[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
an exasperated father asked his son’s
an exasperated father asked his son’s high school principal what career his
high school principal what career his
high school principal what career his son should consider in the future
son should consider in the future
son should consider in the future now his son was described by many of his
now his son was described by many of his
now his son was described by many of his teachers as lazy distracted and that he
teachers as lazy distracted and that he
teachers as lazy distracted and that he couldn’t remember anything so the
couldn’t remember anything so the
couldn’t remember anything so the principal replied to the father and he
principal replied to the father and he
principal replied to the father and he said it doesn’t matter what he does he
said it doesn’t matter what he does he
said it doesn’t matter what he does he will never amount to anything the
will never amount to anything the
will never amount to anything the father’s name was Herman and that
father’s name was Herman and that
father’s name was Herman and that student who wouldn’t amount to anything
student who wouldn’t amount to anything
student who wouldn’t amount to anything that was his son Albert Einstein now
that was his son Albert Einstein now
that was his son Albert Einstein now before you and i started thinking poorly
before you and i started thinking poorly
before you and i started thinking poorly of that principal from 1895 we have to
of that principal from 1895 we have to
of that principal from 1895 we have to admit something we’ve all been that
admit something we’ve all been that
admit something we’ve all been that principal we unintentionally overlooked
principal we unintentionally overlooked
principal we unintentionally overlooked a kid’s raw and unrefined talent because
a kid’s raw and unrefined talent because
a kid’s raw and unrefined talent because that very talent tends to first bubbled
that very talent tends to first bubbled
that very talent tends to first bubbled to the surface as an annoyance and as a
to the surface as an annoyance and as a
to the surface as an annoyance and as a dad I’m guilty of this myself a hundred
dad I’m guilty of this myself a hundred
dad I’m guilty of this myself a hundred percent my son will be like hey Dad do
percent my son will be like hey Dad do
percent my son will be like hey Dad do you want to play Legos and I’m like yeah
you want to play Legos and I’m like yeah
you want to play Legos and I’m like yeah just a minute
just a minute
just a minute and then he goes and sets a 60-second
and then he goes and sets a 60-second
and then he goes and sets a 60-second timer and like stands there staring at
timer and like stands there staring at
timer and like stands there staring at me
me
me the entire time I’m glad you find his
the entire time I’m glad you find his
the entire time I’m glad you find his persistence amusing I find it annoying
persistence amusing I find it annoying
persistence amusing I find it annoying but here’s my question what if a kid’s
but here’s my question what if a kid’s
but here’s my question what if a kid’s most annoying trait is actually their
most annoying trait is actually their
most annoying trait is actually their biggest talent in disguise
biggest talent in disguise
biggest talent in disguise meaning what if a kid’s greatest asset
meaning what if a kid’s greatest asset
meaning what if a kid’s greatest asset first presents itself as a giant pain in
first presents itself as a giant pain in
first presents itself as a giant pain in your hmm asset
your hmm asset
your hmm asset and if that is true how do we not make
and if that is true how do we not make
and if that is true how do we not make the same mistake as Einstein’s principle
the same mistake as Einstein’s principle
the same mistake as Einstein’s principle and unintentionally overlooked genius
and unintentionally overlooked genius
and unintentionally overlooked genius simply because it first says hello as an
simply because it first says hello as an
simply because it first says hello as an annoyance well over the last 40 years
annoyance well over the last 40 years
annoyance well over the last 40 years the Gallup research organization has
the Gallup research organization has
the Gallup research organization has conducted more than two million
conducted more than two million
conducted more than two million interviews with successful people and an
interviews with successful people and an
interviews with successful people and an interesting commonality emerged amongst
interesting commonality emerged amongst
interesting commonality emerged amongst these interviews they found that
these interviews they found that
these interviews they found that successful people identify and refine
successful people identify and refine
successful people identify and refine their talents so that their talents
their talents so that their talents
their talents so that their talents become their strengths now good for
become their strengths now good for
become their strengths now good for those people but the question is then
those people but the question is then
those people but the question is then how does a kid move from Annoying trait
how does a kid move from Annoying trait
how does a kid move from Annoying trait to talent to strength to success well
to talent to strength to success well
to talent to strength to success well I’m going to argue it’s because that kid
I’m going to argue it’s because that kid
I’m going to argue it’s because that kid has at least one caring adult in their
has at least one caring adult in their
has at least one caring adult in their life who does the following who
life who does the following who
life who does the following who redirects the annoyance and cultivates
redirects the annoyance and cultivates
redirects the annoyance and cultivates the talent Lonnie’s mother was excellent
the talent Lonnie’s mother was excellent
the talent Lonnie’s mother was excellent at this Lonnie was meddlesome and
at this Lonnie was meddlesome and
at this Lonnie was meddlesome and mischievous always getting into things
mischievous always getting into things
mischievous always getting into things as a kid he almost burned down his
as a kid he almost burned down his
as a kid he almost burned down his family’s home because he attempted to
family’s home because he attempted to
family’s home because he attempted to cook a rocket fuel on the stove as you
cook a rocket fuel on the stove as you
cook a rocket fuel on the stove as you do
Lonnie’s mother bless her she didn’t
Lonnie’s mother bless her she didn’t lose her cool as you might think she had
lose her cool as you might think she had
lose her cool as you might think she had the patience or the wherewithal or the
the patience or the wherewithal or the
the patience or the wherewithal or the blood-alcohol level to see past this
blood-alcohol level to see past this
blood-alcohol level to see past this notice that her son had a scientific
notice that her son had a scientific
notice that her son had a scientific curiosity she redirected him say it’s
curiosity she redirected him say it’s
curiosity she redirected him say it’s good let’s get you a hot plate would you
good let’s get you a hot plate would you
good let’s get you a hot plate would you take this outside somewhere more safe
take this outside somewhere more safe
take this outside somewhere more safe Lonnie Johnson holds more than 80
Lonnie Johnson holds more than 80
Lonnie Johnson holds more than 80 patents and is the inventor of the
patents and is the inventor of the
patents and is the inventor of the national treasure the super soaker
which is amazingly approaching 1 billion
which is amazingly approaching 1 billion dollars in sales and with Lonnie’s cut
dollars in sales and with Lonnie’s cut
dollars in sales and with Lonnie’s cut of those proceeds he founded his own
of those proceeds he founded his own
of those proceeds he founded his own research firm which works on inventions
research firm which works on inventions
research firm which works on inventions related to clean energy now Nancy had a
related to clean energy now Nancy had a
related to clean energy now Nancy had a teacher who did this for her Nancy as a
teacher who did this for her Nancy as a
teacher who did this for her Nancy as a kid was described as loud opinionated
kid was described as loud opinionated
kid was described as loud opinionated overzealous she once hijacked the
overzealous she once hijacked the
overzealous she once hijacked the microphone at a school assembly in order
microphone at a school assembly in order
microphone at a school assembly in order to advertise this new student club that
to advertise this new student club that
to advertise this new student club that she was starting a student Club which
she was starting a student Club which
she was starting a student Club which sought to convince world leaders to
sought to convince world leaders to
sought to convince world leaders to participate in nuclear disarmament not
participate in nuclear disarmament not
participate in nuclear disarmament not surprisingly no random high school kids
surprisingly no random high school kids
surprisingly no random high school kids showed up to that club but a teacher
showed up to that club but a teacher
showed up to that club but a teacher took notice of this that Nancy was a
took notice of this that Nancy was a
took notice of this that Nancy was a leader I’ll be it a bit overzealous Todd
leader I’ll be it a bit overzealous Todd
leader I’ll be it a bit overzealous Todd Nancy hey here’s how you get people on
Nancy hey here’s how you get people on
Nancy hey here’s how you get people on board with your ideas how you work how
board with your ideas how you work how
board with your ideas how you work how you recruit people towards your ideas
you recruit people towards your ideas
you recruit people towards your ideas Nancy Lublin went on to recruit
Nancy Lublin went on to recruit
Nancy Lublin went on to recruit thousands of volunteers for the crisis
thousands of volunteers for the crisis
thousands of volunteers for the crisis text line which provides 24/7
text line which provides 24/7
text line which provides 24/7 crisis intervention for young people who
crisis intervention for young people who
crisis intervention for young people who are deeply distressed and even suicidal
are deeply distressed and even suicidal
are deeply distressed and even suicidal they processed more than 28 million text
they processed more than 28 million text
they processed more than 28 million text messages and saved countless lives and
messages and saved countless lives and
messages and saved countless lives and then there’s mrs. Wilhite she had this
then there’s mrs. Wilhite she had this
then there’s mrs. Wilhite she had this kid in her class
loud constantly disrupting constantly
loud constantly disrupting constantly talking making everything a joke the
talking making everything a joke the
talking making everything a joke the class clown kid one day mrs. Wilhite
class clown kid one day mrs. Wilhite
class clown kid one day mrs. Wilhite pulls him aside says hey you should sign
pulls him aside says hey you should sign
pulls him aside says hey you should sign up for speech and debate cuz I don’t
up for speech and debate cuz I don’t
up for speech and debate cuz I don’t know if you ever thought about this but
know if you ever thought about this but
know if you ever thought about this but I think you could be a gifted
I think you could be a gifted
I think you could be a gifted communicator and I will never forget
communicator and I will never forget
communicator and I will never forget when mrs. Wilhite said those words to me
when mrs. Wilhite said those words to me
when mrs. Wilhite said those words to me and you are listening to me speak today
and you are listening to me speak today
and you are listening to me speak today because she did she didn’t get annoyed
because she did she didn’t get annoyed
because she did she didn’t get annoyed by me though she had every right to be I
by me though she had every right to be I
by me though she had every right to be I was incredibly immature and sophomoric
was incredibly immature and sophomoric
was incredibly immature and sophomoric as a kid in her Spanish class I would do
as a kid in her Spanish class I would do
as a kid in her Spanish class I would do annoying things like I would ask her hey
annoying things like I would ask her hey
annoying things like I would ask her hey mrs. Wilhite how do you say the phrase I
mrs. Wilhite how do you say the phrase I
mrs. Wilhite how do you say the phrase I would earn in Spanish knowing full well
would earn in Spanish knowing full well
would earn in Spanish knowing full well this would force her to say aloud
this would force her to say aloud
this would force her to say aloud yo gonorrhea
yet despite my finely tuned immaturity
yet despite my finely tuned immaturity she looked past it
she looked past it
she looked past it she redirected the annoyance and she
she redirected the annoyance and she
she redirected the annoyance and she cultivated the talent you see every kid
cultivated the talent you see every kid
cultivated the talent you see every kid needs one caring adult like mrs. Wilhite
needs one caring adult like mrs. Wilhite
needs one caring adult like mrs. Wilhite in their life an adult to be patient
in their life an adult to be patient
in their life an adult to be patient where others might be pestered so when
where others might be pestered so when
where others might be pestered so when that kid in your life
that kid in your life
that kid in your life inevitably annoys you let’s be honest
inevitably annoys you let’s be honest
inevitably annoys you let’s be honest likely in the next 24 hours because
likely in the next 24 hours because
likely in the next 24 hours because they’re constantly getting into stuff or
they’re constantly getting into stuff or
they’re constantly getting into stuff or they’re argumentative or they’re
they’re argumentative or they’re
they’re argumentative or they’re annoying
annoying
annoying take a deep breath and consider in that
take a deep breath and consider in that
take a deep breath and consider in that moment that you too might just have your
moment that you too might just have your
moment that you too might just have your very own genius sitting right in front
very own genius sitting right in front
very own genius sitting right in front of you thank you very much
of you thank you very much
of you thank you very much [Applause]
[Applause]
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[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
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