Quick Life Lessons from Ted Talks

Fear of Loss motivates behavior change more than Potential to Win – David Asch

“There is almost nothing outside of you that will help in any kind of lasting way, unless you’re waiting for an organ. You can’t buy, achieve or date serenity and peace of mind. This is the most horrible truth, and I so resent it. But it’s an inside job, and we can’t arrange peace or lasting improvement for the people we love most in the world. They have to find their own ways, their own answers…Our help is usually not very helpful. Our help is often toxic. And help is the sunny side of control. Stop helping so much. Don’t get your help and goodness all over everybody.” – Anne Lamott

“Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.” – Robert Waldinger

“The radical acceptance of all of our emotions is the cornerstone to resilience, thriving, and true, authentic happiness. But emotional agility is more that just an acceptance of emotions. We also know that accuracy matters. We often use quick and easy labels to describe our feelings. “I’m stressed” is the most common one I hear. But there’s a world of difference between stress and disappointment or stress and that knowing dread of “I’m in the wrong career.” When we label our emotions accurately, we are more able to discern the precise cause of our feelings. And what scientists call the readiness potential in our brain is activated, allowing us to take concrete steps. But not just any steps — the right steps for us. Because our emotions are data.” – Susan David

“Curiosity invites people to be in charge of their own learning [Inspire Curiosity rather than provide criticism]. Permission, community, curiosity: all of these are the things that we will need to breed confidence. ” – Brittany Packnett

Fred Rogers Selflessness

Creator of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood which ran for 31 years from when he was 33 to when he was 64, Fred Rogers used his acceptance speech to focus on others rather than himself.

“Even while accepting a reward for his own achievement, he helps everyone think of their lives, their accomplishments, and their loved ones who helped them along the way. The selflessness of Mr. Rogers is beautiful thing.” – whiffster on Reddit

Make Memories for Yourself

Dave Chapelle is a stand up comedian who was honored for his success with the Mark Twain Prize in 2019. The ceremony is made up of professional comedians talking about Dave, and ends with Dave talking about himself.

What I learned about Dave through the stories his colleagues told of him, and from what he explicitly said during his end of night speech, is that life is about making memories. That is his guiding life philosophy. That is how he makes decisions. That is how he lives his life. And I think it is an idea worth noting, worth sharing with you, worth emulating as well.

Most moments pass by and are nothing special, and if you don’t take action, that’s going to be most of your life. Train your mind to recognize opportunities to get something out of nothing. Look for actions you can take to make a memory out of a situation that otherwise wouldn’t be memorable. Be an active participant in the creation of the memories of your life. Make memories for yourself.