"Being only 27 years old, all my wishes have already come true. What do I do now?" This was the question that addressed my speech at the TEDx conference, organised by students from the University of Maribor in Slovenia.

Having received an informal invitation from one of the organisers, I was not entirely sure either I was actually hearing right. I was pleased, and of course confirmed my participation, although did not believe that I would actually be there. Most of all I did not even try to think about the topic of my speech at that time. Receiving a formal invitation just a couple of days before the event started, I swallowed deeply. I realised it was me who decides: now or never.

How to satisfy students, standards of good presentation and remain present?
Despite the fact that I did not have much time, I could not stop wondering what to tell students that would be really beneficial to them and would stop them from getting bored and surfing the internet on their phones. What could I do to make my speech fit the standards of a good TEDx presentation? And most important of all: how could I, in spite of all the expectations and regulatory standards, especially with regards to speech performance, remain present? This was the moment when I began to rethink my decision about showing up.

Simply telling my story
Sitting on a tree stump, deep in the woods, I watched a beautiful forest creek flowing beneath me and leaves happily dancing in the wind. I listened to the birds singing, then I heard a tiny little voice: "Tell them your story. You did not experience these many amazing things just to have them remain hidden forever!"

Although it was quiet and gentle, the tiny voice was right. Why not share my journey of searching for success and happiness, and most importantly, searching for my true self? It was in this moment that I decided to share my journey to what I personally understood as success and happiness with enthusiastic young students, filled with expectations and desire to succeed in our competitive society.

Telling stories helps us to understand ourselves better and develop gratitude
Besides many stories happening along my journey, filled with coincidences, which might not have been, I also added some of my conclusions that I had reached up until now. I hope you find my story helpful and maybe it will inspire you to achieve the essence of everything – your true self.

I am hereby gratefully thanking all those present, especially those who have supported and accepted me selflessly, and encouraged and helped me on my way to genuine success and happiness.

If you feel inspired, share this video with your friends or simply contact me to share your experiences at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..