The Need for Risk and Mentoring | Bryan Bornholdt | TEDxUNLV

Abilities, career paths, and personal passions can go undiscovered. Taking the risk to try something completely different, or something you think you have no natural talent for, can open opportunities for personal discovery and growth. Finding someone to help you in the process can mean the difference between success and failure. The bottom line: We stop short of our real potential when we are afraid to try something new. Becoming good at something takes time and usually requires starting out as a novice.

Bryan has a Ph.D. in mathematics and teaches in the Honors College at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has worked in the defense industry and been a rock climbing guide. Bryan has climbed numerous routes on Yosemite’s El Capitan, in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Zion National Park and over 60 desert towers. In addition to being a climber, Bryan is a juggler and avid cyclist including off-road unicycling. From math to climbing to unicycling, everything Bryan does is challenging and technical. All of his enthusiams have three factors in common: they required him to step out of his comfort zone and risk failure; they required a great deal of time and practice; and they required a mentor. Now he mentors others both in the classroom and out.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx