Be Your Own Hero Spotlight August 2011- Thad Roberts

The Be Your Own Hero Spotlight Series on AthleticCapital.com is a new, monthly feature that showcases the stories of real-life “Heroes” — men and women who, while brandishing a defiantly positive and determined mindset, are pursuing their dreams in spite of potential criticism, cynicism, or being misunderstood by those around them. The individuals showcased in this series have different beliefs, goals, and mantras for how to live life, however, they provide valuable lessons in unlocking your inner potential. I am very blessed to have had these “heroes” come into my life and I hope their stories can help in your own personal journey.

 he·ro 1. a man or woman of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his/her brave deeds and noble qualities. 2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal.

Thad Roberts is a hero. Raised in a strict, Mormon household, Thad learned to challenge traditional views at a young age on his quest to bring large scale dreams to reality. A motivated and accomplished student, Thad won acceptance into NASA’s Johnson Space Center as an astrophysicist, eventually being promoted to Flight Lead in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. The young risk taker, Thad always looked for an opportunity to confront fears and push limitations on his quest to walk on the Moon.

At the age of 25, Thad led one of the largest heists in human history, stealing $32 million worth of moon rocks to win the heart of a young woman. The subject of the New York Times Best Seller, Sex on the Moon by Ben Mezrich, Thad has taken full accountability for his past mistakes and made the conscious choice to lead a life that empowers others.

I am honored to share Thad’s story and feel that we can all learn something from accepting past mistakes and confronting our own adversities to evolve into the person we wish to be. I very much enjoyed spending time with Thad and I believe in his vision! Be Your Own Hero!

1. You have experienced a tremendous amount of success at a young age despite encountering some staggering setbacks. What are your short and long-term goals moving forward? 

Some of my short-term goals are to:

(a) Expand my intellectual horizons by learning something new every day.

(b) Search to uncover more important questions.

(c) Seek out unfamiliar experiences and explore that which is unknown to me as often as possible.

(d) And devote at least 8 hours of effort per day towards at least one of my long-term goals.

My long-term goals include:

(a) Scientifically test the axioms of quantum space theory to determine whether or not Nature is accurately mapped by its intuitively accessible picture.

(b) Start my own university (where the students will first be invited to participate in an exploration of the modern mysteries of science, and then, once they are properly motivated, teach them about the basic tools we have used in the past and encourage them to keep track of the limitations inherent in those tools as they search for better ways to proceed).

(c) Build up a large-scale “adventure social network” that magnifies people’s access to horizon-expanding activities and gives them the chance to go on adventures with other curious explorers and philosophical thinkers.

(d) Go to space!

(e) Keep working to be in shape.

2. What has pursuing your dreams taught you about yourself, about others, about life?

In pursuit of my dreams I have learned that we are often capable of far more than we dare dream of. The further I progress in my personal quest the more I understand the enormous potential that everyone has. I have learned that nearly all of us start out with the same basic set of fears and hesitations in life. We are aware of our own ignorance but we are often unaware of other people’s ignorance. We start out insecure and totally oblivious of the potential that lies dormant in our curiosity. Because of this it is easy for us to look out into crowd and imagine that the people we see “have it together.” We imagine that they aren’t worrying about how they will pay for next month’s rent, they don’t lack in confidence because of an extra ten pounds of fat, and surely they understand everything about the complex nexus of information that we are struggling to survive in. We feel so far behind and we worry so much about what other people think of us, about how they will discover that we don’t have it all together, that it is easy to prefer to do nothing over taking risks and publicly failing. Above all else, I have learned that most of our daily decisions come down to a choice between silently drifting in the impersonal crowd, letting the herd dictate our course, or standing out, being independent, and taking a risk.

I have also learned that metamorphosis comes from having someone genuinely believe in your ability to reach your dreams and encourage your efforts to make a positive difference. Many people learn how to believe in themselves only after a parent, a lover, or a friend shows them what it is like to be believed in. This simple expression of love can change the entire course of an individual’s life and this invaluable treasure is tremendously easy to give.

3. During your time in prison, you focused your energies on expanding upon Einstein’s geometric theory of spacetime. Can you briefly summarize your findings and subsequent theory?

When I decided to interpret my time in prison as a monastic opportunity I began setting goals to better myself in every way I could think of. I ran between 5 and 10 miles every day, taught Astronomy and Beginning Science classes, and devoted 8 hours of every day to reading about the mysteries of modern physics.

One of the most valuable things I learned from Einstein was that effects we observe in Nature are called mysterious if and only if they contradict our theoretical expectations. Since those expectations are based on axiomatic assumptions about what space and time are, the simple presence of natural phenomena that contradict them tells us that at least one of our assumptions is off.

With this understanding I began exploring new axiomatic assumptions about space and time. I searched for a set of assumptions that would lead to an emergent geometry in alignment with our every day experiences, but one that was also capable of illuminating the effects we now call mysterious. The axiomatic structure I was led to depicts the fabric of spacetime as being composed of quantized pieces which in turn are composed of even smaller pieces, and so on ad infinitum. The resultant map becomes wholly invertible. In other words, it takes on the geometry of a perfect fractal. One of the most exciting things about this new map is that it gives us intuitive access to higher dimensions. Consequently, fields of spacetime curvature (the foundation of Einstein’s general relativity) are translated into regions with spatial density gradients and the mysteries of quantum mechanics are directly lifted from the properties of the spacetime quanta.

One of my main goals in prison was to write a book about the process of developing new, valid perspectives. The purpose of that book ‘Einstein’s Intuition’ is to help guide others in their personal quest to make sense of the mysterious quirks in the natural world. Quantum space theory, and the axioms it is based upon, still needs to be scientifically tested (several tests are in the works). A rigorous mathematical formalism is still being developed. As we wait to see if this new perspective is sound I think it is important for everyone to explore many valid perspectives, and to immerse themselves in the questions and observations that still stand in contradiction of today’s assumptions.

4. How has your life changed as a result of “Sex On The Moon”? What has been the most rewarding experience as a result of the book release and upcoming movie? What has been the strangest experience thus far?

Not much has changed really. Before the release of ‘Sex on the Moon’ I rarely had a spare minute in the day. The same is true now. I spend my time working on the theoretical and philosophical aspects of quantum space theory, planning new adventures for Team Death Punch, studying, volunteering at the observatory, and going on new adventures.

I would have to say that the strangest thing for me has been to have “fans.” People seem to be quite comfortable with me when they have such an intimate look into my past, the goals I have set for myself, and the mistakes I have made along the way. As a consequence, social barriers seem to break down quickly with the people I meet. People tell me things about their private inner workings right away. I have found this enjoyable because it affords me the chance to accept people for who they really are, encourage them in their true goals, help them overcome their insecurities, and watch them blossom on their own path. In a way, the way people interact with me resembles one of the positive interactions that are found in prisons – where everyone knows that we have all made big mistakes and everyone drops the façade of being so perfect and important.

5. What lessons have you learned about the power of mindset through your own life experiences? Was there a particular “AHA!” moment in your life where you began to realize that by confronting your fears and “perceived” limitations that your potential was infinite? Do you believe that all people have the ability to “become their own hero”?

At my lowest point in prison I felt like I had nothing left. I believed that I had let everyone down, that I would never again have their respect, and that I would never be anything but a failure. Then one day I realized that this very fact had set me free. The future was entirely open for me because I didn’t have to impress anyone. Because those who busy themselves judging others were already all permanently disappointed in me, I decided that I was going to impress the only person left to impress – myself. I was going to live for myself, to learn, love, travel, and open my mind to new wonders. I was going to find people that cared more about the dreams I was striving for than the shadows of my past. I was going to do the impossible and reach for the stars.

6. I have found in my own life that my greatest achievements often come as a result of confronting some of my greatest fears/obstacles. You spent 7 years in prison and continued to pursue your passions despite the limitations imposed. Do you have any special practices that help you with confronting adversity? Was there a particular motivation that helped you confront the reality of prison?

I became better at confronting adversity when I discovered that the sources of adversity are often more wrapped up than their subjects. If you remember that those who confront you are often having a harder issue with the subject they are confronting you on it is easier to show your acceptance of them. The world needs more love and less hate. Understanding how other people’s fears influence their actions helps us take a step in the right direction. If we learn to approach adversity with understanding and acceptance, adversity often dissolves and transforms into a friend.

7. What do you believe defines a successful life? What do you hope people take from your legacy and life work?

I believe that a successful life can be measured by the degree to which one dares to be honest to themselves and by the quality of their relationships. Do we dare question what we are ‘supposed’ to believe? Do we dare admit that we don’t really have the answers? Do we dare learn how to be comfortable with not knowing? Do we join the quest and become an explorer, or do we simply agree with the controlling mob? Do we have what it takes to tell the person that we love who we really are, what really goes on in our heads?, what impulses and thoughts we are driven by?, and what fears we still harbor? Or do we practice putting on a front and pretend that it is our true face? I believe that the closer we live our lives to the truth the happier we will be and the more we will free up our minds for thoughts and questions that might expand our limits.

I hope, above all else, that if people take anything from my life, that it is a personal invitation to live theirs. I hope they challenge themselves to think in ways that shatter the mold that those around them have tried to cast. I hope they experience things that make their hearts beat almost out of their chests. I hope they love deeply and get caught up by the power of honest expression. I hope they learn to love being thrown into the deep end of a new perspective.

8. You seem to be a person who enjoys adventure and pushing your own limits. Can you explain the concept behind “Team Death Punch”? What type of events has the team completed thus far?

Team Death Punch is made up of a bunch of college students united by the goal of pushing our personal boundaries, experiencing the world around us, exposing ourselves to new ideas, and supporting each other as we attempt to escape the controlling limits of our unreasonable fears. Under the restraints of a college student’s budget, we have all flown planes, gone skydiving, SCUBA diving, cave diving, rock climbing, camping, swimming, tubing, hiking through slot canyons, and more. Most importantly, we have all grown from our campfire conversations by opening our minds to the ways that other people think. Our goal is to eventually start up a global network of Team Death Punchers, giving every poor college student (and everyone else) the chance to join group adventures and meet new people.

9. Are there any books, documentaries, or articles that have had a huge impact on your life that you feel could positively influence the younger generations? What do you recommend in trying to find the beginnings of one’s path?

When trying to find the beginnings of your path, I recommend making a list of the things that you enjoy in life. Then make a list of things that interest you that you have never tried. Pick some activities and some topics to explore. Set yourself some goals, write them down, and put them where you will see them every day. Set aside a little time every day to read and investigate what your chosen topics are all about. Find people that are doing the things you are interested in and ask if you can come along. As you expand your horizons take note of which new activities and ideas you connect with the most. Follow those that make you feel the most alive, the ones that make you ask the most questions, and excite you.

10. What changes do you feel must be made by younger generations to better the world we live in? If you could teach a child one thing, what would it be?

If I could teach a child one thing it would be that they can do anything. They can live the life of a seafaring traveler, be the next Einstein, go to the bottom of the ocean in a submarine, or experience what it is like to go beyond the limits of our atmosphere into space. Then, I would try to teach them that the dream they pick will only bring them happiness if they retain the courage to be honest to themselves and those that they love. Question everything, love completely, and laugh as often as possible. There is no point in taking ourselves too seriously. We are only limited by our own dreams and the best dreams are never all that serious.

Please feel free to follow Thad’s work and upcoming adventures on his website, Einstein’s Intuition. He can be contacted directly for interviews and speaking engagements. Be Your Own Hero!