Youngsters, as they usually are, don't wait for the grownups to tell them what to do, what to achieve and how. And indeed, more often than not, children come with their magical powers, their innate talents to shine a light on the world in the darkest of times.
In this context, remembering Albus Dumbledore tells Harry Potter: "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."
As the UK struggle to swim past the dark times of economic and other crisis, this year's young achievers have given us several reasons for cheer. Ushering in the New Year 2023, iGlobal focuses on some such child prodigies who have become their own guiding stars.
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Nine-year-old Kautilya Katariya breaks through the black hole and creates his own Diwali and Christmas lights, quite literally, all with coding. Only at six, this British Indian arithmetic genius had made it to the Guinness World Record as the world's youngest computer programmer.
11-year-old London boy Arjun Agrawal, on the other hand, excels at the Cricket pitch. He got selected for his school's cricket team at West Lodge Primary School in Pinner, Harrow. He has won the 'West London Cricket Final' with his team and was recently crowned West London Champions.
A bunch of youngsters have made their mark on the canvas, and other media, and each of those splashes are unique in their own right.
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For 17-year-old Anoushka Niara Mitter, it isn't easy to live with Down's Syndrome, comprehend her client's needs, and transfer those to fashion design. Yet, the talented designer lit up the London stage with her show-stopper floral designs for the Indian retail brand Zink London and gave her parents the pride of place on the ramp beside her.
At just seven years old, budding artist Advait Kolarkar already has awards like 'Global Child Prodigy 2020' under his belt, and his vibrant paintings have become the talk of the town worldwide.
Another dynamic young artist who created ripples in the UK art scene is Deshna Shah. The British Indian Emery Prize winner held a solo exhibition at Pembroke Art Gallery, Oxford University, with some of her mesmerising works of art.
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17-year-old Adhya Shastry won the coveted BBC Young Dancer 2022 title this year, creating a historic milestone for Bharatanatyam and Indian classical dance in the UK's arts and culture consciousness.
For some, life is an art, yet for some, living life is a challenge with every breath.
This story today could have perfectly ended here had we not been following little Zara Kundra's fight with cancer, her bone marrow transplant, followed by her ever-going battle with destiny. Cheering for this brave nine-year-old, we say it out loud one more time: This is how to fight against all odds with a big smile. And in dark times, this is how you become your own light.