her followers.
• She enjoyed the process of packing and delivering items, despite the challenges of photo taking and logistics.
• She looked forward to turning 18 so she could register her business officially.
• She registered her business as soon as she turned 18, marking a shift from a hobby to a commitment.
• She realized that thrifting alone wouldn't be a sustainable business model in Brunei.

Pivoting to Personal Shopping:

• The speaker transitioned to a personal shopping business after a customer requested her to buy something during a family trip.
• She tested the market and received positive feedback, leading her to build a VIP community group.
• The community grew to almost 10,000 members.
• She enjoyed fulfilling orders and seeing the satisfaction of her customers.
• She faced challenges in determining pricing and travel frequency, but she figured it out along the way.

Community Building and Value Sharing:

• She created a community platform for shopping and sharing values.
• She shared insights and key takeaways from events she attended with her community members.
• She aimed to bridge the gap between potential and privilege by sharing her experiences and knowledge.
• She wanted to give value to her community, not just engage in business transactions.
• She shared top three keys that she got from events she attended.

Overcoming Societal Expectations:

• She faced societal pressure to pursue a stable career in government or law, as owning a business is not considered a valid career in Brunei.
• She had internal conflicts between listening to external expectations and following her inner voice.
• Her parents suggested she stop her business if it was too difficult.
• She realized that life is hard regardless of the path chosen, and it's a matter of choosing your hard.
• She chose to pursue her business because it aligned with her values and brought her joy.

Mindset Shift and Self-Discovery:

• She acknowledged the challenges of entrepreneurship and the fact that no path is easy.
• She found alignment by listening to her inner voice and pursuing what brought her joy.
• She realized that it wasn't about finding the perfect plan, but about finding herself and building a life around it.

Quote by Robert Greene:

• She quoted Robert Greene from his "48 Laws of Power": "Do not accept the roles that society force on you. Recreate yourself by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bors the audience. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define it for you."
• She resonated with this quote because she initially listened to others' definitions of success after finishing her O-levels.

Conclusion:

• She encouraged listeners who feel lost to pause, look inwards, and ask themselves if what they are doing brings them joy and aligns with their values.
• She assured them that they will eventually find their answer, even if it's not immediate.
• The speaker's journey highlights the importance of self-discovery, listening to one's inner voice, and pursuing personal fulfillment despite societal pressures. She emphasizes that choosing your "hard" is essential and that alignment with one's values leads to a more fulfilling life.