NOTE FROM TED: This talk only represents the speaker's personal spiritual views and mental health experiences which some viewers may find distressing. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdf

Even though diagnosed with the mental illness known as bipolar disorder,Susan Johnson had a dream.In her TedX talk,she shares her riveting and inspiring story of the obstacles she overcame. Her story is proof that if we hang on to hope and faith and never give up anyone can achieve their dreams despite the odds.

Susan Johnson graduated from Drake University with a B.A, in Sociology. Since her diagnosis of bipolar disorder in 1995,Susan's true passion in life is to help break the stigma of living with a mental illness and bring hope to those living with one. She is an international selling author of "Some Dreams Are Worth Keeping" A Memoir Of My Bipolar Journey. She is an inspirational speaker and a mental health writer. She also co-leads a mental health group in her community. To learn more about Susan got to www.sjohnsonauthor.com Susan graduated from Drake University with a B.A. in Sociology. Since her diagnosis of Bipolar 1 in 1995, Susan's true passion in life is to help break the stigma of living with a mental illness and bring hope to those living with one. She is an accomplished inspirational speaker and guest blogger for a mental health magazine. She received the award for Best Blogger for Healthline.com in 2017 and appeared in the 2018 "This Is Me" article in BP Hope Magazine. Susan's writing also appears in” The Catholic Exchange.” Susan co-leads a mental health group at her church and currently works with special education students as an Instructional Assistant for a school district in Nevada. Susan is a member of an author community in Las Vegas. She enjoys hiking, baking, traveling, yoga, spending time with her Goddaughter, and trips to the ocean. Susan is originally from Thousand Oaks, CA. She now makes her home in fabulous Las Vegas with her husband, Gary, and Siberian cat, Angel-Ann. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx