Press "Enter" to skip to content

The one NO that can save your life | Isadore Barefield | TEDxLSCTomball


all right hello ted talk I cannot read I

all right hello ted talk I cannot read I cannot read this is the story that I had

cannot read this is the story that I had

cannot read this is the story that I had of myself at the age of six years old

of myself at the age of six years old

of myself at the age of six years old because of a temporary foster care

because of a temporary foster care

because of a temporary foster care staying all of this change with the

staying all of this change with the

staying all of this change with the power of one no one know that changed

power of one no one know that changed

power of one no one know that changed everything one know that cost me nothing

everything one know that cost me nothing

everything one know that cost me nothing and the one known that made me and to

and the one known that made me and to

and the one known that made me and to the man I am today that is the no to

the man I am today that is the no to

the man I am today that is the no to failure see the man that you see in

failure see the man that you see in

failure see the man that you see in front of you with two degrees couldn’t

front of you with two degrees couldn’t

front of you with two degrees couldn’t read at the age of six years old because

read at the age of six years old because

read at the age of six years old because of a story it was a story that I

of a story it was a story that I

of a story it was a story that I believed and thought that was going to

believed and thought that was going to

believed and thought that was going to always be the case and so um all this

always be the case and so um all this

always be the case and so um all this changed my mother telling me how to say

changed my mother telling me how to say

changed my mother telling me how to say no to my story and seeing all of us have

no to my story and seeing all of us have

no to my story and seeing all of us have a story why we are the way we are you

a story why we are the way we are you

a story why we are the way we are you know our weight our economic status and

know our weight our economic status and

know our weight our economic status and that’s just how we think we’ve always

that’s just how we think we’ve always

that’s just how we think we’ve always done and so today I may have to say no

done and so today I may have to say no

done and so today I may have to say no to your story now early explorers we’re

to your story now early explorers we’re

to your story now early explorers we’re famous in history because they helped to

famous in history because they helped to

famous in history because they helped to discover America and the territory of

discover America and the territory of

discover America and the territory of America and so I’m going to do that for

America and so I’m going to do that for

America and so I’m going to do that for you today and you’re a territory in

you today and you’re a territory in

you today and you’re a territory in three steps so first off we’re going to

three steps so first off we’re going to

three steps so first off we’re going to talk about first realize where your

talk about first realize where your

talk about first realize where your stories from 20 motivation why do you

stories from 20 motivation why do you

stories from 20 motivation why do you want it and then three your action plan

want it and then three your action plan

want it and then three your action plan and so I to start off where my story

and so I to start off where my story

and so I to start off where my story came from I was six years old and was in

came from I was six years old and was in

came from I was six years old and was in a classroom and was told to read out

a classroom and was told to read out

a classroom and was told to read out loud and I’m presenting reading the book

loud and I’m presenting reading the book

loud and I’m presenting reading the book and I’m trying to read

and I’m trying to read

and I’m trying to read with the kids they called each kid I

with the kids they called each kid I

with the kids they called each kid I couldn’t read I couldn’t figure out so

couldn’t read I couldn’t figure out so

couldn’t read I couldn’t figure out so the kids asking me and I couldn’t

the kids asking me and I couldn’t

the kids asking me and I couldn’t formulate any of the words in at the

formulate any of the words in at the

formulate any of the words in at the paragraphs and I just couldn’t so my

paragraphs and I just couldn’t so my

paragraphs and I just couldn’t so my teacher she SAT with me a couple of

teacher she SAT with me a couple of

teacher she SAT with me a couple of times try do some other assessments with

times try do some other assessments with

times try do some other assessments with me and for some reason I just could not

me and for some reason I just could not

me and for some reason I just could not get it it just couldn’t it just wasn’t

get it it just couldn’t it just wasn’t

get it it just couldn’t it just wasn’t nothing was working so she talked my

nothing was working so she talked my

nothing was working so she talked my mother and my mother was like you know I

mother and my mother was like you know I

mother and my mother was like you know I know he can do it so give me a little

know he can do it so give me a little

know he can do it so give me a little bit and we’ll we’ll revisit this so she

bit and we’ll we’ll revisit this so she

bit and we’ll we’ll revisit this so she took me home and we talked about it we

took me home and we talked about it we

took me home and we talked about it we sat down at the kitchen table and cook

sat down at the kitchen table and cook

sat down at the kitchen table and cook my favorite thing pork chops you want to

my favorite thing pork chops you want to

my favorite thing pork chops you want to get on my good side you make some

get on my good side you make some

get on my good side you make some workshops we got it or good now but she

workshops we got it or good now but she

workshops we got it or good now but she sat down with me and she began to ask me

sat down with me and she began to ask me

sat down with me and she began to ask me to read and for some odd reason I just

to read and for some odd reason I just

to read and for some odd reason I just could not read it and so she asked me

could not read it and so she asked me

could not read it and so she asked me his work I know you can read him now you

his work I know you can read him now you

his work I know you can read him now you know I don’t know if you know this but I

know I don’t know if you know this but I

know I don’t know if you know this but I was a very big boy it’s very very big

was a very big boy it’s very very big

was a very big boy it’s very very big boy so I could refuel ate when I was

boy so I could refuel ate when I was

boy so I could refuel ate when I was really good at that so she knew that I

really good at that so she knew that I

really good at that so she knew that I could somehow I wasn’t so she began to

could somehow I wasn’t so she began to

could somehow I wasn’t so she began to ask me she said what’s going on I know

ask me she said what’s going on I know

ask me she said what’s going on I know you can what’s going on so I began to

you can what’s going on so I began to

you can what’s going on so I began to cry because I was always training back

cry because I was always training back

cry because I was always training back to that foster care staying when I was

to that foster care staying when I was

to that foster care staying when I was with my foster mother and she was kind

with my foster mother and she was kind

with my foster mother and she was kind of like the karela deville a foster

of like the karela deville a foster

of like the karela deville a foster mother’s and she just run you over and

mother’s and she just run you over and

mother’s and she just run you over and talked to your crazy and all kind of

talked to your crazy and all kind of

talked to your crazy and all kind of stuff so that’s why I believe that’s

stuff so that’s why I believe that’s

stuff so that’s why I believe that’s what i believed and I just thought that

what i believed and I just thought that

what i believed and I just thought that was just always I was stupid I couldn’t

was just always I was stupid I couldn’t

was just always I was stupid I couldn’t do it so she said well is it I don’t

do it so she said well is it I don’t

do it so she said well is it I don’t care what someone told what she told you

care what someone told what she told you

care what someone told what she told you I’m telling you you can do it and I’m

I’m telling you you can do it and I’m

I’m telling you you can do it and I’m telling you that you are smart so once I

telling you that you are smart so once I

telling you that you are smart so once I started realizing where my story was

started realizing where my story was

started realizing where my story was from then the second part was I started

from then the second part was I started

from then the second part was I started to say why why I do better now because I

to say why why I do better now because I

to say why why I do better now because I was a big kid I did like to eat so she

was a big kid I did like to eat so she

was a big kid I did like to eat so she would give me incentivize me by giving

would give me incentivize me by giving

would give me incentivize me by giving me treats she said hey you know if you

me treats she said hey you know if you

me treats she said hey you know if you do this I’ll finish it I’ll do this this

do this I’ll finish it I’ll do this this

do this I’ll finish it I’ll do this this that and make it really easy for you so

that and make it really easy for you so

that and make it really easy for you so I mean I

I mean I

I mean I like oh okay well i like to eat so let

like oh okay well i like to eat so let

like oh okay well i like to eat so let me we can talk about it so she started

me we can talk about it so she started

me we can talk about it so she started to incentivize me give me reasons to do

to incentivize me give me reasons to do

to incentivize me give me reasons to do better we started to read paragraphs we

better we started to read paragraphs we

better we started to read paragraphs we started to go over different words and

started to go over different words and

started to go over different words and as I figured out that why the motivation

as I figured out that why the motivation

as I figured out that why the motivation for that she you know really incentivize

for that she you know really incentivize

for that she you know really incentivize me with not only just food but different

me with not only just food but different

me with not only just food but different things if I could just read a book I

things if I could just read a book I

things if I could just read a book I would go out and play and different

would go out and play and different

would go out and play and different stuff like that so that was my why so I

stuff like that so that was my why so I

stuff like that so that was my why so I started reading books I started real up

started reading books I started real up

started reading books I started real up reading different novels and my reading

reading different novels and my reading

reading different novels and my reading accelerator very quickly and so in your

accelerator very quickly and so in your

accelerator very quickly and so in your motivation why do you want to do it you

motivation why do you want to do it you

motivation why do you want to do it you have to find a why it could be your kids

have to find a why it could be your kids

have to find a why it could be your kids it could be a certain goal level as far

it could be a certain goal level as far

it could be a certain goal level as far as economic status it could be it could

as economic status it could be it could

as economic status it could be it could just be hey I just want to prove

just be hey I just want to prove

just be hey I just want to prove everyone wrong so you have to have a why

everyone wrong so you have to have a why

everyone wrong so you have to have a why as to why you want to do it and then

as to why you want to do it and then

as to why you want to do it and then next an action plan an action plan as to

next an action plan an action plan as to

next an action plan an action plan as to where you are to where you’re going want

where you are to where you’re going want

where you are to where you’re going want to be so with the action plan she we

to be so with the action plan she we

to be so with the action plan she we would go over the different things

would go over the different things

would go over the different things that’s four words my books and so the

that’s four words my books and so the

that’s four words my books and so the action plan was to we read a book a week

action plan was to we read a book a week

action plan was to we read a book a week and then the books get bigger and longer

and then the books get bigger and longer

and then the books get bigger and longer we started to read different go over

we started to read different go over

we started to read different go over different words words of the day and my

different words words of the day and my

different words words of the day and my reading accelerate very fast until I was

reading accelerate very fast until I was

reading accelerate very fast until I was knowledge to pass the other kids but I

knowledge to pass the other kids but I

knowledge to pass the other kids but I was to a point of being tested for

was to a point of being tested for

was to a point of being tested for gifted classes and honors and all of

gifted classes and honors and all of

gifted classes and honors and all of that so we first realized where my story

that so we first realized where my story

that so we first realized where my story was from great you know why do you think

was from great you know why do you think

was from great you know why do you think this way motivation for the next level

this way motivation for the next level

this way motivation for the next level and then an action plan for where I want

and then an action plan for where I want

and then an action plan for where I want to be and so with that I’m able to say

to be and so with that I’m able to say

to be and so with that I’m able to say let’s start today by saying no to

let’s start today by saying no to

let’s start today by saying no to failure and yes to success thank you

failure and yes to success thank you

failure and yes to success thank you you

you

you [Applause]

”

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *