Dr. Ben Carson, professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery and pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and author of Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence, recently spoke at the On Point (formerly known as WhykNOw) banquet. As he shared his life story, he passed along some golden nuggets he has learned through the years.
“On average, people can expect to live to 75 or 80 years of age,” said Dr. Carson. “You spend the first 25 years of life preparing yourself for the last 60. If you don’t prepare, you have the next 60 years to suffer the consequences. Delayed gratification is an important concept for people to learn. You have plenty of time to do the things you want to do, but first you have to prepare yourself for all aspects of life.”
Young people are bombarded with images and suggestions 24/7, giving the general message that anybody with a sense of morals is unfair, a bigot, out of touch, etc., and Carson believes that “the powers of political correctness are robbing us of our future.”
There are many teens who don’t have the support system they need to help them prepare for living life to the fullest. Nobody gets a free ride in life. No matter who you are you get to experience the ups and downs of life. Dr. Carson dealt with anger, bullying, feeling inadequate and life without a father. In spite of the tough times, his mother encouraged him to dream. Family, friends, mentors and organizations like On Point help our kids have dreams that pull them through their circumstances.
“Today’s young people are actually afraid to try new things because they think they will fail,” said Dr. Carson. “Life is a risk. Not everything we do will be successful. We have to teach teens how to learn from their failures. Thomas Edison learned 999 ways a light bulb did not work before he found a way to make it work.”
Dr. Carson encouraged people to stop comparing themselves to others and to focus on their God-given gifts. He described success as using your gifts to elevate other people. In many instances teens feel the pressure of trying to fit in with the “cool” people. Sometimes the “cool” people aren’t the best influence on our lives. Dr. Carson described peers as sometimes being people who encourage errors, rudeness and stupidity.
“The human brain is incredible,” said Dr. Carson. “We shouldn’t be thinking about what we can’t do, we should be thinking about what we can do. We are living in a society of people filled with superficial knowledge. Instead of studying over time to learn, people tend to wait until the last minute trying to cram everything in their head the night before a test. Why settle for the minimum? We need to teach our teens to do the best they can do and allow their life to be utilized in their sphere of influence.”
As Dr. Carson brought his remarks to a close he encouraged people young and old to consider the following acronym using the title of his book Think Big.
- Talent – Use the talents you have been given to reach your maximum potential.
- Honesty – When you are honest in all things you do not have to cover tracks from the past.
- Insight – Seek insight from others wiser than you.
- Nice – Think of others first. Be nice to every single person you encounter for a week.
- Knowledge - Leave no stone unturned in an endeavor to gain wisdom and understanding.
- Books – Turn off television and computer and read. Reading exercises your mind.
- In depth learning – Stop the superficial learning. We need to recognize that the opportunity to learn is a gift. It is through learning that individuals are able to utilize their talents to the fullest extent possible.
- God – Don’t leave our maker and creator out of the picture.
Dr. Carson reminded people that following the culture can be misleading. As parents and caring community citizens, it is our job to be strong and forthright as we help young people learn how to counter the negative cultural influences and have a vision for their life that includes self discovery, healthy choices, service to others and maximizing their potential.
Copyright ©2010 First Things First
