18 Ted Talks That Will Change Your Life
I feel like Ted Talks can be a cure all when life in general just isn’t going your way. There are so many Ted Talk videos made to move, inspire and empower us when we need it the most.
As an entrepreneur, I find these so impactful and life changing. Seriously once you watch these moving and inspiring Ted Talks, you won’t be able to get them out of your head. So sit back, relax, grab yourself a cup coffee and get ready to listen to some of the most fascinating people in the world.
After watching these Ted Talks, I hope you’re left feeling inspired and motivated to take action on getting your life together. Use my free Mini Life Planner to guide you.
1. Susan Cain: The Power Of Introverts
We live in a world where being social and outgoing are prized above all else. It can be difficult, for an introvert to find its place in society and be well respected. In her talk, Susan Cain passionately argues that introverts can bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated.
2. Shonda Rhimes: My Year Of Saying Yes To Everything
Shonda Rhimes has been a staple of television for many years, but not much was known about her personal life. In The Year Of Yes, Shonda talks about how she decides to take a year to just say yes to the things she was too afraid to do.
READ: 15 Things That Make Me Smile
In this moving talk, Rhimes speaks on her journey through a “year of yes” and how she got her hum back.
3. The Minimalists: A Rich Life With Less Stuff
Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, aka The Minimalists, are the authors of several bestselling books, including EVERYTHING THAT REMAINS. They touch on minimalism, the value of community, and discovering what makes people rich.
They talk about their transition from wanting and having more to being intentional and living a rich happy life with less stuff.
4. Dr Ivan Joseph: The Skill of Self Confidence
Self confidence is not something we are born with. It’s a skill and through the power of repetition, anyone can acquire self confidence and master it. Dr Ivan Joseph explores self confidence and how it is not just the most important skill in athletics, but in our lives.
5. Dan Gilbert: Why We Make Bad Decisions
In this Ted Talk, Dan Gilbert explains why people tend to make the wrong decisions. He presents research and data from his exploration of happiness — sharing some surprising tests and experiments that you can also try on yourself.
6. Andrew Solomon: How The Worst Moments In Our Lives Make Us Who We Are
This moving Ted talk, Andrew Solomon focuses on creating meaning with our struggles in life and how the worst moments are not dead ends. Even during our hardest times, we should never give up. Sharing his own personal struggles really moved me and I like that he shared actionable ways to overcome our traumas. He states, it’s important to “take the traumas and make them part of who you’ve come to be, and fold the worst events of your life into a narrative of triumph, evincing a better self in response to things that hurt.”
7. Magnus Walker: Go With Your Gut Feeling
I always say that trusting you gut is often the best strategy. The gut feeling is real and we do use it all the time. However, when we hear the phrase “go with your gut,” we automatically think uncertainty. In this Ted Talk, Magnus Walker shares his life journey and how going with his gut eventually turned his dream into reality.
8. Tomislav Perko: How To Travel The World With Almost No Money
I remember watching this Ted Talk two years ago and I was inspired. He showed me that it’s not impossible to travel with little money. Often times, what holds people back from traveling is money. People tend to think that you need be rich to travel but that’s simply not the case. I know, I’ve done it a few times and I’m far from rich. Tomislav Perko has traveled the world for years with little money and here he shares how it’s possible for others to do the same.
9. Brené Brown: The Power of Vulnerability
Being vulnerable is a great gift to give others when we let them see behind the emotional mask or wall. You become raw and real with others and it connects us in ways you’ve never imagined. Brene Brown shares how vulnerability can make our lives better. Vulnerability can be a street fight for people but it’s well worth it.
10. Amanda Palmer: The Art of Asking
Amanda Palmer and her band made it an art to ask people for help with just about anything. She started with asking fans directly and through social media and the amount of love she received was enormous. She examines the relationship between artist and a fan. A great message that it’s okay to ask without feeling shame.
11. Tim Urban: Inside The Mind of A Master Procrastinator
Are you a habitual procrastinator? This is one intriguing Ted talk you should definitely watch. Tim Urban is also no stranger to procrastination and he describes how he’s become a master of it. I like that he explains a problem without touching on a solution. It kinda of leaves you to think about what to do on your own and the type of workflow that’s suitable for you.
12. Kate Bowler: “Everything Happens For A Reason” – and Other Lies I Loved
Kate Bowler shares an emotional Ted Talk about the realities of life and how even in the perfect world you designed for yourself, bad things can still happen. No one gets an easy ride. This video really moved me to tears. If there’s one Ted Talk to watch from this list, it’s this one.
13. Chris Bailey: How To Get Your Brain To Focus
Staying on task can be difficult especially when there are so many distractions thrown at us in today’s always-connected world. Our ability to focus can mean the difference between success and failure. Even Warren Buffett and Bill Gates said “focus” was the most important factor in their life successes. In this video, Chris Bailey talks about how our ability to focus is the key to productivity, creativity, and living a meaningful life.
14. Matt Walker: Sleep Is Your Superpower
In this Ted Talk, Matt Walker shares the good things that happen when we get some shut-eye — and the alarmingly bad things that happen when you don’t, for both the brain and body. He talks about how sleep has an impact on our learning, memory, immune system and even our genetic code (yes our DNA)- including some powerful tips for getting some sleep.
15. Sarah Knight: The Magic of Not Giving A F***
This is a rule that I live by. In her humorous talk, Sarah Knight discusses her “Not Sorry Method” and why we should stop spending our already limited time on things you don’t want to do especially if it’s to your emotional and financial detriment. Ask yourself, “How much of my life do I spend pleasing people?” If it’s a lot, her bottom-line advice is to: stop giving a f*ck.
16. Luvvie Ajayi: Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable
A beautiful uplifting talk from Luvvie Ajayi that encourages others to not be afraid to speak up and how being silent doesn’t serve anyone. It can be hard sometimes for me to step outside of my comfort zone and confront fears. I like that she challenges us to go past our comfort zone and how doing so will help us grow as an individual. In a world that want us to whisper we should all yell.
17. The Minimalists: The Art of Letting Go
Through a powerful story of having to clean out his mother’s house after her death, this speaker shares how this situation led him to examine his own life and accumulation of “things.” He embarked on a minimalistic approach to cleaning out his home and his life and realized that he needed to let go of what was weighing him down in order to move forward.
Ask yourself if you’re just a well-organized hoarder. How might your life be better with less? Answering this will help you learn the purpose of minimalism.
18. Brittany Packnett: How To Build Your Confidence and Spark It In Others
A very motivating and inspiring talk from Brittany Packnett where she shares ways to build our own confidence how one can encourage the level of others confidence. I love how she pointed out that most of us lose our confidence because we are forced to live according to someone else’s standards. So true!
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