Being disruptive will almost certainly earn you a detention in high school, but being the right kind of disruptive might just earn you major success in the real world.
Just ask any of the 15 "Remarkable Disrupters" who spoke at 2014 TEDxTeen in London. The event, which took place in October, celebrated young people who are challenging norms and breaking molds in everything from fashion modeling to rock climbing. Hosted by HuffPost Teen blogger and pop star Tallia Storm, the event offered a whole lot of advice on how to be the right kind of disruptive.
Though each and every talk is worth a watch, we've gathered some of the best nuggets of wisdom from some of the speeches:
1. "Climb through your problems. Failure is a huge part of success."
Ashima Shiraishi started rock climbing at age 6 and was competing on a professional level just a year later. This past July, she became the second female in the world to climb a V14.
2. "You can learn a lot in a day."
Erik Finman is a 15-year-old entrepreneur and founder of Botangle.com, a platform to help students learn through experiences, including one-day internships at famous companies.
3. "Rethink before you type, rethink before the damage is done."
Trisha Prabhu created the product Rethink, which earned her a nomination as a Google Science Fair 2014 Global Finalist. The product gives teenagers a second chance to reconsider before they post an offensive message. She's also conducted research on the cognitive distractions that contribute to distracted driving.
4. "Imagine the possibilities."
James Anderson is a 17-year-old entrepreneur who has already created a new way to teach young people to code through his organization, Thinkspace. Now, he's working to transform digital shopping through his new venture, Space Lounges.
5. "If we can challenge convention, we can solve any problem."
Josh Valman was always obsessed with robotics. At age 10, he began studying engineering, and by age 15, he was consulting with some of the world's biggest companies. Now, at age 19, he is managing director at RPD International, which helps engineer solutions for companies all over the world.
6. "Be your own person; know for yourself what beauty is rather than looking to a magazine."
Chantelle Brown-Young is a fashion model today, but growing up, she was bullied over her appearance. That's because she has a skin condition, vitiligo, which turns the pigments of her skin white. As she learned to embrace her own uniqueness, she realized there was beauty in everything.
7. "Everybody is messed up... everyone hides it. But I didn't and I don't."
Gabi Holzwarth is a classically trained, contemporary violinist who has embraced improvisation both in her music and her career, managing her own business and taking on a huge variety of projects. Along the way, she's found strength in being open and honest about her history with an eating disorder.
8. "Before even opening ourselves up to other people, we really need to open ourselves up to ourselves."
Ankit Shah created "Tea With Strangers," a movement that facilities meaningful interactions between groups of strangers. He also works with SEEKHO, a nonprofit that empowers local change-makers to improve standards of living in India.
9. "When I couldn't find the book I wanted to read, I decided to write it."
Beth Reekles wrote her first adult romance novel, "The Kissing Booth" at age 15. She uploaded the book on the free online platform, Wattpad, where it was read by 19 million people and earned her a three-book deal from Random House U.K.
10. "I didn't want to become normal. I wanted to let people know how proud I was to have these incredibly cool-looking [prothetic limbs.]"
Patrick Kane was the the youngest person to be fitted with the advanced bionic limb, I-Limb Pulse. In 2012, he helped carry the Olympic torch, and this past year, he was named an ambassador for Touch Bionics, the company that created the I-Limb that changed his life.
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