Teach Middle East Magazine Jan - Mar 2020 Issue 2 Volume 7 | Page 49

SON motivational workshops for my classmates at Uni. I realised that there was a gap in education, that required empowerment and entertainment. I also saw an opportunity to be in front of people performing. Soon after that, I decided to start my company called FIXUP, which is a team of people going into schools to motivate kids to dream big, work hard and succeed in life. It has been running for 20 years now and we have had the privilege of working with students in the UAE, USA, Africa, South America, India and the UK. What has been one of the biggest lessons you have learned in life? One of my mentors said, “Never let people’s opinion become your reality” Since that day, I pay less attention to what people think of me, and more attention to having fun and serving humanity. When I adopted this mindset, I was more liberated to be myself. Truly more people would be happier if they decided to focus on what makes them happy and not what people will say. This is an epidemic that needs to be dealt with. This has been the core of the message we teach the students we work with. Many young people are trapped in the opinion of others, trying too hard to impress their friends instead of living a happy and self-fulfilled life. “Never let people’s opinion become your reality” Who or what inspires you the most? Whenever I travel to the UAE, I’m always inspired by the sheer magnitude of the vision, leadership and LEGACY that drives this country, the late Sheik Zayed’s dream to turn a desert into a city is one that inspires me. It is the embodiment of turning nothing into something and inspiring the world at the same time, and I find that to be very impactful. I have learnt the importance of dreaming BIG and never giving up. Environment plays a crucial part in our wellbeing and aspiration. When I behold the tremendous achievements of the UAE, I’m curious about the mindset behind it, upon closer inspection I discovered it is driven by family legacy and global A moment with impact. Making people happy and challenging yourself to greatness is key. A lesson I aim to teach my children one day. What are three things educators should know about today’s young people? I’m going to cheat and give you 4 in the form of an acronym L.I.F.E 1. Love – Our young people have lost their identity and are left with self- hate. Therefore LOVE is the antidote. They need to hear it, feel it, and see it. 2. Integrity – Adults with formidable character is essential to helping young people form a sense of self. We are the closest example they get to see before they get into the real world. Say what you mean and mean what you say. 3. Focus – Training our young people how to FOCUS on what is important. They are plagued with W.M.D - Weapons of Mass Distraction, so trying to focus is becoming increasingly hard. 4. Excellence – Doing just enough is not enough anymore. Aim for excellence because it makes you feel proud. Your life’s work represents you. How can educators help young people to dream big? The best way to help young people to DREAM BIG is to D.A.N.C.E Dream BIG – Aim for things that seem impossible. Act now – Now is all you have, stop wasting time. Never give up – There’s no battle without bruises don’t give up. with staff, students and parents in the UAE over the last 5 years. After lots of positive response, I decided to start Amazing Education UAE - We train students to be happy, to perform well and make a global impact. The 3 pillars that we stand for are; 1. HAPPINESS 2. PEAK PERFORMANCE 3. GLOBAL IMPACT I aim to bring the best tools and resources to empower young people with the skills they need for the future. Skills such as Communication skills, Teamwork, Problem-solving, Organisation skills, Self-awareness, Emotional intelligence and more. I want to work with educators in the UAE to bring this initiative to life. My experience with the students in the UAE has shown me that there is a great need to support young people, under pressure to perform well. My vision is to bring great speakers, thought leaders and facilitators into schools across the UAE, to run; workshops, talks and conferences aimed at helping the young people to BE HAPPY, PERFORM WELL and make a GLOBAL IMPACT. Success is not by magic, but by work. The quicker we get this mindset into our young people, the better. How I wished someone took me by the hand and showed me the road. The mistakes I made would have been less. With the power of great educators and technology, we will help our young people shine. How can you be contacted? Confidence – Celebrate your uniqueness, don’t be like others, it’s boring. I can be emailed at Enjoy life – Have fun along the way, it may get tough Twitter @ActionJackson You have recently launched AmazingEdUAE, What do you hope to accomplish with this initiative? I have had the privilege of working After the Bell [email protected] Linkedin Action Jackson Youtube: ActionJacksonlive Watch my Tedx Talk here: https://youtu.be/6Pk2BcRNygY Term 2 Jan - Mar 2020 49