The idea of pursuing one’s goals can be a thrilling yet daunting experience.
Even though the thought of being recognized and winning can make us want to do something great, the worry that we won’t be able to do it and the amount of work we have to do can also make us feel down.
A boy from Iceland who was 10 years old set out to build the largest LEGO replica of the Titanic in the world.
Brynjar Karl Bigisson has an obsession with ships. He loves everything about them and it comes as no surprise that his favorite ship was the famous Titanic.
Having dedicated hours to researching online, he had acquired a comprehensive knowledge of the ship.
He developed an obsession with the idea of creating his own Titanic.
Brynjar mentioned that his autism played a partial role in this obsession. Because he found it difficult to interact with other kids, he preferred to play on by himself.
Playing with LEGOs enabled him to maintain concentration while offering a way to be creative and have fun.
Brynjar told Bored Panda, “LEGO has been an important part of my life since a very early age. Because of my poor social and communication skills, I was always on my own, playing by myself, so LEGO bricks became my best friends. While building with LEGO, I was using and developing my imagination and creativity. I don’t remember feeling lonely, I was too busy building something.”
Thus, Brynjar started building his own Titanic model.
However, he recognized that he couldn’t accomplish it by himself.
He sought assistance from his mother and grandfather.
“Obviously, I was not going to build the 7-meter (26-feet)-long model all by myself and needed to convince some key people in my life to help me,” Brynjar said. “My grandfather, Lulli, helped me to create special LEGO instructions on the real Titanic blueprints. My mother helped me to set up a crowdfunding page, so I was able to raise the money I needed to buy the LEGOs.”
With the aid of his determination and the support from his family, Brynjar dedicated 11 months to constructing the replica.
He would devote 3 to 4 hours every day after school to the project.
Finally, the Titanic replica was finished, and the final outcome is remarkably impressive.
Brynjar gained numerous life lessons from this experience.
He was quoted as saying, “We know that if you are allowed to develop your skills through your interest, you can become stronger. I have had that opportunity and today there is nothing that I cannot do if I focus on it. This message is important for me to get across.”
He was so passionate about this message that he opted to prepare a TED talk on the topic.
During his presentation, Brynjar presented his viewpoint on the three essential elements for attaining success: self-belief, surrounding oneself with a competent team, and perseverance without surrendering.
Brynjar’s TED talk can be accessed below.
Make sure to pass it along to anyone you feel could gain from his message and remember to have faith in yourself as well.