Ted Talks and Other Good Things

Gifts of Poetry

Ted Talks below:

Nature Beauty and Gratitude

10 minutes – Nature’s beauty can be fleeting — but not through Louie Schwartzberg’s lens. His stunning time-lapse photography, accompanied by powerful words from Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast, serves as a meditation on being grateful for every day.How

How to Prepare For a Good Death

20 minutes – BJ Miller, Palliative Care Physician and head of the Zen Hospice Project has wise words and solid advice about death and dying. A talk to be savoured as he asks big questions about honouring death and life. He  introduces creative and brilliant ways to re-in-vision the entire business of death and dying. I was spellbound for the entire 20 minutes and I cannot recommend this profound talk highly enough. I am indebted to my friend and colleague Teresa for introducing BJ Miller to me.

The Art of Stillness

15 minutes –  A fresh and wise look at stillness with Pico Iyer.

Tim Urban on Procrastination

15 minutes – This is a funny, entertaining and ultimately wise talk, no matter how many moments of procrastination you experience.

The Power of Vulnerability

20 minutes – This older talk by Dr. Brene Brown is one of the most popular Ted Talks and for a good reason. Contains good humour, stories and wisdom.

3 Things I learned While my Plane Crashed

5 minutes – Ric Elias had a front-row seat on Flight 1549, the plane that crash-landed in the Hudson River in New York in January 2009. What went through his mind as the doomed plane went down?

What Makes a Good Life

15 minutes – Robert Waldinger is the Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the most comprehensive longitudinal studies in history.  He has unprecedented access to data on true happiness and satisfaction. In this talk, he shares three important lessons learned from the study as well as some practical, old-as-the-hills wisdom on how to build a fulfilling, long life. (note: this is not a glitzy talk but it is an excellent one. Some surprises. Worthwhile watching)

The  Blue Zones or How to Live to be 100

20 minutes – I am not suggesting this Ted Talk because of the possible outcome. I find it interesting because of the common factors in each of these blue zones for improving the quality of everyday life. I am not a proponent of outcomes but I am very keen on what lowers risk and ups our chances of living well.