LaVincent Hardy – All or Nothing | LaVincent Hardy | TEDxArlingtonHS

you
I was eight years old
I struggled with reading
if I could be honest with you I hate it
reading
if I saw a book I got dizzy when it was
my turn to read when it was my turn to
speak I got sick to my stomach my
stomach started to bubble
I was a kid
I was good at memorizing every
commercial I knew every song that came
on the radio I like to go outside and
play I was a kid what else do you expect
but my parents thought differently
they decided to get a program called
Hooked on Phonics some of you may know
what that is if you don’t know what it
is you should be happy but hooked on
Finance is a program that helps you to
learn how to read and to speak while
everybody else was outside playing
listening to music being a kid I was at
the kitchen table reading learning to
read learning to speak can I be honest
again it was complete torture I’m a kid
I want to go outside and play too
why can’t I be like everyone else
why can’t I be like everyone else and
have fun and be a kid
that was the question of my life
fast-forward to high school I had a good
time in high school as a matter of fact
I had a blast in high school I made
seeds a couple of bees and if I really
wanted to make a name
but that wasn’t good enough
that was average I did just enough to
get by I did just enough to fly under
the radar just enough to stay out of
trouble
I was average
my parents they didn’t like that I was
okay with my parents they didn’t like
that they were hard on me
I felt like they were picking me I had
an older brother and sister they didn’t
treat them the same way I felt like they
were picking on me why so one day I
built up the nerve I built up the
courage I said mom I need to talk to you
there I need some tea
what did I do wrong what did I do
why are you picking on me what did I do
wrong
and they said son sit down sit
the the answer that they gave me changed
my life forever
they said son it’s all or nothing
all or nothing
you’re not average
there’s nothing average about you you’re
not an average student you’re not an
average person boy you’re not average
you were created to be great
you were created to prosper we didn’t
have an average child
whoa
that changed my life that’s how I live
my life
all or nothing all or nothing
there’s somebody here right now
in this room in this auditorium that’s
only given 50% that’s only given 75% 90%
that’s not good enough all or nothing
you can’t do just enough to get by I
cannot help you
you’re not average there’s nothing
average about you you were created to
excel your potential is here and you may
be operating down here
today that stops all or nothing
can you say that with me all
or nothing let’s say it again all or
nothing
don’t cheat yourself
this world deserves 100% of you 100% of
you not 75 not 50 but all of you if you
go to your favorite restaurant and you
order a meal a steak a hamburger and
they only bring you half of your
hamburger
I’m going to be mad and I’m sure you
would too you deserve all of your meal
right don’t cheat us don’t cheat this
world this world deserves 100% of what
you have to offer it and if you have
somebody in your ear a parent a coach a
teacher a principal friends who’s
supporting you
who’s motivating you and pushing you
don’t push them away
embrace them tell them you love them
tell them thank you because maybe they
see something in you that you can’t see
right now it may take ten years five
years I don’t know embrace them all or
nothing thank you