Shane Koyczan
Shane Koyczan
Shane L. Koyczanis a Canadian spoken word poet, writer, and member of the group Tons of Fun University known for writing about issues like bullying, cancer, death, and eating disorders. He is most famous for the anti-bullying poem To This Day which has over 18 million views...
NationalityCanadian
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth22 May 1976
CountryCanada
imperfection joy use
I accept that today may be imperfect... I accept that I may be as well. What I don't accept is that imperfection should be the crutch I use to excuse myself from participating in joy.
letting-go art believe
I sit before flowers hoping they will train me in the art of opening up I stand on mountain tops believing that avalanches will teach me to let go I know nothing but I am here to learn.
conformity horror symmetry
We come from the mentality, that rarely sees the horror in symmetry or the beauty in non-conformity
lonely hurt falling-in-love
I’m not the only kid who grew up this way. Surrounded by people who used to say that rhyme about sticks and stones. As if broken bones hurt more than the names we got called, and we got called them all. So we grew up believing no one would ever fall in love with us. That we’d be lonely forever. That we’d never meet someone to make us feel like the sun was something they built for us in their tool shed. So broken heart strings bled the blues as we tried to empty ourselves so we would feel nothing. Don’t tell me that hurts less than a broken bone.
letting-go pain forever
Everyone knows pain. We are not meant to carry it forever. We were never meant to hold it so closely, so be certain in the belief that what pain belongs to now will belong soon to then. That when someone asks you how was your day, realize that for some of us - it's the only way we know how to say, be calm. Loosen your grip, opening each palm, slowly now - let go.
doctors scratches do-you-love-me
A question like “do you love me?” was an itch our doctors told us not to scratch.
voice rifles creeds
This is my voice. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
motivation inspiration sickness
I've been shot down so many times I get altitude sickness just from standing up for myself.
challenges accepting
I accept any challenge, so challenge me
effort twins
Effort is the siamese twin of success
stand-up-for-yourself hard ifs
That’s what we were told—stand up for yourself. But that’s hard to do if you don’t know who you are.
addiction drug becoming
Sometimes becoming drug free has less to do with addiction and more to do with sanity.
distance people outcast
Having seen TED from a distance, I always thought if ever there was a place for someone like me, the outcasts, people who maintained who they are despite being told what they were, it was TED.
karate
When I was a kid, I used to think pork chops and karate chops were the same thing.