Top 7 TED Talks To Boost Your Mood

TED Talks have become increasingly popular, and are an excellent way to gain knowledge or to become inspired. If you are seeking motivation or encouragement, check out these talks!

TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) talks cover a range of subject matter, and are a wonderful source for learning. The speakers at the event, like the topics, are varied and can bring forth a variety of emotions.

Some are incredibly inspirational, some are quick-witted and others are simply brilliant and thought-provoking. I really enjoy learning, and will quite often play one of these while I am working.

I have found that TED talks, for me, are an excellent source of inspiration when perhaps I need an injection of a “you can do it!” attitude. Also, sometimes, when I am feeling lazy and defeated, I will listen to one of these and, by the end, have a more positive conjecture and feel much more capable.

If you are like me, and need either a dose of inspiration or motivation from time to time, here are some TED talks you can’t miss!

1. “Love, No Matter What”- Andrew Solomon

Andrew Solomon is truly one of my favorite speakers and authors. In this talk, he discusses the concepts of identity, culture and unconditional love as it relates to those who often are seen as different from mainstream society.

Solomon’s talk is funny at times, thought-provoking and eloquent. You will come away from this talk rethinking your views about others, and feeling motivated to extend care to people every day.

2. “My Daughter, Malala”- Ziauddin Yousafzai

This is a heart-warming, touching talk given by the father of Malala Yousafzai, the girl who stood up for the rights of girls to obtain education and was shot by the Taliban for doing so.

She truly is inspiring, a survivor, and shining example of what it means to stand up for what you believe in. Ziauddin is clearly very proud of his daughter, and his admiration shines through in his talk.

3. “The 3 As of Awesome”- Neil Pasricha

Neil Pasricha is the blogger behind 1,000 Awesome Things as well as the author of The Book of Awesome. He discusses how negative events and tragedy in his life led him to writing this amazing blog, and developed into something he could have never dreamed possible before.

Neil also discusses the keys to success, which allowed him to get to where he is today. His talk is funny at times, sad at others and inspiring. It will definitely leave you feeling motivated to accomplish your dreams. Watching this made me feel inspired to continue to write and work towards my goal of making it my full-time career one day!

4. “We Need to Talk About an Injustice”- Bryan Stevenson

Bryan Stevenson is a lawyer in the southern United States and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. He is an extremely interesting speaker. I also have his book, and have listened to him being interviewed on various programs.

There are many stories he shares, which will make you disgusted and angry at the mistreatment those accused receive. You will become motivated to help others, or inspired to follow in his footsteps. Listening to this talk made me motivated to help out with more social justice causes in my city.

5. “The Myth of the Gay Agenda”- LZ Granderson

LZ Granderson’s talk is wonderful. He discusses how we hear the ‘gay lifestyle’ being referred to frequently, and the ‘gay agenda,’ and what that really means. The main point of his talk is that LGBT individuals are no different than anyone else, and deserve to be treated equally.

This talk starts off being quite humorous, but really has a serious point at the end. LZ’s presentation will make you think a bit more about your personal beliefs and judgments, and put yourself in others’ shoes. You will feel inspired to create awareness and stand up for the rights of those who are discriminated against in the end.

6. “How the Worst Moments in Our Lives Make Us Who We are”- Andrew Solomon

Did I mention how much I love Andrew Solomon? Yet again, Solomon is honest and eloquent. He talks about his struggles growing up, and how, over time, his life has come to be better than imaginable.

He also talks recent research conducted for his book, Far From The Tree, and the struggles people he interviewed have went through and overcome. This talk is intriguing, funny at times, heart-wrenching, and will leave you feeling motivated to change the world and how people think.

7. “It’s time to explode 4 taboos of parenting”- Rufus Griscom & Alisa Volkman

I am not a parent, but I have many friends who are. Rufus and Alisa are quite witty, and the points they make in this talk are excellent. They pull the curtains down and expose myths we all hear about parenting through reference to their own lives.

This couple is honest, funny and vulnerable at times. If you are a parent, or hope to be one someday, this is important to watch. You will finish this talk feeling better about yourself if you are experiencing some of the struggles Rufus and Alisa went through, or feeling more capable of taking on the challenges of parenthood someday.

Hopefully, you find these as inspiring as I do. Are you a regular TED watcher? Are there any other talk suggestions you have for readers? Any comments?

About the author

Lisa H.

Lisa is versatile, being a Psychology-trained addictions worker by day, writer by night. She enjoys traveling, dance, & can squat her body weight. Her dream is to integrate her education & love of writing into a sustaining career.

Add Comment

Click here to post a comment