What if we stopped running away from problems | Bekhruz Abdurakhmonov | TEDxYouth@TashkentIntlSchool

This is a very touching account of personal loss and struggles, which lead to the realization that difficult times are signals for growth. An accomplished fencer with 6 national titles and 4 city titles, Bekhruz was ranked 46th in the world several years ago. However, when his father passed away, Bekhruz felt lost and scared. He fell victim to depression and soon found comfort in the world of video games, a safe bubble that made his problems seem to go away. When he realized that he was stuck in a cycle of instant gratification, he knew he had to change. Bekhruz makes reference to Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski’s observation about what we can learn from lobsters about stress: it is the feeling of discomfort that enables the lobster to retreat and grow. For us, stress becomes the stimulus for further growth. Bekhruz concludes by saying that in times of struggle or despair, we must push through and cast off our shell because difficult times are signals for new beginnings.
I am Bekhruz, from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. I am fluent in both Russian and English. Some things I enjoy include sports, reading science-fiction, cooking, fishkeeping, and aquascaping.

Recently I have found my passion lies in helping people, whether it be emotional or physical support, voluntary work or something that requires extensive commitment. I always find pleasure in helping people which is what drew me to TEDxYouth.

A lot of teenagers and adults suffer from depression, with many people trying to to escape from their problems and negative emotions. Having been in the same boat and witnessed many others there, I realized that running away from your problems does not in fact make them go away, rather they come back as a tidal wave. It’s always better to push through adversity, as that is how we can grow. I decided to use this opportunity and my very personal experience to help people push through depression and negativity to stand up and fight, to stop running from feelings. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx