1 00:00:08,380 --> 00:00:09,561 Thank you. 2 00:00:16,270 --> 00:00:21,200 There once was a king in India, a Maharaja and for his birthday, a decree went out 3 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:24,200 that all the chiefs should bring gifts fit for a king. 4 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:28,370 Some brought fine silks, some brought fancy swords, 5 00:00:28,370 --> 00:00:29,490 some brought gold. 6 00:00:29,490 --> 00:00:32,549 At the end of the line came walking a very wrinkled little old man 7 00:00:32,549 --> 00:00:36,630 who'd walked up from his village many days journey by the sea. 8 00:00:36,630 --> 00:00:41,150 And as he walked up the king's son asked, "What gift do you bring for the King?" 9 00:00:41,457 --> 00:00:44,750 And the old man very slowly opened his hand to reveal 10 00:00:44,750 --> 00:00:49,600 a very beautiful seashell, with swirls of purple and yellow, red and blue. 11 00:00:50,160 --> 00:00:51,380 And the King's son said, 12 00:00:51,460 --> 00:00:54,400 "That's no gift for the King! What kind of gift is that?" 13 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,400 The old man looked up at him slowly and said, 14 00:00:57,590 --> 00:01:00,750 "Long walk... part of gift." 15 00:01:01,060 --> 00:01:02,560 (Laughter) 16 00:01:02,900 --> 00:01:05,970 In a few moments, I'm going to give you a gift, 17 00:01:05,970 --> 00:01:08,270 a gift that I believe is a gift worth spreading. 18 00:01:08,290 --> 00:01:10,050 But before I do, let me take you on 19 00:01:10,050 --> 00:01:11,960 my long walk. 20 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:13,740 Like most of you, 21 00:01:13,740 --> 00:01:15,320 I started life as a little kid. 22 00:01:15,320 --> 00:01:17,460 How many of you started life as a little kid? 23 00:01:17,460 --> 00:01:18,510 Born young? 24 00:01:18,740 --> 00:01:20,500 About half of you... Ok... 25 00:01:20,570 --> 00:01:21,590 (Laughter) 26 00:01:21,820 --> 00:01:24,910 And the rest of you, what? You were born full-grown? 27 00:01:25,060 --> 00:01:27,640 Boy, I want to meet your momma! 28 00:01:27,820 --> 00:01:29,460 Talk about impossible! 29 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:34,740 As a little kid, I always had a fascination with doing the impossible. 30 00:01:35,620 --> 00:01:38,880 Today is a day I've been looking forward to for many years, 31 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:41,000 because today is the day I'm going to attempt 32 00:01:41,020 --> 00:01:43,620 to do the impossible right before your very eyes, 33 00:01:43,620 --> 00:01:45,460 right here at TEDxMaastricht. 34 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,160 I'm going to start 35 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:50,880 by revealing the ending: 36 00:01:51,220 --> 00:01:52,640 And I'm going to prove to you 37 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:54,940 that the impossible is not impossible. 38 00:01:55,300 --> 00:01:58,210 And I'm going to end by giving you a gift worth spreading: 39 00:01:58,210 --> 00:02:01,350 I'm going to show you that you can do the impossible in your life. 40 00:02:02,660 --> 00:02:05,420 In my quest to do the impossible, I've found that there are 41 00:02:05,420 --> 00:02:08,230 two things that are universal among people around the world. 42 00:02:08,230 --> 00:02:09,870 Everybody has fears, 43 00:02:09,870 --> 00:02:11,640 and everyone has dreams. 44 00:02:12,900 --> 00:02:17,560 In my quest to do the impossible, I've found there are three things 45 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,100 that I've done over my years that have 46 00:02:20,110 --> 00:02:23,290 kind of caused me to do the impossible: 47 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:26,900 Dodgeball, or as you call it "Trefbal", 48 00:02:27,290 --> 00:02:28,360 Superman, 49 00:02:28,460 --> 00:02:29,460 and Mosquito. 50 00:02:29,460 --> 00:02:30,810 Those are my three keywords. 51 00:02:30,810 --> 00:02:33,500 Now you know why I do the impossible in my life. 52 00:02:33,610 --> 00:02:36,220 So I'm going to take you on my journey, my long walk 53 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:38,680 from fears to dreams, 54 00:02:38,740 --> 00:02:40,980 from words to swords, 55 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:42,740 from Dodgeball 56 00:02:42,850 --> 00:02:44,020 to Superman 57 00:02:44,020 --> 00:02:45,340 to Mosquito. 58 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:47,360 And I hope to show you 59 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:49,900 how you can do the impossible in your life. 60 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:54,934 October 4th, 2007. 61 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,120 My heart was racing, my knees were shaking 62 00:02:58,120 --> 00:02:59,340 as I stepped out on stage 63 00:02:59,340 --> 00:03:00,930 at Sanders Theatre 64 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,240 Harvard University to accept 65 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,160 the 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine 66 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:08,660 for a medical research paper I'd co-written 67 00:03:08,660 --> 00:03:10,270 called "Sword Swallowing... 68 00:03:10,420 --> 00:03:11,740 ...and its Side Effects". 69 00:03:11,870 --> 00:03:13,275 (Laughter) 70 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:17,880 It was published in a little journal that I'd never read before, 71 00:03:18,460 --> 00:03:20,419 the British Medical Journal. 72 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:24,740 And for me, that was an impossible dream come true, 73 00:03:24,900 --> 00:03:28,120 it was an unexpected surprise for someone like me, 74 00:03:28,130 --> 00:03:31,459 it was an honor I will never ever forget. 75 00:03:31,459 --> 00:03:34,539 But it wasn't the most memorable part of my life. 76 00:03:35,540 --> 00:03:37,640 On October 4th, 1967, 77 00:03:38,020 --> 00:03:40,260 this scared, shy, skinny, wimpy kid 78 00:03:41,100 --> 00:03:43,120 suffered from extreme fears. 79 00:03:43,460 --> 00:03:45,579 As he got ready to step out on stage, 80 00:03:45,579 --> 00:03:47,234 his heart was racing, 81 00:03:47,500 --> 00:03:49,162 his knees were shaking. 82 00:03:49,780 --> 00:03:52,120 He went to open his mouth to speak, 83 00:03:56,490 --> 00:03:58,130 the words just would not come out. 84 00:03:58,130 --> 00:04:00,040 He stood trembling in tears. 85 00:04:00,630 --> 00:04:02,360 He was paralyzed in panic, 86 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:03,760 frozen in fear. 87 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:06,130 This scared, shy, skinny wimpy kid 88 00:04:06,130 --> 00:04:08,142 suffered from extreme fears. 89 00:04:08,649 --> 00:04:10,330 He had fear of the dark, 90 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:11,640 fear of heights, 91 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,040 fear of spiders and snakes... 92 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,140 Any of you afraid of spiders and snakes? 93 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:16,660 Yeah, a few of you... 94 00:04:16,660 --> 00:04:19,079 He had a fear of water and sharks... 95 00:04:19,079 --> 00:04:21,939 Fear of doctors and nurses and dentists, 96 00:04:21,939 --> 00:04:24,680 and needles and drills and sharp objects. 97 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:27,380 But more than anything, he had a fear of 98 00:04:27,470 --> 00:04:28,470 people. 99 00:04:29,380 --> 00:04:31,530 That scared, shy skinny wimpy kid 100 00:04:31,540 --> 00:04:32,570 was me. 101 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:35,997 I had a fear of failure and rejection, 102 00:04:37,300 --> 00:04:39,520 low self-esteem, inferiority complex, 103 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:42,840 and something we didn't even know you could sign up for back then: 104 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:44,660 social anxiety disorder. 105 00:04:44,955 --> 00:04:48,610 Because I had fears, the bullies would tease me and beat me up. 106 00:04:48,610 --> 00:04:52,240 They used to laugh and call me names, They never let me play in any of their 107 00:04:52,300 --> 00:04:54,260 reindeer games. 108 00:04:55,020 --> 00:04:58,056 Ah, there was one game they used to let me play in... 109 00:04:58,100 --> 00:04:59,427 Dodgeball - 110 00:04:59,500 --> 00:05:01,443 and I was not a good dodger. 111 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:03,500 The bullies would call my name, 112 00:05:03,500 --> 00:05:05,970 and I'd look up and see these red dodge balls 113 00:05:05,970 --> 00:05:08,200 hurtling at my face at supersonic speeds 114 00:05:08,210 --> 00:05:09,950 bam, bam, bam! 115 00:05:10,580 --> 00:05:13,220 And I remember many days walking home from school, 116 00:05:13,300 --> 00:05:18,180 my face was red and stinging, my ears were red and ringing. 117 00:05:18,180 --> 00:05:21,140 My eyes were burning with tears, 118 00:05:21,180 --> 00:05:23,515 and their words were burning in my ears. 119 00:05:23,740 --> 00:05:25,000 And whoever said, 120 00:05:25,020 --> 00:05:28,660 "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me"... 121 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:30,131 It's a lie. 122 00:05:30,310 --> 00:05:31,980 Words can cut like a knife. 123 00:05:31,980 --> 00:05:34,030 Words can pierce like a sword. 124 00:05:34,210 --> 00:05:36,040 Words can make wounds that are so deep 125 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:37,780 they can't be seen. 126 00:05:38,150 --> 00:05:41,070 So I had fears. And words were my worst enemy. 127 00:05:41,260 --> 00:05:42,491 Still are. 128 00:05:43,355 --> 00:05:45,300 But I also had dreams. 129 00:05:45,300 --> 00:05:47,980 I would go home and I'd escape to Superman comics 130 00:05:47,980 --> 00:05:49,774 and I'd read Superman comic books 131 00:05:49,774 --> 00:05:53,440 and I dreamed I wanted to be a superhero like Superman. 132 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:56,240 I wanted to fight for truth and justice, 133 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:58,680 I wanted to fight against villains and kryptonite, 134 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,895 I wanted to fly around the world doing superhuman feats and saving lives. 135 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:05,850 I also had a fascination with things that were real. 136 00:06:05,860 --> 00:06:09,460 I'd read Guinness Book of World Records and Ripley's Believe It or Not book. 137 00:06:09,460 --> 00:06:13,080 Any of you ever read Guinness Book of World Records or Ripley's? 138 00:06:13,100 --> 00:06:14,390 I love those books! 139 00:06:14,390 --> 00:06:16,270 I saw real people doing real feats. 140 00:06:16,270 --> 00:06:17,790 And I said, I want to do that. 141 00:06:17,790 --> 00:06:19,330 If the bullies will not let me 142 00:06:19,330 --> 00:06:21,030 play in any of their sports games, 143 00:06:21,030 --> 00:06:23,335 I want to do real magic, real feats. 144 00:06:23,335 --> 00:06:26,659 I want to do something really remarkable that those bullies can't do. 145 00:06:26,659 --> 00:06:28,609 I want to find my purpose and calling, 146 00:06:28,609 --> 00:06:30,729 I want to know that my life has meaning, 147 00:06:30,729 --> 00:06:33,320 I want to do something incredible to change the world; 148 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,960 I want to prove the impossible is not impossible. 149 00:06:38,340 --> 00:06:40,240 Fast forward 10 years - 150 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,706 It was the week before my 21st birthday. 151 00:06:42,819 --> 00:06:46,799 Two things happened in one day that would change my life forever. 152 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,391 I was living in Tamil Nadu, South India 153 00:06:49,540 --> 00:06:51,020 I was a missionary there, 154 00:06:51,020 --> 00:06:53,090 and my mentor, my friend asked me, 155 00:06:53,090 --> 00:06:54,720 "Do you have Thromes, Daniel?" 156 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:57,440 And I said, "Thromes? What are Thromes?" 157 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:00,490 He said, "Thromes are major life goals. 158 00:07:00,490 --> 00:07:04,630 They're a combination of dreams and goals, like if you could 159 00:07:04,630 --> 00:07:07,240 do anything you want to do, go anyplace you want to go 160 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:08,479 be anyone you want to be, 161 00:07:08,479 --> 00:07:10,356 where would you go? What would you do? 162 00:07:10,356 --> 00:07:11,280 Who'd you be? 163 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,500 I said, "I can't do that! I'm too scared! I've got too many fears!" 164 00:07:14,500 --> 00:07:17,800 That night I took my rice mat up on the roof of the bungalow, 165 00:07:17,810 --> 00:07:19,259 laid out underneath the stars, 166 00:07:19,259 --> 00:07:21,869 and watched the bats dive bomb for mosquitoes. 167 00:07:21,869 --> 00:07:26,200 And all I could think about were thromes, and dreams and goals, 168 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:28,360 and those bullies with the dodgeballs. 169 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:30,730 A few hours later I woke up. 170 00:07:31,220 --> 00:07:33,940 My heart was racing, my knees were shaking. 171 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:36,020 This time it wasn't with fear. 172 00:07:36,420 --> 00:07:38,395 My entire body was convulsing. 173 00:07:38,500 --> 00:07:40,180 And for the next five days 174 00:07:40,330 --> 00:07:44,199 I was in and out of consciousness, on my deathbed fighting for my life. 175 00:07:44,199 --> 00:07:48,239 My brain was burning up with 105 degree malaria fever. 176 00:07:48,390 --> 00:07:51,600 And whenever I was conscious, all I could think about were thromes. 177 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:53,820 I thought, "What do I want to do with my life?" 178 00:07:53,950 --> 00:07:56,380 Finally, on the night before my 21st birthday, 179 00:07:56,380 --> 00:07:58,030 in a moment of clarity, 180 00:07:58,030 --> 00:07:59,639 I came to a realization: 181 00:07:59,639 --> 00:08:02,100 I realized that little mosquito, 182 00:08:02,620 --> 00:08:05,020 Anopheles Stephensi, 183 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:06,610 that little mosquito 184 00:08:06,610 --> 00:08:08,390 that weighed less than 5 micrograms 185 00:08:08,390 --> 00:08:09,810 less than a grain of salt, 186 00:08:09,810 --> 00:08:12,780 if that mosquito could take out a 170 pound man, 80 kilo man, 187 00:08:12,780 --> 00:08:14,860 I realized that was my kryptonite. 188 00:08:14,860 --> 00:08:17,150 Then I realized, no, no, it's not the mosquito, 189 00:08:17,150 --> 00:08:19,480 It's the little parasite inside the mosquito, 190 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:23,160 Plasmodium Falciparum, that kills over a million people a year. 191 00:08:23,509 --> 00:08:25,999 Then I realized No, no, it's even smaller than that, 192 00:08:25,999 --> 00:08:28,550 but to me, it seemed so much greater. 193 00:08:28,550 --> 00:08:29,640 I realized, 194 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:31,270 fear was my kryptonite, 195 00:08:31,270 --> 00:08:32,140 my parasite, 196 00:08:32,140 --> 00:08:34,990 that had crippled and paralyzed me my entire life. 197 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,080 You know, there's a difference between danger and fear. 198 00:08:38,109 --> 00:08:39,699 Danger is real. 199 00:08:39,990 --> 00:08:42,010 Fear is a choice. 200 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:44,309 And I realized I had a choice: 201 00:08:44,309 --> 00:08:48,180 I could either live in fear, and die in failure that night, 202 00:08:49,070 --> 00:08:52,080 or I could put my fears to death, and I could 203 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:56,060 reach for my dreams, I could dare to live life. 204 00:08:56,680 --> 00:08:59,560 And you know, there's something about being on your deathbed 205 00:08:59,560 --> 00:09:04,080 and facing death that actually makes you really want to live life. 206 00:09:04,180 --> 00:09:07,140 I realized everyone dies, not everyone really lives. 207 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:09,890 It's in dying that we we live. 208 00:09:09,890 --> 00:09:11,580 You know, when you learn to die, 209 00:09:11,580 --> 00:09:13,070 you really learn to live. 210 00:09:13,070 --> 00:09:15,140 So I decided I was going to change 211 00:09:15,140 --> 00:09:16,420 my story that night. 212 00:09:16,915 --> 00:09:18,230 I did not want to die. 213 00:09:18,230 --> 00:09:20,010 So I prayed a little prayer, I said, 214 00:09:20,010 --> 00:09:22,230 "God, if you let me live to my 21st birthday, 215 00:09:22,230 --> 00:09:24,544 I will not let fear rule my life any longer. 216 00:09:24,670 --> 00:09:26,520 I'm going to put my fears to death, 217 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:29,530 I'm going to reach for my dreams, 218 00:09:29,530 --> 00:09:31,270 I want to change my attitude, 219 00:09:31,270 --> 00:09:33,540 I want to do something incredible with my life, 220 00:09:33,540 --> 00:09:35,550 I want to find my purpose and calling, 221 00:09:35,550 --> 00:09:38,632 I want to know that the impossible is not impossible." 222 00:09:38,780 --> 00:09:42,820 I won't tell you if I survived that night; I'll let you figure that out for yourself. 223 00:09:42,850 --> 00:09:43,978 (Laughter) 224 00:09:43,978 --> 00:09:47,100 But that night I made my list of my first 10 Thromes: 225 00:09:47,100 --> 00:09:50,210 I decided I wanted to visit the major continents 226 00:09:50,210 --> 00:09:51,820 visit the 7 Wonders of the World 227 00:09:51,820 --> 00:09:53,410 learn a bunch of languages, 228 00:09:53,410 --> 00:09:54,940 live on a deserted island, 229 00:09:54,940 --> 00:09:56,480 live on a ship in the ocean, 230 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:58,650 live with a tribe of Indians in the Amazon, 231 00:09:58,650 --> 00:10:01,210 climb to the top of the highest mountain in Sweden, 232 00:10:01,210 --> 00:10:03,180 I wanted to see Mount Everest at sunrise, 233 00:10:03,190 --> 00:10:05,390 to work in the music business in Nashville, 234 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:07,060 I wanted to work with a circus, 235 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:09,120 and I wanted to jump out of an airplane. 236 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:12,380 Over the next twenty years, I accomplished most of those thromes. 237 00:10:12,410 --> 00:10:14,650 Every time I would check a throme off my list, 238 00:10:14,650 --> 00:10:18,190 I'd add 5 or 10 more onto my list and my list continued to grow. 239 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:23,280 For the next seven years, I lived on a little island in the Bahamas 240 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,360 for about seven years 241 00:10:25,370 --> 00:10:27,274 in a thatch hut, 242 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:33,820 spearing sharks and stingrays to eat, the only one on the island, 243 00:10:33,820 --> 00:10:36,249 in a loincloth, 244 00:10:36,680 --> 00:10:39,160 and I got to learn to swim with sharks. 245 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:40,980 And from there, I moved to Mexico, 246 00:10:40,980 --> 00:10:45,000 and then I moved to the Amazon River basin in Ecuador, 247 00:10:45,241 --> 00:10:48,100 Pujo Pongo Ecuador, lived with a tribe there, 248 00:10:48,100 --> 00:10:52,180 and little by little I began to gain confidence just by my thromes. 249 00:10:52,180 --> 00:10:55,100 I moved to the music business in Nashville, and then Sweden, 250 00:10:55,110 --> 00:10:57,870 moved to Stockholm, worked in the music business there, 251 00:10:57,870 --> 00:11:01,920 where I climbed the top of Mt. Kebnekaise high above the Arctic Circle. 252 00:11:03,300 --> 00:11:04,750 I learned clowning, 253 00:11:04,750 --> 00:11:05,860 and juggling, 254 00:11:05,860 --> 00:11:07,480 and stilt-walking, 255 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,440 unicycle riding, fire eating, glass eating. 256 00:11:10,450 --> 00:11:13,620 In 1997 I heard there were less than a dozen sword swallowers left 257 00:11:13,620 --> 00:11:15,410 and I said, "I've got to do that!" 258 00:11:15,420 --> 00:11:18,290 I met a sword swallower, and I asked him for some tips. 259 00:11:18,290 --> 00:11:20,190 He said, "Yeah, I'll give you 2 tips: 260 00:11:20,190 --> 00:11:21,926 Number 1: It's extremely dangerous, 261 00:11:21,926 --> 00:11:23,948 People have died doing this. 262 00:11:23,948 --> 00:11:24,953 Number 2: 263 00:11:24,953 --> 00:11:26,206 Don't try it!" 264 00:11:26,206 --> 00:11:27,520 (Laughter) 265 00:11:27,540 --> 00:11:29,540 So I added it to my list of thromes. 266 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:33,320 And I practiced 10 to 12 times a day, every day 267 00:11:33,660 --> 00:11:35,160 for four years. 268 00:11:35,209 --> 00:11:36,709 Now I calculated those out... 269 00:11:36,709 --> 00:11:40,020 4 x 365 [x 12] 270 00:11:40,020 --> 00:11:42,660 It was about 13,000 unsuccessful attempts 271 00:11:42,660 --> 00:11:45,420 before I got my first sword down my throat in 2001. 272 00:11:46,002 --> 00:11:47,630 During that time I set a throme 273 00:11:47,630 --> 00:11:50,940 to become the world's leading expert in sword swallowing. 274 00:11:50,970 --> 00:11:53,820 So I searched for every book, magazine, newspaper article, 275 00:11:53,820 --> 00:11:57,670 every medical report, I studied physiology, anatomy, 276 00:11:57,676 --> 00:11:59,719 I talked with doctors and nurses, 277 00:11:59,719 --> 00:12:01,760 networked all the sword swallowers together 278 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:04,250 into the Sword Swallowers Association International, 279 00:12:04,250 --> 00:12:06,450 and conducted a 2-year medical research paper 280 00:12:06,450 --> 00:12:08,580 on Sword Swallowing and its Side Effects 281 00:12:08,580 --> 00:12:10,980 that was published in the British Medical Journal. 282 00:12:10,980 --> 00:12:11,840 (Laughter) 283 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:12,940 Thank you. 284 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:17,748 (Applause) 285 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:21,570 And I learned some fascinating things about sword swallowing. 286 00:12:21,571 --> 00:12:25,260 Some things I bet you never thought about before, but you will after tonight. 287 00:12:25,260 --> 00:12:28,550 Next time you go home, and you're cutting your steak with your knife 288 00:12:28,550 --> 00:12:31,759 or a sword, or your "bestek", you'll think about this... 289 00:12:34,257 --> 00:12:36,589 I learned that sword swallowing started in India - 290 00:12:36,589 --> 00:12:39,889 right where I'd seen it first of all as a 20-year old kid - 291 00:12:39,889 --> 00:12:42,290 about 4000 years ago, about 2000 BC. 292 00:12:42,290 --> 00:12:45,580 Over the past 150 years, sword swallowers have been used 293 00:12:45,590 --> 00:12:47,400 in the fields of science and medicine 294 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:51,160 to help develop the rigid endoscope in 1868 295 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:53,820 by Dr. Adolf Kussmaul in Freiburg Germany. 296 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:56,639 In 1906, the electrocardiogram in Wales, 297 00:12:56,639 --> 00:13:00,240 to study swallowing disorders, and digestion, 298 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:01,860 bronchoscopes, that type of thing. 299 00:13:01,860 --> 00:13:03,840 But over the past 150 years, 300 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:07,860 we know of hundreds of injuries and dozens of deaths... 301 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:14,560 Here's the rigid endoscope that was developed by Dr. Adolf Kussmaul. 302 00:13:14,740 --> 00:13:18,679 But we discovered that there were 29 deaths over the past 150 years 303 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:22,462 including this sword swallower in London who impaled his heart with his sword. 304 00:13:23,142 --> 00:13:25,340 We also learned that there are from 3 to 8 305 00:13:25,340 --> 00:13:27,780 serious sword swallowing injuries each year. 306 00:13:27,780 --> 00:13:29,880 I know because I get the phone calls. 307 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:31,150 I just had two of them, 308 00:13:31,150 --> 00:13:34,320 one from Sweden, and one from Orlando just over the past few weeks, 309 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:37,019 sword swallowers who are in the hospital from injuries. 310 00:13:37,019 --> 00:13:38,769 So it is extremely dangerous. 311 00:13:38,769 --> 00:13:41,629 The other thing I learned is that sword swallowing takes 312 00:13:41,629 --> 00:13:44,320 from 2 years to 10 years to learn how to swallow a sword 313 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:45,610 for many people. 314 00:13:45,610 --> 00:13:48,020 But the most fascinating discovery I learned was 315 00:13:48,020 --> 00:13:51,360 how sword swallowers learn to do the impossible. 316 00:13:51,460 --> 00:13:53,460 And I'm going to give you a little secret: 317 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:57,580 Don't focus on the 99.9% that is impossible. 318 00:13:57,580 --> 00:14:02,030 You focus on that .1% that is possible, and figure out how to make it possible. 319 00:14:02,817 --> 00:14:06,140 Now let me take you on a journey into the mind of a sword swallower. 320 00:14:06,140 --> 00:14:09,479 In order to swallow a sword, it requires mind over matter meditation, 321 00:14:09,479 --> 00:14:12,270 razor-sharp concentration, pinpoint accuracy in order 322 00:14:12,270 --> 00:14:15,670 to isolate internal body organs and overcome automatic body reflexes 323 00:14:15,710 --> 00:14:20,370 through reinforced brain synopsis, through repeated muscle memory 324 00:14:20,450 --> 00:14:23,720 by deliberate practice of over 10,000 times. 325 00:14:24,020 --> 00:14:28,090 Now let me take you on a little journey into the body of a sword swallower. 326 00:14:28,310 --> 00:14:30,130 In order to swallow a sword, 327 00:14:30,130 --> 00:14:32,250 I have to slide the blade over my tongue, 328 00:14:32,250 --> 00:14:34,780 repress the gag reflex in the cervical esophagus, 329 00:14:34,780 --> 00:14:37,740 navigate a 90 degree turn down the epiglottis, 330 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:41,040 go through the cricopharyngeal upper esophageal sphincter, 331 00:14:41,060 --> 00:14:42,600 repress the perystalsis reflex, 332 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:44,380 slide the blade into the chest cavity 333 00:14:44,380 --> 00:14:45,960 between the lungs. 334 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:48,349 At this point, 335 00:14:48,399 --> 00:14:50,389 I actually have to nudge my heart aside. 336 00:14:50,389 --> 00:14:51,720 If you watch very carefully, 337 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:53,580 you can see the heart beat with my sword 338 00:14:53,580 --> 00:14:55,339 because it's leaning against the heart 339 00:14:55,339 --> 00:14:58,299 separated by about an eighth of an inch of esophageal tissue. 340 00:14:58,299 --> 00:15:00,140 That's not something you can fake. 341 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:02,480 Then I have to slide it past the breastbone, 342 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:05,250 past the lower esophageal sphincter, down into the stomach, 343 00:15:05,250 --> 00:15:08,680 repress the retch reflex in the stomach all the way down to the duodenum. 344 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:09,750 Piece of cake. 345 00:15:09,750 --> 00:15:10,930 (Laughter) 346 00:15:10,930 --> 00:15:12,880 If I were to go further than that, 347 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:17,720 all the way down to my Fallopian tubes. (Dutch) Fallopian tubes! 348 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:20,980 Guys, you can ask your wives about that one later... 349 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:23,900 People ask me, they say, 350 00:15:23,900 --> 00:15:26,740 "It must take a lot of courage in order to risk your life, 351 00:15:26,740 --> 00:15:28,800 to nudge your heart, and swallow a sword..." 352 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:30,500 No. What takes real courage 353 00:15:30,500 --> 00:15:33,020 is for that scared, shy, skinny wimpy kid 354 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:35,620 to risk failure and rejection, 355 00:15:35,620 --> 00:15:37,040 to bear his heart, 356 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:38,240 and swallow his pride 357 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:41,060 and stand up here in front of a bunch a total strangers 358 00:15:41,060 --> 00:15:43,670 and tell you his story about his fears and dreams, 359 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:47,580 to risk spilling his guts, both literally and figuratively. 360 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:49,450 You see - thank you. 361 00:15:49,450 --> 00:15:53,720 (Applause) 362 00:15:53,850 --> 00:15:56,250 You see, the really amazing thing is 363 00:15:56,250 --> 00:15:58,650 I've always wanted to do the remarkable in my life 364 00:15:58,650 --> 00:15:59,780 and now I am. 365 00:15:59,780 --> 00:16:02,880 But the really remarkable thing is not that I can swallow 366 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,170 21 swords at once, 367 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:10,500 or 20 feet underwater in a tank of 88 sharks and stingrays 368 00:16:10,500 --> 00:16:12,307 for Ripley's Believe It or Not, 369 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:17,600 or heated to 1500 degrees red hot for Stan Lee's Superhumans 370 00:16:17,610 --> 00:16:19,470 as a "Man of Steel" 371 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:21,574 and that sucker was hot! 372 00:16:22,460 --> 00:16:24,920 Or to pull a car by sword for Ripley's, 373 00:16:24,930 --> 00:16:26,290 or Guinness, 374 00:16:26,290 --> 00:16:28,760 or make it on the finals of America's Got Talent, 375 00:16:28,820 --> 00:16:31,540 or win the 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine. 376 00:16:31,550 --> 00:16:33,900 No, that's not the really remarkable thing. 377 00:16:33,900 --> 00:16:36,350 That's what people think. No, no, no. That's not it. 378 00:16:36,350 --> 00:16:37,800 The really remarkable thing 379 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:40,660 is that God could take that scared, shy, skinny wimpy kid 380 00:16:40,660 --> 00:16:42,200 who was afraid of heights, 381 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:43,890 who was afraid of water and sharks, 382 00:16:43,890 --> 00:16:46,370 and doctors and nurses and needles and sharp objects 383 00:16:46,370 --> 00:16:47,640 and speaking to people 384 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:49,800 and now he's got me flying around the world 385 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:51,320 at heights of 30,000 feet 386 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:53,900 swallowing sharp objects underwater in tanks of sharks, 387 00:16:53,900 --> 00:16:57,430 and speaking to doctors and nurses and audiences like you around the world. 388 00:16:57,430 --> 00:16:59,580 That's the really amazing thing for me. 389 00:16:59,580 --> 00:17:01,450 I always wanted to do the impossible - 390 00:17:01,450 --> 00:17:02,380 Thank you. 391 00:17:02,380 --> 00:17:03,760 (Applause) 392 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:05,220 Thank you. 393 00:17:05,660 --> 00:17:09,040 (Applause) 394 00:17:09,700 --> 00:17:12,569 I always wanted to do the impossible, and now I am. 395 00:17:12,569 --> 00:17:15,858 I wanted to do something remarkable with my life and change the world, 396 00:17:15,858 --> 00:17:16,899 and now I am. 397 00:17:16,899 --> 00:17:19,819 I always wanted to fly around the world doing superhuman feats 398 00:17:19,819 --> 00:17:21,379 and saving lives, and now I am. 399 00:17:21,379 --> 00:17:22,720 And you know what? 400 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:25,569 There's still a small part of that little kid's big dream 401 00:17:25,569 --> 00:17:27,291 deep inside. 402 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:36,197 (Laughter) (Applause) 403 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:40,240 And you know, I always wanted to find my purpose and calling, 404 00:17:40,270 --> 00:17:41,530 and now I've found it. 405 00:17:41,540 --> 00:17:42,920 But guess what? 406 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:46,230 It's not with the swords, not what you think, not with my strengths. 407 00:17:46,230 --> 00:17:48,510 It's actually with my weakness, my words. 408 00:17:48,510 --> 00:17:51,090 My purpose and calling is to change the world 409 00:17:51,090 --> 00:17:52,390 by cutting through fear, 410 00:17:52,390 --> 00:17:54,910 one sword at a time, one word at a time, 411 00:17:55,070 --> 00:17:57,450 one knife at a time, one life at a time, 412 00:17:57,540 --> 00:17:59,700 to inspire people to be superheroes 413 00:17:59,700 --> 00:18:01,860 and do the impossible in their lives. 414 00:18:02,060 --> 00:18:04,680 My purpose is to help others find theirs. 415 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:05,680 What's yours? 416 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:06,960 What's your purpose? 417 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:08,960 What were you put here to do? 418 00:18:09,260 --> 00:18:11,590 I believe we're all called to be superheroes. 419 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:14,260 What is your superpower? 420 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:17,990 Out of a world population of over 7 billion people, 421 00:18:17,990 --> 00:18:20,250 there are less than a few dozen sword swallowers 422 00:18:20,250 --> 00:18:21,661 left around the world today, 423 00:18:21,661 --> 00:18:22,940 but there's only one you. 424 00:18:22,940 --> 00:18:24,070 You are unique. 425 00:18:24,070 --> 00:18:25,540 What is your story? 426 00:18:25,540 --> 00:18:27,760 What makes you different? 427 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:29,180 Tell your story, 428 00:18:29,180 --> 00:18:31,721 even if your voice is thin and shaky. 429 00:18:31,900 --> 00:18:33,340 What are your thromes? 430 00:18:33,340 --> 00:18:35,850 If you could do anything, be anyone, go anywhere - 431 00:18:35,850 --> 00:18:37,430 What would you do? Where'd you go? 432 00:18:37,430 --> 00:18:38,480 What would you do? 433 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:40,340 What do you want to do with your life? 434 00:18:40,340 --> 00:18:41,760 What are your big dreams? 435 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:44,450 What were your big dreams as a little kid? Think back. 436 00:18:44,450 --> 00:18:46,240 I bet this wasn't it, was it? 437 00:18:46,483 --> 00:18:47,880 What were your wildest dreams 438 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:50,450 that you thought were so strange and so obscure? 439 00:18:50,450 --> 00:18:54,040 I bet this makes your dreams look not so strange after all, doesn't it? 440 00:18:55,370 --> 00:18:57,050 What is your sword? 441 00:18:57,050 --> 00:18:58,650 Each one of you has a sword, 442 00:18:58,650 --> 00:19:00,600 a double-edged sword of fears and dreams. 443 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:03,520 Swallow your sword, whatever it might be. 444 00:19:03,890 --> 00:19:05,870 Follow your dreams, ladies and gentlemen, 445 00:19:05,870 --> 00:19:08,900 It's never too late to be whatever you wanted to be. 446 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,920 For those bullies with the dogdeballs, those kids who thought 447 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:14,916 that I would never do the impossible, 448 00:19:15,060 --> 00:19:17,645 I've got just one thing to say to them: 449 00:19:17,645 --> 00:19:18,841 Thank you. 450 00:19:18,940 --> 00:19:22,220 Because if it weren't for villains, we wouldn't have superheroes. 451 00:19:23,020 --> 00:19:27,237 I'm here to prove the impossible is not impossible. 452 00:19:28,300 --> 00:19:32,310 This is extremely dangerous, It could kill me. 453 00:19:32,340 --> 00:19:33,720 I hope you enjoy it. 454 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:35,260 (Laughter) 455 00:19:36,350 --> 00:19:38,700 I'm going to need your help with this one. 456 00:19:46,731 --> 00:19:48,405 Audience: Two, three. 457 00:19:48,405 --> 00:19:52,100 Dan Meyer: No, no, no. I need your help on the counting part, all of you, ok? 458 00:19:52,100 --> 00:19:53,210 (Laughter) 459 00:19:53,210 --> 00:19:55,840 If you know the words? Ok? Count with me. Ready? 460 00:19:55,870 --> 00:19:56,964 One. 461 00:19:56,964 --> 00:19:58,150 Two. 462 00:19:58,170 --> 00:19:58,980 Three. 463 00:19:58,980 --> 00:20:00,920 No, that's 2, but you've got the idea. 464 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:07,780 Audience: One. 465 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:08,750 Two. 466 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:10,010 Three. 467 00:20:11,260 --> 00:20:13,280 (Gasping) 468 00:20:14,360 --> 00:20:15,940 (Applause) 469 00:20:16,251 --> 00:20:17,450 DM: Yeah! 470 00:20:17,450 --> 00:20:23,100 (Applause) (Cheers) 471 00:20:23,100 --> 00:20:24,820 Thank you very much. 472 00:20:25,450 --> 00:20:28,800 Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 473 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:31,290 Actually, thank you from the bottom of my stomach. 474 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:35,020 I told you I came here to do the impossible, and now I have. 475 00:20:35,030 --> 00:20:37,730 But this was not the impossible. I do this every day. 476 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:42,800 The impossible thing was for that scared, shy, skinny wimpy kid to face his fears, 477 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:44,600 to stand up here on a [TEDx] stage, 478 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:47,100 and to change the world, one word at a time, 479 00:20:47,100 --> 00:20:49,080 one sword at a time, one life at a time. 480 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,060 If I've made you think in new ways, if I've made you believe 481 00:20:52,060 --> 00:20:54,460 the impossible is not impossible, 482 00:20:54,460 --> 00:20:57,960 if I've made you realize that you can do the impossible in your life, 483 00:20:58,120 --> 00:21:01,020 then my job is done, and yours is just beginning. 484 00:21:01,020 --> 00:21:04,100 Never stop dreaming. Never stop believing. 485 00:21:04,820 --> 00:21:06,350 Thank you for believing in me 486 00:21:06,350 --> 00:21:08,250 and thanks for being part of my dream. 487 00:21:08,250 --> 00:21:09,550 And here's my gift to you: 488 00:21:09,550 --> 00:21:11,486 The impossible is not... 489 00:21:11,486 --> 00:21:12,920 Audience: Impossible. 490 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:14,920 Long walk part of gift. 491 00:21:15,100 --> 00:21:19,560 (Applause) 492 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:21,020 Thank you. 493 00:21:21,060 --> 00:21:25,360 (Applause) 494 00:21:25,580 --> 00:21:27,560 (Cheering) 495 00:21:27,780 --> 00:21:30,240 Host: Thank you, Dan Meyer, wow!