8 TED Talks for Some Major Self-Reflection
Call me crazy, but there have been some major hurdles successfully traversed in the Self-Reflection arena this year. Within one of the most challenging times as a people, globally, we have still found the strength to see ourselves, whether it was intentional or forced, and not run from those mirrored images looking back at us.
I am sure many of us have realized an extra five bullet points worth of improvements we could make to become the best version of ourselves that we imagine, but the reflection alone is a miracle. Don't undermine the powerful act of looking internally to realize what has grown within the spaces that you occupy.
Today's list is a follow-up to my surprisingly viral post, “5 TED Talks for When You Feel Stuck.” I'm so happy to see that people have found value from those videos, and I hope to carry on this series in 2021.
Cheers to overcoming everything we thought would take us out. We have arrived, even if there are miles left to go, and now have the privilege to acknowledge where exactly we stand in our current season. I hope these TED Talks assist with that process. Let’s dive in, shall we?
The 5 People You Need to be Happy | Stacy Flowers
Stacey Flowers is an international speaker, business strategist, and author known for connecting happiness to peak performance. Stacey holds a Bachelor’s degree in Paralegal Studies from the College of Saint Mary and a Master’s degree in Human Resources from Loyola University. She became the first in her family to graduate high school and pushed on as a first-generation college student, striving to build a legacy for her son and inspire others. In addition to her speaking circuit, Stacey presently consults at Metropolitan Community College in the Equity and Diversity Division where she is responsible for coordinating postsecondary educational resources for underrepresented groups. Stacey’s hope is to teach people to live beyond preconceptions, boundaries, and limiting beliefs. - [ Found and copied from the TED YouTube Channel ].
What Makes You Special | Mariana Atencio
NBC News journalist Mariana Atencio has traveled the world from Haiti to Hong Kong. In her TEDx talk, Mariana tells us how the people she's met along the way and her own immigrant experience have taught her that the only thing we all have in common is being human. Get ready to 'get human' and embrace what makes you different! Take a stand to defend your race: the human race! [ Found and copied from the TED YouTube Channel ].
Ending the Pursuit of Perfection | Iskra Lawrence
In this inspiring talk, model Iskra Lawrence asserts that we all need to be taught how to look after ourselves mentally, physically, and emotionally and encourages us to invest in ourselves right now. She gives examples of self-care techniques like the mirror challenge and the gratitude list that work for anyone, any age, anytime. If we learn self-care and practice self-care, then we can gift self-care to others. [ Found and copied from the TED YouTube Channel ].
Don’t Believe Everything you Think | Lauren Weinstein
Lauren Weinstein delivers an inspiring TEDxPaloAlto talk on how to break free from limiting beliefs. Lauren Weinstein is a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, teaching one of the most popular classes there—The Essentials of Strategic Communication. In addition to her work at the Business School, she has served as a guest lecturer and skills coach for Stanford Law School, the Stanford undergraduate program, and the Stanford d.school. [ Found and copied from the TED YouTube Channel ].
The Universal Languages of Human Beings | Poet Ali
You speak far more languages than you realize, says Poet Ali. In a profound talk, he reveals how the idea of "language" goes far beyond a lexicon of words, communicating universal experiences like love, laughter, and loneliness -- and serving as a portal to cultures, feelings, and thoughts that unite us all. [ Found and copied from the TED YouTube Channel ].
Go Ahead, Dream About the Future | Charlie Jane Anders
"You don't predict the future -- you imagine the future," says sci-fi writer Charlie Jane Anders. In a talk that's part dream, part research-based extrapolation, she takes us on a wild, speculative tour of the delights and challenges the future may hold -- and shows how dreaming up weird, futuristic possibilities empowers us to construct a better tomorrow. [ Found and copied from the TED YouTube Channel ].
The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong | Amy Morin
Everyone has the ability to build mental strength, but most people don't know how. We spend a lot of time talking about physical strength and physical health, but much less time on mental strength and mental health. We can choose to perform exercises that will help us learn to regulate our thoughts, manage our emotions, and behave productively despite our circumstances - the 3 basic factors of mental strength. No matter what your goals are, building mental strength is the key to reaching your greatest potential. [ Found and copied from the TED YouTube Channel ].
How Do You Define Yourself | Lizzie Valesquez
In a time when beauty is defined by supermodels, success is defined by wealth, and fame is deified by how many followers you have on social media, Lizzie Velasquez asks the question how do you define yourself? Once labeled, "The Worlds Ugliest Woman," Lizzie decided to turn things around and create her own definitions of what she defines as beauty and happiness. [ Found and copied from the TED YouTube Channel ].
Bonus video... Because saying "9 TED Talks" felt weird to me! (Oh, the quirks of being Type A).
Thinking Outside of the Box to Be Your Authentic Self | Isabela Nash
At some point or another in our lives, we have all felt a little confused about who we are. Our identity can be challenged by friends, family, or situations we go through yet for the most part we come out of these experiences stronger and with a deeper sense of purpose. Isabela Nash explores this in her talk through her own experience. Nash gets to the root as to why most mixed people, whether that be culturally or racially, struggle to claim their background in a world of binaries, and she challenges viewers to stop categorizing our identities as one or the “other”. [ Found and copied from the TED YouTube Channel ].
I hope you were able to browse this list of TED Talks that could aid in some major self-reflection! Cheers to making it through an election, for those in the United States, and cheers to you. You are currently pushing through whatever it is that feels heavy, and that's admirable.
Feel free to check me out on social media @themakaylalynn. Additionally, a newsletter, although dusty, happens to exist somewhere around here..? If you're intrigued, join the Intentional Newsletter family. Wishing you all the best.
Live (and reflect) Intentionally,
xoxo Lynn
