As summer climbs into full-swing, most of you have probably started thinking of next semester and all the challenges it will bring with it.
I have compiled a list of five powerful TED talks which I believe every student needs to watch at some point during their University career. These are some incredible talks on the power of self-growth and ways to behave optimally in the world to yield the best results for yourself and those around you. In your times of success, failure, and on your journey to solidify your future, there will be a million roadblocks, detours and open-lanes—it will be overwhelming. However, what matters is how you bounce back, how you take on these opportunities, and how you shape yourself and the world around you!
Remember Bobcats, you are all stronger than you believe. These talks are focused on exactly that—the power within yourself to rise up and configure your brilliance.
- Angela Lee Duckworth: The key to success? Grit
http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit
Ever been told that success is predetermined? That those who are perceived as “smart” are the ones who eventually make the best living? Wrong!
“Grit is living life like it is a marathon, not a sprint”, Angela Lee Duckworth explains. She challenges the concept of the “fixed mindset” replacing it with the “growth mindset.” The “growth mindset” was conceptualized by Stanford University and is a way to empower yourself and achieve success.
- Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend
http://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend#t-405153
Afraid of being stressed out? Whether you’re waiting for school or taking summer classes, this TED talk will expand your view of what stress is and the role it plays in our lives. How do you look at stress? Is it helpful or harmful to you? Perception plays a key role in how stress can impact your life. Kelly McGonigal presents the idea that stress is beneficial.
- Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are
http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are#t-71130
Amy Cuddy talks about the importance of how you carry yourself, and how the simple act of having the right posture can impact your behavior and mind. Her tips can transform the way you perform in the classroom or in an interview; simply by being more aware of the way you sit or stand. She takes the saying “fake it till you make it” to a whole new level and encourages you to live in the reality you hope to reach.
- Amy Purdy: Living beyond limits
http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_purdy_living_beyond_limits
Adversity can be difficult to overcome. However, no matter how bad it gets, jumping back is always possible. In either personal or professional situations, building oneself and remaining strong is essential. In this talk, Amy Purdy speaks about how she jumped back up to face life after losing both her legs beneath her knees. She shared how she “lived beyond the limits” as she grew through her challenges and reached unthinkable potential.
- Steve Job’s 2005 Stanford Commencement Address
http://www.ted.com/talks/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die
Finally, although this particular talk was not given at a TED conference, it can be found in the TED library for good reason. This commencement address given by Steve Jobs at Stanford is easily one of the greatest compilations of advice and inspiration. He speaks about his personal experience with growth, and the vision that he hopes future generations of students will follow in their trek to finding themselves.
So, my dear Bobcats, believe in yourselves. Stay hungry, stay foolish!
Hope you found some valuable strings of knowledge and wisdom from these talks.
Eshita Nandini
Staff Writer
enadini@ucmerced.edu
Photo Credit:www.exacttarget.com