Perspective Shifting TEDtalks
Back on my tumblr, I received a few questions about where I find inspiration and what I do to sustain it. One of the many things that put the twinkle in my eye to grab life by the reins are TED Talks.
They’ve been a regular part of my inspo routine since I started listening to them in high school (this was the first TED talk I ever listened to). The way the orators are able to convey such eloquent and relevant messages (some in under 12 minutes) to people of all kinds of backgrounds and social classes has always amazed me.
When I first moved to Florida, I made it a point to watch one every Sunday or Monday, kind of like a weekly pep talk I needed to hear before starting my work week (before podcasts came into my life). They’re great to listen to in between study/work breaks, cooking meals, or on long road trips, although sometimes they’re so good you’ll wish you had your journal out to take some notes.
Eventually, I’d like to give one of my own (on what topic, I’m not too sure yet), so here are my top talks that I aspire to one day live up to. Hopefully, they’ll speak to you and stay with you the way they did with me so you can pull one of their messages to the forefront of the monkey mind whenever you get discouraged, need a quick mantra for yoga, or are acting as a shoulder to cry on for a friend.
Dan Barber - How I Fell In Love with a Fish
Chef Dan Barber kind of changed my life with his love story with a fish in this absolutely brilliant and beautifully structured talk. He illustrates the incredible sustainability and power of relationships in a biodynamic, polyculture fish farm in southern Spain and really makes you question the behavior of agribusiness (and how it has affected yours) in the past half century.
2. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi – Flow, the secret to happiness
One of the most astute psychologists of his time, Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi interviewed creatives and CEOs to identify the state that gives us the feeling of a life most fulfilled; the state of “flow.” This talk really gets you thinking about what makes you the happiest, and it’s definitely not money.
3. Amy Cuddy - Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are
Amy Cuddy describes how changing your body language, good or bad, really affects the way you feel and think and how important it is to remember how our body can affect our confidence. I first saw this in my naval leadership and ethics class in college. I will admit I’ve experimented with the “make yourself larger” exercise in the bathroom before a number of midterms and finals. My sample size is too small to try to give an accurate account, but go ahead try it for yourself. You won’t regret it.
4. Brene Brown - The Power of Vulnerability
This TED Talk made Brene Brown one of my modern day heroes (social scientists are pretty cool). She discusses how vulnerability is a necessary component to living a purposeful life and why and how we try to mask our vulnerabilities with different methods of numbing. She’s one of the people who’ve inspired the real and raw vibe I try to convey in my yoga classes, here on the blog, and throughout my daily life.
5. Larry Smith - Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career
Professor Larry Smith calls everybody out on their excuses for not pursuing what they love. He identifies the most common excuses and tells you how and why you’re completely bullshitting yourself. This talk really got me to re-examine my motivations around this time last year and motivated the hell out of me to get a move on with this blog (clearly, it worked).
6. Lissa Rankin - Is There Scientific Proof We Can Really Heal Ourselves?
Dr. Rankin addresses the effectiveness of our body’s ability to heal itself with the power of the mind via placebos and nocebos. But not in pills, treatments, or therapies, instead, in the form of healthcare providers as forces of healing to trigger relaxation responses. This talk largely inspired me in the creation of Heal Deliberately with hopes of creating a space to share healing journeys (mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, cultural, etc.); a space for people to share personal relaxation responses so others can figure out what their bodies need in order to heal; and a space to for those who wish to to take the power to heal into their hands.
7. Isaac Lidsky - What Reality Are You Creating For Yourself?
What you see is not always what is. Isaac Lidsky talks about the personal realities constructed by our brains, how they usually never align with objective reality, and how to transform those negative personal realities to overcome the biggest obstacle in achieving our dreams and our highest potential: fear.
If you only decide to watch one of the talks on this list, please let it be this one.
8. Ken Robinson - Do Schools Kill Creativity?
Ken Robinson explains how we need to rethink intelligence and reframe the esteem of education, especially education devoid of the arts. He goes on to say that the fear of making mistakes stifles the creative genius in each and every one of us, so it’s important for schools to create environments that foster imagination in the face of error.
Well, I hope one of these TEDTalks have inspired you the way they’ve inspired me. That’s all for now! Until next time, keep it real, peeps.
xx,
Roselle
(from the Heal Deliberately Wellness Blog archives - April 14, 2017)