BRAZEN RECOMMENDS: Forget What You Know

Forget what you know | Jacob Barnett | TEDxTeen

Speaking of enthusiasm, here's another brilliant example of what taking some time to delve into your interests can bring, albeit in a very different package. Jacob Barnett was diagnosed with severe autism at just two years old, and his parents were told that he would probably never read, write or talk. When his mother saw that the hours of daily therapy and special education he was receiving were only making him more distant and unhappy, she decided to homeschool him instead, and allow him to pursue his interests in drawing, mathematics and solving puzzles at his own pace. This turned out to be the best decision she could have made — free from the constraints and structure of the educational system, Jacob began to truly shine. This talk was so inspirational to watch because of the pure, unadulterated passion that comes through in everything young Jacob says. I'd like to believe that all of us have something we're as passionate about as he his about physics, and that if we throw ourselves into it with the same abandon and joy that he does, free from the constraints of a system telling us how we should do it, we, too, could be capable of incredible things. I highly recommend you watch this so you can feel the enthusiasm I'm talking about!