Built upon thousands of experiences (and ruining her search history with research), Sarah Gong’s TEDx speech aims to inspire a deeper kind of kindness—one that goes beyond simple pleasantries. After enduring the experience of trying to reconnect with new people in old skins, she began discussing her feelings with friends. She noticed that, despite their differing experiences, there was a common undercurrent of intensely aggressive competition. Curious, she decided to dig deeper into the whole puzzle, clear intentions, and hidden regrets. In her talk, she will provide a unique perspective on kindness, hopefully inspiring those around her age, and explain why the kindness we show, which extends beyond just saying “please” and “thank you,” ultimately aligns with our incentives to be the best version of ourselves. Few people know whether Sarah Gong— a 13-year-old student at Westmount Charter School— first learned how to paint with her pudgy toddler fingers or with her words: it's often a topic of discussion amongst her friends. When she’s not curled up, delving into another good series, she can be found in the mountains and river valleys of the Rockies, practicing the art of photography. While she loves transforming her thoughts into words on a page and delivering speeches for the world, she also hopes to inspire others to do the same. 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