Looking for a revelation but not sure where to begin? TED Talks are brilliant videos created to ignite thoughts on leadership, relationships, success and more. TED talks have the power to stimulate so many important conversations. Here are some of the best for collegiettes.
Meg Jay | Why 30 is Not the New 20
30 is not the new 20. Clinical psychologist Meg Jay tells twentysomethings: your 20’s are not a throwaway decade. Jay says that claiming your 20’s is the most transforming and rewarding thing you can do for yourself. So many of life’s defining moments happen before the age of 35. Your 20’s are a time for you to begin planning for your future and determining the life you wish to lead. When we push things off to our 30’s, we are putting enormous amounts of unnecessary pressure on ourselves. In this TED Talk, Jay gives you all of the confidence you need to own your 20’s by making it a defining decade through investing in your identity capital and claiming your adulthood.
Monica Lewinsky | The price of shame
Monica Lewinsky fell in love with her boss at the age of 22 and by the age of 24 she learned the consequences of that love. Lewinsky’s affair with Bill Clinton was the first major news story to break online and it instantly went viral. Lewinsky faced public humiliation when transcripts of private conversations and phone calls became public, she was and still is a victim of cyber bullying and slut shaming, and if that isn’t enough Lewinsky is mentioned in over 40 raps songs. Lewinsky turns her hardships into a beautiful platform for our culture to change the way we interact online.
Brené Brown | The power of vulnerability
Brené Brown studies human connection, Brown says, “connection is why we are here, and it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.” As part of her work she tries first to understand why a handful of people believe in their own worthiness; she calls these people ‘Wholehearted’. Her discovery of being wholehearted led to a breakdown or lightly put, spiritual awakening. Brown learned that we numb vulnerability, and we numb it completely. We also make everything uncertain, certain. Brown goes on to say that our job is to recognize the imperfections and realize that we are worthy of love and belonging.
Meaghan Ramsey | Why Thinking You’re Ugly is Bad For You
Meaghan Ramsey of the Dove Self-Esteem Project informs us that each month 10,000 people Google, “Am I ugly?” Ramsey tells us how boys and girls are benchmarking themselves in an image-obsessed culture and how they are looking online to others in order to gather opinions on their looks. Ramsey also tells us that we don’t outgrow this phase; she says, “17% of women wouldn’t show up to a job interview if they didn’t feel confident in themselves.” Ramsey suggests that we can begin to fix this epidemic in our culture by complimenting boys and girls on their actions and efforts, not solely appearance, so they can begin to value themselves.
Guy Winch | Why We All Need To Practice Emotional First Aid
Guy Winch, a doctor of psychology, uncovers the practice of favoritism for the body over the mind. “Oh you’re feeling depressed? Shake it off; it’s all in your head.” Winch says, “you wouldn’t say that to someone with a broken leg; oh just walk it off.” He says that our society places a high importance on keeping our teeth clean but we don’t take the time to keep our mind healthy. Winch encourages us to pay attention to emotional pain and practice emotional first aid.
Steve Jobs | How to live before you die
A commencement speech isn’t the traditional TED Talk, but this one is so important to watch. Steve Jobs, CEO and co-founder of Apple and Pixar, speaks on his experience of dropping out of college and how it quickly became the best decision of his life. By dropping out, he stopped attending the courses he was once required to take and began attending the courses he wanted to be in. Jobs urges us to “trust our gut,” “don’t settle,” and “not to loose faith.” He says that once you look back on your life, everything will make sense and you’ll be able to connect all of the dots. Jobs reminder to live our lives to the fullest is chilling; Jobs encourages you to live your life for yourself.
Shonda Rhimes | My year of saying yes to everything
Shonda Rhimes oversees 70 hours of TV each season, with three or four shows in production at a time. She calls herself a titan and it is rightfully deserved. Rhimes fills us in on a feeling she gets, this feeling is: The hum. The hum is what she refers to as her passion, motivation, and key to success. Rhimes discovered that the hum was dwindling and eventually came to a stop. In search to bring back the hum, Rhimes decides to dedicate a year to saying “yes” to everything that scared her. This TED Talk will give you all the motivation you need to push through any hard time in your life. It reminds you to take a step back and remember why you love what you do.
You can watch Rhimes TED Talk here