The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Jack H. during the 2008-2009 League.
Mission: Reading - Book Report on Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris
The book, Do Hard Things is a counter-culture manifesto. It explains what our culture teaches to young people, and the obvious problems that result. The book tells stories about people, primarily young people, who defied low expectations and accomplished great things because of it. Alex and Brett Harris' rallying cry of the book is also the title Do Hard Things. The writers of this book, who are both teenagers, challenge the readers to push themselves outside of their comfort zones and do things that are difficult but worthwhile. Whether it is volunteering locally or getting involved in national politics, the emphasis of the book is to push yourself higher than what people expect, to do hard things.
The "kidult" is an anomaly of society. It has never before been seen in history like it can be seen today. This strange occurrence is the result of a person with the maturity of a teenager in the body of an adult. The kidult still plays video games, goofs off with friends and does all the things that a teenager would enjoy doing, but the problem is that they are old enough to be an adult, and take on the responsibilities of an adult. But they do not. This problem stems from "adolescence". The myth of adolescence is the idea that teenagers should be carefree, that they should be allowed to do whatever they want, and not be hindered by the troubles of real life just yet. They are not required to work at attaining goals or attempt to meet a standard because our society has set the standard that there are no standards. So what happens when teenagers are not trained or pushed or challenged for their teen years? You get the kidult, a person who did not mature during their teen years. They failed to prepare themselves and others likewise failed to prepare them for the trials of real life.
There were no teenagers or adolescents in the societies of history. You were a child until you could work, and then you were an adult. Usually the only exception to physical work was education, which should also be hard work. The idea that teenagers somehow benefit from not being challenged early in life is ludicrous. The accomplishments that young men and women have achieved throughout history prove that challenging oneself to lofty goals as a young person often lead to incredible successful adult careers. George Washington was a self taught surveyor who was self employed before the age of twenty, and we all know that his life was far from a failure. The simple fact is that the teenage years should be a time of preparation for adult life. At no other time do people have time to prepare and learn as they have during the teen years. Alex and Brett Harris admonish us to spend it wisely.
Perhaps the most important step to getting involved is networking. The support of other like minded individuals that can encourage and help you in your effort is essential to success. Do Hard Things offers multiple examples of teenagers who worked together to accomplish something that was bigger than any one person. The power of a group is often underestimated. The book ended and I wanted to go out and take on the world. The possibilities seemed limitless, and not goal seemed unattainable, that may seem like wishful thinking, but that is exactly the point that Alex and Brett are trying to reveal. Anything is possible if you are willing to Do Hard Things.
