Top 10 TED Talks That Will Inspire You for a Lifetime
Inspiration is what gives me a burst of energy and motivation to do something and reminds me of my purpose in life and who I am. One way that I find inspiration is by watching TED talks. They are videos that often range from about five minutes to twenty minutes or so. TED talks can be about a variety of topics. For me, I tend to like the ones about psychology, biology, or health in some way. I like that the person giving the talk seems to be so passionate about what they are saying which helps get me on board. Below are ten TED talks that I fine to be inspiring.
Do Schools Kill Creativity?
I really like that this one brings up the point that schools try to get people to fit this one way of being and that if someone doesn't fit that expectation, it does not mean there is something wrong with them, it just means they have different strengths and interests. My son, A, was dismissed from his first preschool for not fitting the mold, specifically for not being able to sit still or focus for a couple of hours at a time. I have had others very close to me who have had similar experiences. In my personal life, I have experienced the benefits of creativity and see it to be a strength. Entering a career in the field of creativity shouldn't be considered to be a bad thing or a failure. That's where some of the best ideas have come from.
How to Live Passionately -- No Matter Your Age
I have heard often throughout my life and experienced some for myself that people "still feel young" even when they are older. I've also witnessed many people who have said "I'm too old for that." As I have learned about lifespan development, have seen my own grandmother continue to live life just as happily no matter what she's faced with, and continue to maintain her health, I have decided for myself that I want to go through life with passion. We only get one life and I want to live it with resilience, health, and savoring every moment. I find myself striving for this more and more as I learn and grow.
The Power of Introverts
This one was one that was what made me think "yes!" the whole time. I've been shamed and pushed to be someone I'm not for most of my life. I prefer to spend most of my time doing my own thing, don't talk much because I don't have much to say, love reading books, spend A LOT of time in my head, and spend a lot of time observing things that most people don't seem to notice. I like that this TED talk brought up the strengths of introverts and pointed out the pressures that we so often face. Maybe I'm wrong or, rather, maybe I'm just different but I do not see the point in making small talk, specifically the "how are you?" greeting when the person asking genuinely does not care and the person answering is not going to give an honest answer... and if they do and they're not doing well then it often becomes awkward. People often push me to talk just for the sake of talking. I prefer to talk when I have something to say AND when I feel like the person receiving the message is genuinely interested in what I have to say. And what's so wrong with that?
A Powerful way to Unleash Your Natural Creativity
I found this one to be pretty interesting and more relatable than I would have thought. I find that I often need to have multiple projects going at a time. Some look at all I do and think "how do you do all that?" This TED talk explained it pretty well for me. I slow-motion multitask. It keeps me from getting burned out on one thing. If something begins to frustrate me, I take a break by working on something else and then eventually I come back to the other project with a refreshed perspective.
Your Body Language may Shape who you Are
I have heard of the research on this many times before but didn't really know any of the details. It was really interesting to learn more about this and made me more aware of my body language throughout the day. Often I was doing things subconsciously that made me appear nervous, which led me to feel more nervous. I've now been making more of an effort to make some changes.
How Great Leaders Inspire Action
This TED talk mentioned some things that I really hadn't considered before but seemed to make sense. I have tried to incorporate this a little bit into some of the things that I do. It takes more of a conscious effort than I would have thought.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
This TED talk made sense to me. I liked that she used some examples of experiences that she had witnessed to explain her point. The information from this one made me really think about some things and will likely keep me thinking on it.
The Power of Vulnerability
I liked this one because vulnerability really can be hard. It was helpful to hear what the strengths were. I think that vulnerability is something that I really struggle with in some ways. I feel like I am really open about a lot of things but then I am really closed off with many of my emotions. Likely a reason why I make an effort to avoid making friends.
Inside the mind of a Master Procrastinator
Honestly, this was probably my favorite one. The speaker was very entertaining and used plenty of visuals to explain his point. There was also lots of humor involved. My four-year-old son, A, found the little visuals and story to express the point to be entertaining. While he did not understand the analogy, he understood the story of the monkey and the monster. I loved this TED talk.
How to Speak so That People Want to Listen
Being that I often feel unheard, I was interested to hear what this TED talk had to say. I know that I struggle with some of these things and have been making an effort to be better, and have noticed some progress. Being that I am going to be a training instructor, I figure I need to practice talking in a way that will keep people engaged.
Which TED talks are most inspiring to you?
Do Schools Kill Creativity?
How to Live Passionately -- No Matter Your Age
The Power of Introverts
A Powerful way to Unleash Your Natural Creativity
You can vote for more than one answer.
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