This time I will focus on the Top 5 TED talks about Personal Development. TED is a great resource for informative videos. It is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks by people who have something interesting to share.
There is a major shift happening nowadays in the area of self-development. More and more people are becoming mindful and conscious of their choices and thoughts. Prior to reading and listening to self-development books, watching educational videos, such as the ones I linked below, I have been mostly going through life as someone who was reactive rather than proactive. Now, I am a firm believer that our thoughts create our reality and knowing that has changed the way I live my life for the best.
I am sure that you also have challenges that you are facing right now, or have some that you may not be even aware of yet. To overcome these challenges and become successful in what you do, take care of the following 3 things:
- Have a growth mindset, work to be a little better than yourself every day, rather than comparing yourself with others. Small, consistent victories over yourself every day.
- Be aware of your thoughts and reactions. Observe yourself with curiosity. Why does this make me happy/excited? Why does this make me angry/uncomfortable?
- Open up to receiving knowledge from books, videos, TED talks. People often sum up their life's work in those. Leverage other people's life experiences to kickstart your own growth.
I hope you enjoy this top 5 list that I compiled for you.
Amy Cuddy - Body Language
http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are
Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how "power posing" — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don't feel confident — can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.
Tim Urban - Mind of a master procrastinator
http://www.ted.com/talks/tim_urban_inside_the_mind_of_a_master_procrastinator
Tim Urban knows that procrastination doesn't make sense, but he's never been able to shake his habit of waiting until the last minute to get things done. In this hilarious and insightful talk, Urban takes us on a journey through YouTube binges, Wikipedia rabbit holes and bouts of staring out the window — and encourages us to think harder about what we're really procrastinating on, before we run out of time.
Judson Brewer - A simple way to break a bad habit
http://www.ted.com/talks/judson_brewer_a_simple_way_to_break_a_bad_habit
Can we break bad habits by being more curious about them? Psychiatrist Judson Brewer studies the relationship between mindfulness and addiction — from smoking to overeating to all those other things we do even though we know they're bad for us. Learn more about the mechanism of habit development and discover a simple but profound tactic that might help you beat your next urge to smoke, snack or check a text while driving.
Jia Jiang - What I learned from 100 days of rejection
http://www.ted.com/talks/jia_jiang_what_i_learned_from_100_days_of_rejection
Jia Jiang adventures boldly into a territory so many of us fear: rejection. By seeking out rejection for 100 days — from asking a stranger to borrow $100 to requesting a "burger refill" at a restaurant — Jiang desensitized himself to the pain and shame that rejection often brings and, in the process, discovered that simply asking for what you want can open up possibilities where you expect to find dead ends.
Carol Dweck - The power of believing that you can improve
http://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve
Carol Dweck researches “growth mindset” — the idea that we can grow our brain's capacity to learn and to solve problems. In this talk, she describes two ways to think about a problem that’s slightly too hard for you to solve. Are you not smart enough to solve it … or have you just not solved it yet? A great introduction to this influential field.