BLAKEHURST HIGH SCHOOL

MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER FOR SCHOOLS LUKE KENNEDY

Speaking at Blakehurst high school, Sydney. What an experience this was!

My old high school.

In year 2000 I was kicked out of Blakehurst high for being a complete rat bag - fighting, non attendance, and forever arguing with teachers. I failed every subject before being kicked out without getting my year 10 certificate.

I was 15 years old and it was a time of my life where I just started getting into drugs, crime, and street fighting. For 8 years after that, I fought my way to the top of a violent street fighting and graffiti crew. Getting stabbed twice; once in the lung, the other time in the head.

I was self destructing which resulted in a deep depression, and forever feeling anxious.

Fast forward to now... I'm now being asked to come back to the school 15 years after being kicked out, to now speak to, and inspire, their students.

Life at it's best if you ask me.

Arriving at the school brought back some amazing memories - I walked past where I had my first kiss, my first fight, and also the principals office where I frequented regularly. It still had the same smell.

I looked at students walking around and thought back to those times.

“Youth is the most beautiful thing in this world—and what a pity that it has to be wasted on children!” - Bernard Shaw.

Walking into the library where I was going to present, brought a smile to my face. I remembered being in there with friends and laughing. It's a time we wish away. It's a time where we can't wait until we're older. It's a time I'd love to have back, but wouldn't change anything besides being appreciative of the moment.

The students rolled in, sat down, and sussed me out. I then opened my presentation...

'I'm not going to stand up here this morning and just talk about my life... I'm going to take you all on a little journey, and show you how I got from being exactly where you are now, in high school at Blakehurst high, I actually came to this school, and how I turned into this guys...'

I then show a photo of a 122 kg violent street thug. 'That's me, 9 years ago. I weighed over 120 kilos and I was the leader of a street fighting crew. I was stabbed twice..' And then I proceed to explain where I was at that time of my life.

I go back even further and show the audience how I was just a normal kid but it turned bad becuase of two main reasons; Worrying what other people think, and trying to live up to labels.

My talks open the audiences eyes up to the false self. The ego. And how worrying what other people think can ruin our lives. I finish by showing ways of how I released those labels and got back to being myself. Back to the happy me. Where true success and happiness comes from.

"I'm not here today as a motivational speaker, or some adult trying to tell you guys what to do. I'm here to show you that the choices you make now, right now, are going to effect your entire life, and your life will really be something special when you stop worrying what each other thinks, and you start being yourself. Thank you for listening..."

I then left the school. Last time as a kicked out thug... This time as a motivational speaker.

"You spoke at my school yesterday. Me and my friends can't thank you enough. It's made us realise a lot about life and what we want to do. Because of you, we will never take drugs. Thanks very much." - Year 10 Student

Writing my book, Stabbed Ego, was the best thing I've ever done. It has helped endless amounts of people and opened doors for me that I didn't even know were there. One of these was becoming a motivational speaker. I used to stutter anytime I had to meet someone I didn't know. Because of my book, I now have the confidence to do anything I want.