SUCCESS Not A Mountain, but An Open Field | Yiran Han | TEDxRDFIS Youth

The speaker, Hayira from Shenzhen Yadi School, challenges the conventional definition of success, often characterized by competition, achieving good grades, and parental approval. This societal pressure creates a mountain-climbing mentality, where individuals feel compelled to constantly strive for the same singular peak, fearing they will fall behind if they pause. Hayira recounts personal experiences that illustrate this disconnect. Despite achieving a high ranking in exams, she felt an emptiness instead of happiness, questioning if this was truly what she wanted. This led her to seek a different understanding of success. Two moments profoundly shifted her perspective. The first involved creating a 20-second melody, spending three hours meticulously refining it. The satisfaction derived from this personal creation, especially the addition of a water drop sound, was more profound than any external validation. This experience showed her that success could be small, personal, and about hearing her own voice. The second moment occurred during finals week. Instead of succumbing to the intense study pressure, a mandatory break on the playground allowed for laughter, basketball, and connection with friends. This simple act of breathing and enjoying the moment, rather than just chasing a grade, re-energized her and redefined success as doing her best for herself, not beating others. These experiences led Hayira to view success not as a mountain with a single summit, but as an open field with infinite possibilities. She encourages listeners to stop chasing external approval, listen to their own voices, and explore their own paths at their own pace. True success, she concludes, is about becoming whole in one's own heart and pursuing what one truly wants, even if it’s something as simple as sharing thoughts with an audience.