1 00:00:17,193 --> 00:00:18,343 When you're a kid, 2 00:00:18,345 --> 00:00:21,152 you get asked this one particular question a lot. 3 00:00:21,152 --> 00:00:23,424 It really gets kind of annoying. 4 00:00:23,646 --> 00:00:26,201 "What do you want to be when you grow up?" 5 00:00:26,614 --> 00:00:29,072 Now, adults are hoping for answers like 6 00:00:29,072 --> 00:00:30,814 "I want to be an Astronaut" or 7 00:00:30,814 --> 00:00:32,833 "I want to be a Neurosurgeon". 8 00:00:33,496 --> 00:00:36,165 You adults and your imaginations. (Laughter) 9 00:00:36,165 --> 00:00:37,221 Kids, 10 00:00:37,221 --> 00:00:39,681 they are more likely to answer with pro skateboarder 11 00:00:39,691 --> 00:00:41,973 surfer or Minecraft player. 12 00:00:42,533 --> 00:00:44,341 I asked my little brother, and he said, 13 00:00:44,341 --> 00:00:46,696 "Seriously dude, I'm 10, I have no idea, 14 00:00:46,696 --> 00:00:48,060 probably a pro skier. 15 00:00:48,060 --> 00:00:49,447 Let's go get some ice cream!" 16 00:00:49,447 --> 00:00:50,811 (Laughter) 17 00:00:50,816 --> 00:00:52,416 See, us kids are going to answer 18 00:00:52,416 --> 00:00:54,279 with something we're stoked on 19 00:00:54,279 --> 00:00:55,957 What we think is cool. 20 00:00:55,957 --> 00:00:57,473 What we have experience with, 21 00:00:57,473 --> 00:01:00,476 and that's typically the opposite of what adults want to hear. 22 00:01:01,141 --> 00:01:02,815 But if you ask a little kid, 23 00:01:02,815 --> 00:01:05,076 sometimes you'll get the best answer, 24 00:01:05,097 --> 00:01:07,348 something so simple, so obvious, 25 00:01:07,348 --> 00:01:09,265 and really profound. 26 00:01:10,045 --> 00:01:12,352 "When I grow up, I want to be happy". 27 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:14,600 For me, when I grow up, 28 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:16,221 I want to continue to be happy 29 00:01:16,221 --> 00:01:17,642 like I am now. 30 00:01:17,958 --> 00:01:19,466 I'm stoked to be here at TEDx, 31 00:01:19,466 --> 00:01:20,887 I've been watching TED videos 32 00:01:20,887 --> 00:01:22,585 for as long as I can remember. 33 00:01:22,585 --> 00:01:25,349 But I never thought I'd make it on stage here so soon. 34 00:01:25,355 --> 00:01:26,975 I mean, I just became a teenager, 35 00:01:26,975 --> 00:01:28,582 and like most teenage boys, 36 00:01:28,582 --> 00:01:30,362 I spend most of my time wondering: 37 00:01:30,365 --> 00:01:33,671 "How did my room get so messy all on its own?" (Laughter) 38 00:01:33,902 --> 00:01:35,880 Did I take a shower today? (Laughter) 39 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:37,818 And the most perplexing of all, 40 00:01:37,818 --> 00:01:40,740 How do I get girls to like me? (Laughter) 41 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,300 Neuroscientists say that the teenage brain is pretty weird. 42 00:01:44,300 --> 00:01:46,717 Our prefrontal cortex is underdeveloped, 43 00:01:46,717 --> 00:01:48,901 but we actually have more neurons than adults. 44 00:01:48,901 --> 00:01:52,179 Which is why we can be so creative, and impulsive, and moody, 45 00:01:52,179 --> 00:01:54,080 and get bummed out. 46 00:01:55,110 --> 00:01:57,130 But what bums me out is to know that 47 00:01:57,130 --> 00:02:01,303 a lot of kids today are just wishing to be happy, 48 00:02:01,303 --> 00:02:03,543 to be healthy, to be safe, not bullied, 49 00:02:03,543 --> 00:02:05,593 and be loved for who they are. 50 00:02:05,759 --> 00:02:08,076 So it seems to me when adults say, 51 00:02:08,391 --> 00:02:10,372 "What do you want to be when you grow up?" 52 00:02:10,372 --> 00:02:14,111 They just assume that you'll automatically be happy and healthy. 53 00:02:14,111 --> 00:02:16,207 But maybe that's not the case. 54 00:02:16,207 --> 00:02:18,243 Go to school. Go to college. Get a job. 55 00:02:18,243 --> 00:02:20,076 Get married. Boom! 56 00:02:20,138 --> 00:02:22,198 Then you'll be happy, right? 57 00:02:22,937 --> 00:02:25,565 We don't seem to make learning how to be happy and healthy 58 00:02:25,565 --> 00:02:26,877 a priority in our schools. 59 00:02:26,892 --> 00:02:28,620 It's separated from schools, 60 00:02:28,620 --> 00:02:31,474 and for some kids, it doesn't exist at all. 61 00:02:31,903 --> 00:02:33,647 But what if we didn't make it separate? 62 00:02:33,647 --> 00:02:35,611 What if we based education on the study 63 00:02:35,611 --> 00:02:37,961 and practice of being happy and healthy? 64 00:02:37,961 --> 00:02:40,597 Because that's what it is, a practice. 65 00:02:40,615 --> 00:02:42,722 And a simple practice like that. 66 00:02:43,340 --> 00:02:45,047 Education is important, 67 00:02:45,047 --> 00:02:46,733 but why is being happy and healthy 68 00:02:46,733 --> 00:02:48,393 not considered education? 69 00:02:48,393 --> 00:02:50,231 I just don't get it. 70 00:02:51,693 --> 00:02:54,494 I've been studying the science of being happy and healthy. 71 00:02:54,494 --> 00:02:57,109 It really comes down to practicing these 8 things: 72 00:02:57,617 --> 00:02:59,645 Exercise, diet and nutrition, 73 00:02:59,645 --> 00:03:02,258 time in nature, contribution and service to others, 74 00:03:02,258 --> 00:03:04,603 relationships, recreation, 75 00:03:04,603 --> 00:03:07,078 relaxation and stress management, 76 00:03:07,078 --> 00:03:09,087 and religious or spiritual involvement. 77 00:03:09,087 --> 00:03:11,592 Yes, I got that one. (Laugther) 78 00:03:11,984 --> 00:03:15,137 So these 8 things come from Dr. Roger Walsh. 79 00:03:15,137 --> 00:03:17,661 He calls them "Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes" 80 00:03:17,661 --> 00:03:19,581 or TLCs for short, 81 00:03:19,581 --> 00:03:22,709 He's a scientist that studies how to be happy and healthy. 82 00:03:22,709 --> 00:03:24,089 In researching this talk, 83 00:03:24,089 --> 00:03:26,191 I got a chance to ask him a few questions like: 84 00:03:26,191 --> 00:03:30,869 "Do you think better schools today are making these 8 TLCs a priority?" 85 00:03:30,869 --> 00:03:32,770 His response was no surprise. 86 00:03:32,770 --> 00:03:34,455 It was essentially "No". 87 00:03:34,455 --> 00:03:35,890 But he did say 88 00:03:35,890 --> 00:03:38,490 that many people do try to get this kind of education 89 00:03:38,490 --> 00:03:40,580 outside of the traditional arena 90 00:03:40,580 --> 00:03:43,332 through reading or practices such as meditation or yoga. 91 00:03:44,362 --> 00:03:46,457 But what I thought was his best response 92 00:03:46,457 --> 00:03:48,794 was that much of education is oriented, 93 00:03:48,794 --> 00:03:50,204 for better or worse, 94 00:03:50,204 --> 00:03:53,263 towards making a living rather than making a life. 95 00:03:55,525 --> 00:03:57,812 In 2006, Sir Ken Robinson gave 96 00:03:57,888 --> 00:04:00,129 the most popular TED talk of all time, 97 00:04:00,437 --> 00:04:02,387 "Schools Kill Creativity." 98 00:04:02,387 --> 00:04:06,242 His message is that creativity is as important as literacy, 99 00:04:06,242 --> 00:04:08,676 and we should treat it with the same status. 100 00:04:09,014 --> 00:04:11,124 A lot of parents watched those videos, 101 00:04:11,124 --> 00:04:13,666 some of those parents like mine counted it as one of the reasons 102 00:04:13,673 --> 00:04:16,868 they felt confident to pull their kids from traditional school, 103 00:04:16,868 --> 00:04:18,665 to try something different. 104 00:04:19,187 --> 00:04:22,359 I realize that I am part of this small but growing revolution of kids 105 00:04:22,359 --> 00:04:24,623 who are going about their education differently. 106 00:04:24,623 --> 00:04:27,450 And you know what? It freaks a lot of people out. 107 00:04:28,759 --> 00:04:30,070 Even though I was only 9 108 00:04:30,070 --> 00:04:32,422 when my parents pulled me out of the school system, 109 00:04:32,422 --> 00:04:34,404 I can still remember my mom being in tears 110 00:04:34,404 --> 00:04:37,984 when some of her friends told her she was crazy, and it was a stupid idea. 111 00:04:37,984 --> 00:04:41,258 Looking back, I'm thankful she didn't cave to peer pressure, 112 00:04:41,259 --> 00:04:42,918 and I think she is too. 113 00:04:43,765 --> 00:04:47,641 So out of the 200 million people 114 00:04:48,071 --> 00:04:50,783 that have watched Sir Ken Robinson's talk, 115 00:04:50,783 --> 00:04:53,468 why aren't there more kids like me out there? 116 00:04:55,274 --> 00:04:57,396 Shane McConkey is my hero. 117 00:04:57,396 --> 00:04:59,929 I loved him because he was the world's best skier. 118 00:04:59,929 --> 00:05:03,112 But then one day I realized what I really loved about Shane. 119 00:05:03,112 --> 00:05:04,493 He was a hacker. 120 00:05:04,501 --> 00:05:06,120 Not a computer hacker, 121 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:07,930 he hacked skiing. 122 00:05:07,930 --> 00:05:11,214 His creativity and inventions made skiing what it is today, 123 00:05:11,214 --> 00:05:13,197 and why I love to ski. 124 00:05:14,292 --> 00:05:17,293 A lot of people think of hackers as geeky computer nerds 125 00:05:17,293 --> 00:05:20,316 who live in their parent's basement, and spread computer viruses. 126 00:05:20,334 --> 00:05:22,725 But, I don't see it that way. 127 00:05:22,725 --> 00:05:24,641 Hackers are innovators. 128 00:05:24,641 --> 00:05:27,390 Hackers are people who challenge and change the systems 129 00:05:27,390 --> 00:05:30,375 to make them work differently, to make them work better. 130 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,045 It's just how they think, it's a mindset. 131 00:05:33,937 --> 00:05:35,187 I'm growing up in a world 132 00:05:35,187 --> 00:05:37,531 that needs more people with the hacker mindset, 133 00:05:37,531 --> 00:05:39,493 and not just for technology. 134 00:05:39,554 --> 00:05:42,273 Everything is up for being hacked, even skiing, 135 00:05:42,830 --> 00:05:44,617 even education. 136 00:05:45,248 --> 00:05:47,201 So whether it's Steve Jobs, 137 00:05:47,201 --> 00:05:49,388 Mark Zuckerberg or Shane McConkey, 138 00:05:49,388 --> 00:05:52,303 having the hacker mindset can change the world. 139 00:05:54,022 --> 00:05:56,576 Healthy, happy, creativity, 140 00:05:56,576 --> 00:05:59,838 and the hacker mindset are all a large part of my education. 141 00:05:59,838 --> 00:06:01,665 I call it "Hack-Schooling". 142 00:06:01,665 --> 00:06:03,955 I don't use any one particular curriculum, 143 00:06:03,955 --> 00:06:06,815 and I'm not dedicated to anyone's particular approach. 144 00:06:06,815 --> 00:06:09,091 I hack my education. 145 00:06:09,091 --> 00:06:11,847 I take advantage of opportunities in my community, 146 00:06:11,847 --> 00:06:14,341 and through a network of my friends and family. 147 00:06:14,341 --> 00:06:17,652 I take advantage of opportunities to experience what I'm learning. 148 00:06:17,652 --> 00:06:19,684 And I'm not afraid to look for shortcuts 149 00:06:19,684 --> 00:06:23,004 or hacks to get a better, faster result. 150 00:06:23,906 --> 00:06:27,324 It's like a remix or a mashup of learning. 151 00:06:27,324 --> 00:06:29,537 It's flexible, opportunistic, 152 00:06:29,537 --> 00:06:31,642 and it never loses sight of making happy, 153 00:06:31,642 --> 00:06:34,396 healthy and creativity a priority. 154 00:06:34,768 --> 00:06:37,864 And here's the cool part because it's a mindset 155 00:06:37,864 --> 00:06:39,283 not a system. 156 00:06:39,283 --> 00:06:43,074 Hack-schooling can be used by anyone even traditional schools, 157 00:06:45,014 --> 00:06:47,864 So, what does my school look like? 158 00:06:47,864 --> 00:06:50,131 Well it looks like Starbucks a lot of the time. (Laughter) 159 00:06:50,131 --> 00:06:52,598 But, like most kids, 160 00:06:52,598 --> 00:06:56,172 I study a lot of math, science, history, and writing. 161 00:06:56,910 --> 00:06:58,624 I didn't used to like to write 162 00:06:58,624 --> 00:07:01,808 because my teachers made me write about butterflies and rainbows. 163 00:07:01,816 --> 00:07:04,029 And I wanted to write about skiing. 164 00:07:04,029 --> 00:07:06,222 It was a relief when my good friend's mom 165 00:07:06,222 --> 00:07:08,455 started The Squaw Valley Kids Institute 166 00:07:08,455 --> 00:07:12,058 Where I got to write through my experiences and my interests 167 00:07:12,258 --> 00:07:15,470 while connecting with great speakers from around the nation 168 00:07:15,470 --> 00:07:17,640 and that sparked my love of writing. 169 00:07:18,688 --> 00:07:20,118 I realize that 170 00:07:20,118 --> 00:07:23,024 once you're motivated to learn something, 171 00:07:23,039 --> 00:07:25,640 you can get a lot done in a short amount of time 172 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:27,162 and on your own. 173 00:07:27,162 --> 00:07:29,177 Starbucks is pretty great for that. 174 00:07:30,150 --> 00:07:32,693 Hacking physics was fun. 175 00:07:32,693 --> 00:07:35,002 We learned all about Newton and Galileo, 176 00:07:35,002 --> 00:07:38,374 and we experienced some basic physics concepts like 177 00:07:38,374 --> 00:07:41,884 kinetic energy though experimenting and making mistakes. 178 00:07:41,884 --> 00:07:45,883 My favorite was the giant Newton's cradle that we made out of bocci balls. 179 00:07:47,906 --> 00:07:50,982 We experimented with a lot of other things like bowling balls 180 00:07:50,982 --> 00:07:53,928 and even giant jawbreakers. 181 00:07:54,328 --> 00:07:57,383 Project Discovery's Ropes Course is awesome 182 00:07:57,383 --> 00:07:59,445 and slightly stressful. 183 00:07:59,445 --> 00:08:01,878 When you're 60 feet off the ground, 184 00:08:01,878 --> 00:08:03,935 you have to learn how to handle your fears, 185 00:08:03,935 --> 00:08:07,020 communicate clearly and most importantly, trust each other. 186 00:08:08,272 --> 00:08:11,725 Community organizations play a big part in my education. 187 00:08:11,725 --> 00:08:14,041 A High Fives Foundations Basics Program: 188 00:08:14,041 --> 00:08:17,124 "Being Aware and Safe in Critical Situations" 189 00:08:18,016 --> 00:08:20,214 We spent a day with the Squaw Valley ski patrol 190 00:08:20,214 --> 00:08:21,825 to learn more about mountain safety. 191 00:08:21,826 --> 00:08:24,231 The next day we switched to the science of snow, 192 00:08:24,231 --> 00:08:26,074 weather, and avalanches. 193 00:08:26,074 --> 00:08:27,482 But most importantly, 194 00:08:27,482 --> 00:08:29,966 we learned that making bad decision puts you 195 00:08:29,966 --> 00:08:31,679 and your friends at risk. 196 00:08:32,566 --> 00:08:35,269 Young Shu-Tak Woo brings history to life. 197 00:08:35,485 --> 00:08:37,916 You study a famous character in history, 198 00:08:37,916 --> 00:08:40,874 so you can stand on stage and perform as that character. 199 00:08:40,874 --> 00:08:43,616 and answer any question about their lifetime. 200 00:08:44,304 --> 00:08:45,352 In this photo, 201 00:08:45,352 --> 00:08:47,600 you see Al Capone and Bob Marley 202 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:49,250 getting grilled with questions 203 00:08:49,250 --> 00:08:52,421 at the historical Piper's Opera House in Virginia City. 204 00:08:52,421 --> 00:08:55,532 The same stage where Harry Houdini got his start. 205 00:08:57,025 --> 00:08:59,978 Time in nature is really important to me. 206 00:08:59,978 --> 00:09:03,941 It's calm, quiet, and I get to just log out of reality. 207 00:09:04,311 --> 00:09:07,738 I spend one day a week outside all day. 208 00:09:07,738 --> 00:09:09,707 At my Foxwalker classes, 209 00:09:09,707 --> 00:09:12,863 our goal is to be able to survive in the wilderness with just a knife. 210 00:09:12,863 --> 00:09:16,324 We learn to listen to nature, we learn to sense our surroundings, 211 00:09:16,324 --> 00:09:19,023 and I've gained a spiritual connection to nature 212 00:09:19,023 --> 00:09:21,008 that I never knew existed. 213 00:09:21,546 --> 00:09:23,875 But the best part is that we get to make spears, 214 00:09:23,875 --> 00:09:26,480 bows and arrows, fires with just a bow drill, 215 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,768 and survival shelters for the snowy nights when we camp out. 216 00:09:31,681 --> 00:09:33,711 Hanging out at The Moment Factory 217 00:09:33,711 --> 00:09:35,869 where they hand make skis and design clothes, 218 00:09:35,869 --> 00:09:38,779 has really inspired me to one day have my own business. 219 00:09:38,779 --> 00:09:42,073 the guys at the factory have showed me why I need to be good at math, 220 00:09:42,073 --> 00:09:45,200 be creative and get good at sewing. 221 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:48,546 So I got an internship at Big Short Brand 222 00:09:48,546 --> 00:09:50,830 to get better at design and sewing. 223 00:09:50,830 --> 00:09:53,168 Between fetching lunch, scrubbing toilets, 224 00:09:53,168 --> 00:09:54,907 and breaking their vacuum cleaner, 225 00:09:54,907 --> 00:09:56,951 I'm getting to contribute to clothing design, 226 00:09:56,951 --> 00:09:59,644 customizing hats, and selling them. 227 00:09:59,644 --> 00:10:02,668 The people who work there are happy, healthy, creative 228 00:10:02,668 --> 00:10:04,493 and stocked to be doing what they're doing. 229 00:10:04,493 --> 00:10:07,057 This is by far, my favorite class. 230 00:10:08,273 --> 00:10:10,834 So, this is where I'm really happy, 231 00:10:10,834 --> 00:10:12,456 powder days. 232 00:10:12,456 --> 00:10:14,921 And it's a good metaphor for my life, 233 00:10:14,921 --> 00:10:16,010 my education, 234 00:10:16,010 --> 00:10:17,839 my Hack-schooling. 235 00:10:17,839 --> 00:10:19,435 If everyone skied this mountain 236 00:10:19,435 --> 00:10:21,501 like most people think of education, 237 00:10:21,501 --> 00:10:23,618 everyone would be skiing the same line, 238 00:10:23,618 --> 00:10:24,971 probably the safest, 239 00:10:24,971 --> 00:10:27,500 and most of the "powder" would go untouched. 240 00:10:27,500 --> 00:10:30,426 I look at this and see a thousand possibilites. 241 00:10:30,780 --> 00:10:32,919 Dropping the cornice, shredding the spine, 242 00:10:32,919 --> 00:10:35,257 looking for a [unclear] from cliff to cliff. 243 00:10:35,491 --> 00:10:38,422 Skiing to me is freedom, and so it's my education. 244 00:10:39,113 --> 00:10:42,021 It's about being creative, doing things differently. 245 00:10:42,021 --> 00:10:44,473 it's about community, and helping each other, 246 00:10:44,473 --> 00:10:46,880 it's about being happy and healthy 247 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:48,786 among my very best friends. 248 00:10:49,894 --> 00:10:51,785 So I'm starting to think I know 249 00:10:51,785 --> 00:10:53,814 what I might want to do when I grow up. 250 00:10:53,814 --> 00:10:56,388 But if you ask me what do I want to be when I grow up, 251 00:10:56,388 --> 00:10:59,262 I'll always know that I want to be happy. 252 00:10:59,262 --> 00:11:02,088 Thank you. (Applause)