Opening Remarks 

17 Jul 2026,

Good afternoon, everyone,

It is my honor to be with you today. I warmly welcome you all to our BAF Forum 3.0 and first convey my appreciation to organizing team, volunteers for making this Forum happen here and in the upcoming years to come.

1. Clarify Purpose

To begin the journey on “Building Wealth in Your 20s”, ask yourself: Why are we here today, and what was I trying to achieve when I started chasing wealth?

We are told that success is a college degree, a high-paying job, and non-stop hustling, but what is success really? Are you building wealth to live fully, or are you just surviving?

2. Shape Message

Building upon that reflection, let me ask you a question that a wise monk once asked a wealthy, yet miserable man.

• "If you owned the entire ocean… but could not drink the water, would your thirst disappear"?

• If you remember only one core idea today, let it be this inquiry: Are you spending your twenties chasing things that impress the eyes of the public, while quietly starving your soul?

3. Structure Thoughts

To systematically explore this, let's break our message down by asking three critical questions about what gives life meaning.

1. First, is it luxury possessions, or is it waking up without constant anxiety?

2. Second, why do so many people still feel empty inside when they search for fulfillment in temporary status, and

3. Third, could it be true that real peace comes not from having more wealth, but from needing less?

4. Deliver with Impact

As we delve deeper into these questions, use purposeful pauses to let your inquiries hang in the air, utilizing silence as your strongest emphasis.

Look at a tree; it does not compete with the trees beside it. It simply grows quietly.

• Are you allowing yourself to grow, or are you exhausting yourself trying to "make it" and look impressive to people who barely know you? 

5. Engage Audience

Turning our focus inward, I want you to think about your own lifetime journey and make this a two-way communication within you.

• What feelings did it bring up for you when you realized that money fades, beauty changes, and status disappears?

• Have you ever experienced a moment where you had everything people dream of, yet still felt entirely empty inside you?

6. Handle Moments

Inevitably, these questions might make your ambition uncomfortable; but expect it, stay calm, acknowledge it, and pivot. Ask yourself:

• Is my new understanding of the BAF Forum 3.0 today valid, and

• What might be the consequences of changing how I define “Wealth” today?

According to the 2025 Schwab Modern Wealth Survey: Younger people are more likely to have a financial plan. Another interesting finding from Schwab's 2025 Modern Wealth Survey is that 39% of Gen Z Americans surveyed have determined their financial goals and documented them in a formal plan, compared to 26% of boomers. Along those same lines, just 18% of Gen Z survey respondents indicate they don't have a financial or wealth management plan of any kind, compared to 45% of boomer respondents who don't. Gen Z is most likely to have documented financial goals in a formal plan.

• So What is the counterargument for endless hustling if it costs you your peace, health, and relationships?

7. Close with Influence

As we draw to a close, I want you to evaluate your final destination. At the end of your life,

• a) Will public approval matter more than your inner peace?

• b) Are you living just to become important in the eyes of the world?

• c) Are you ready to become fully alive in the present moment before your time runs out?

8. Inspire Action

Ultimately, people act on clarity,

• So What do you need to do to make things better in the future?

• Now What is the very next step you will take today to find work that does not destroy your soul?

Resolve tonight to stop measuring your life by what you own, and start measuring it by how deeply you love and how peacefully you live. 

To conclude my remarks, I would like to thank all of you once again for making this memorable and engaged.