We Should Aim for Perfection and Stop Fearing Failure by Jon Bowers
After listening to Jon Bowers's talk on aiming for perfection, I am reminded that while we might fall short of goals or achievements, we should never stop striving to accomplish our absolute best. Yes, we will fail. No speech, lesson, work presentation, sales pitch, etc. is without some minor flub or flaw, but through a commitment to excellence, repeated practice, and aiming for quality in each communicative experience, we can create messages and moments that leave a significant impact on our audience. Failure is a powerful step in the journey to perfection - to becoming the best at whatever we pursue. Without failure, we cannot learn and grow. This talk does a beautiful job reinforcing the value of failure and not accepting anything less than our best. Without the learning that occurs from failing, we cannot truly know success.
What Makes Life Worth Living in the Face of Dying by Lucy Kalanithi
This speech is incredibly near and dear to my heart. The beauty that is shared through this speaker's vulnerability and genuine message is incredibly powerful and moving. We all have or will experience loss, and this talk does a fantastic job of showcasing both the joys and the struggles of living. On a personal note, this year I have struggled with understanding mortality and reflecting on what makes a quality life after learning about my son's diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. While there is so much hope related to his diagnosis, and we fully expect him to live a completely normal life (with work), this is the TED Talk that I needed to cope and put his life in perspective. None of us are guaranteed anything in our journeys. Living is a hazard in itself, and our lives are fleeting. We must strive to embrace the moments given to us in spite of the struggles we are facing because each moment is a gift. Dr. Kalanithi beautifully shares her story of loss and pays tribute to a life well-lived by empowering the audience to take charge of living the best life imaginable through her message.
The Happy Secret to Better Work by John Achor
Okay, slow down John Achor. This speaker talks fast, but his passion and information are powerful. He certainly is engaging and funny, and on top of that, his message is important. He talks about changing the lens of how we view the world. Our success in the workforce is closely related to how we view stress. When we view stress as a challenge, we can rise above any adversity to ascertain greatness. So often in our schools, we know students who are overwhelmed with homework, rigorous classes, and extracurricular activities. Our students, like us, feel overwhelmed. Instead of embracing the idea that the only way to be happy is to generate a list of accomplishments, we need to teach our students to view hard work as a positive challenge. This talk emphasizes the idea that we can train the brain to focus on optimism, which serves as a primer for hard work and achievement. In a world that so often highlights the negative, this talk is a great reminder of how we can control our reality through our outlooks and perceptions.
Success, Failure, and the Drive to Keep Creating by Elizabeth Gilbert
I love Elizabeth Gilbert's talks. She is inspiring, and this TED Talk is particularly powerful because she self-discloses her feelings on failure. She discusses her rejections and losses, and instead of simply giving up, she highlights how she persevered. I used this talk with my speech team students during camp. When we put ourselves out in front of the world, we are sure to experience some form of rejection or failure. As artists, performers, speakers, writers, and creators, are work will not always be well received or be critically acclaimed, but the reason we create and share should not be for the praise or approval of others. Our work should be about expressing ourselves, finding our voices, and sharing ideas that matter. When we can find that intrinsic motivation, the rejection that inevitably occurs at a speech tournament or in some other real-world experience does not seem so daunting. Instead, rejection creates an opportunity to try again.
Age is Nothing; Attitude is Everything by Bobbie Hickey
This young speaker is such a source of encouragement. Even though she is young, she has such a powerful perspective on how to live a memorable life. In spite of surgeries and physical impairments, she views the world as a place to embrace and overcome obstacles. She believes the world is a place to explore and live fully. Her normal is different than most, but the wisdom she has acquired reminds us all to face adversity. Determination can allow us all to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Perception and a positive attitude enable us to take on the world. Her words are a great reminder that no matter what the world tells us, it is important to remember how capable we are.
How to Gain Control of Your Free Time by Laura Vanderkam
Managing time and finding work-life balance are two topics that intrigue me. This speaker does a wonderful job of reminding us that we have a limited amount of time. We live in a culture of busy. We are encouraged to feel the stress of busyness, but busy and full are two synonyms that can change our attitude. When we say our lives are too hectic to complete a task, it is not that we are too busy. It means that whatever activity is being placed before us is not a priority. A single week is comprised of 168 hours. We can make those hours full by prioritizing what we value. We can find time to read, run, spend time with our family, etc., but we must actively choose to focus on what matters. As I attempt to teach my speech team kids, busy is an attitude that means we are not living in the moment. Whether it is studying for a test, attending a practice, or spending time with friends, we need to be present and attentive - making the most of the time we have. Our society has taught us that full schedules mean we are embracing our lives as we should, but no matter what the calendar says, we should always remember that we do have time for what we deem important - we might just need to shift our priorities or our attitudes to embrace those moments and opportunities.
These TED talks have affirmed in me the value of our fleeting moments and reminded me that I need to prioritize time with loved ones, reshift my lens and attitude, and embrace obstacles as minor bumps in the road to make my life better. As I sit quietly at this moment drinking coffee (and a diet coke because my coffee was too hot), I am so grateful for the time to reflect on 2017 and look forward to everything 2018 has in store personally, professionally, and everything that falls in between.
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