Fires, shoes and simplicity

This TED talk was short, sweet and to the point. A volunteer firefighter told a story about how once when he arrived on a fire he was chosen to get the homeowner a pair of shoes while another volunteer got chosen with the heroic duty of saving the dog. Which one do you think received more praise? It was the guy who saved the dog. However, this was not the point of the talk. Mark Bezos was trying to show that any small effort can be heroic. The little things do matter. He continued on to say that the woman wrote a letter thanking them for saving her home. She even mentioned that someone got her shoes. He was a hero to her. Maybe he won’t forever have a grandiose story to tell but he made someone’s day a little better. This TED talk reminded me a lot of my dad because he is a firefighter as well. He has a story about a time when he saved a cat from a fire. It was his first time saving a life from a fire and he was proud of it. Now, at the time he shrugged it off. It wasn’t a person or anything. But relating this to Mark Bezos’ story, he was in a position of envy; which all relates back to perspective.

My dads’ story and Mark Bezos’s story both had similar elements. Look at Marks’ side, he had to realize the little thing did help and was appreciated. My dad needed to realize that what he did was a big deal to someone. This TED talk was more simplistic than a lot that I have watched, but it really showed me how perspective can change things. Peoples’ outlook on life, even if only tweaked a little, can really change how the world seems. This idea inspires me to try and look at my life from different angles more often. For example, soccer this season has been an interesting ride. A couple weeks ago I got moved up to JV, but I have not been playing so great. I just have really put the pressure on and gotten way too nervous. I have been thinking that there is an entire team of girls who wish they had the chance I have. I need to just appreciate this.

This TED talk gave me a quick reminder to relax and put it all in perspective. Now, this was not his point. His point was to not wait to be a hero and get out there and help the world. I really agree with this too. People should try small acts of kindness because it may mean the world to someone. However, relating this to the story of my dad really turned some things around in my head. It was quirky and light hearted and I really enjoyed that. I feel like TED talks should encourage smiles and hopefully I can do that with mine.

Eyepatches and English homework

826 Valencia is an inspiring pirate supply shop that tutors on the side. It’s not just inspiring that this idea has spread and helped tons of schools and students. The most inspiring part is that it is kids taking charge of their education; kids want to learn and succeed outside of school. I think projects like this are the key to encouraging success. The one on one help really helps kids out, and like Dave Eggers says, it takes too much time to give each child one on one help. Fortunately, he has helped. Kids can go and talk with one person about their own life. They can sit down and work through their own ideas with someone who is dedicated to them. I think this idea is so great because when kids feel important and someone makes them feel like they matter- they want to succeed. The tutors fill them with confidence to succeed. In public school systems its’ inevitable that the kids are going to feel lost and feel like their teacher doesn’t have time for just them. I know personally that in class it is really hard to feel like my teachers are trying to help me learn. Which makes sense, they have an entire class to teach and then other classes and the students just pile up. The problem is not that the teachers don’t care; it’s that there simply is not enough time to dedicate personal time with every single kid. It is very easy for students to just quietly float by struggling or not struggling. This free tutoring idea makes kids feel important and feel like they can be smart. This kind of support is really important for kids. Kids need to be taught that they can mess up, they are still smart if they get tutored and they need to know they are worthy of someone else’s time. Way to often kids just give up and are no longer motivated because the teacher just gives them bad grades and they think they are worthless. This idea helps change that. Kids now have more motivation to get help

This kind of education is exactly what Pink talks about. He says things to be more creative. To me, this is such a different idea. The design is different- kids are doing English homework in a pirate supply shop. How crazy right? This whole volunteer-based, loose, easygoing way of helping kids is new and different. It makes people laugh and feel inspired to help the youth around them. Its’ empathetic in the sense that kids are benefiting and growing as writers. Now notice how its’ all about the kids. These adults have this revolutionary idea that benefits the kids which brings the community together. This is what is so important. This whole idea could not work without the children, and when they feel important and are being supported in their education they want to work harder and succeed. They get that curious fire going in them which leads to questions which leads to learning. These kids are motivated simply to learn. This is the future; the desire to learn increased in children. If schools can keep that fire alive the world will go in an innovative and creative direction. If every child can be encouraged to use their strengths to be the best they can be the world will take unique paths as these kids grow up. The future will be fun, bright and creative but only if the children are brought up being taught that they are wonderful how they are and they can change the world; and they can change it in their own way because they are their own person.

Be Awesome.

Attitude. Awareness. Authenticity. These are the three A’s of awesome. Neil Pasricha talks about these and his book in his TED talk. He begins with a brief summary of his life, hitting you the emotional blow of his divorce and a friend’s suicide. He then begins to talk about making his blog and how he came out of that tough time. He used the three A’s. The first one, attitude, seems like the one I connected with the least. He said that no matter how hard something is, you need to grieve and then look to the future. This is very hard for me and I think a lot of other people struggle with it as well. When something bad happens it is very hard to look at the positive. I admire Neil Pasricha for his ability to start a blog about what is awesome. I wish I could find that strength in me sometimes to be able to see the good in every situation. This makes me realize that maybe if I worked at that and tried to change my attitude that maybe things would work out better for me. When Pasricha started talking about awareness it really clicked with me. He mentioned finding your inner three year old. Kids are so curious and when they see things for the first time it amazes them; and it is always simple things. I feel like people need to harness this idea. If we let ourselves be amazed with the world and the small details then we can fully appreciate everything around us. His last idea about authenticity I thought was really interesting. A lot of people today are always trying to impress people or be a certain way. I think that if people just embrace who they are they will be happier. I know there are a lot of times when I’m trying to impress my friends or my parents so that they think I’m good enough for them. This is also a source of a lot of bad moods for me. I think people need to feel like they are good enough for themselves and no one else. If people would stop living for other people and start living for them then they will be more content with their lives. If people love who they are and do what they love, then they will love life. What matters is being yourself and that being good enough for you. People need to stop living to impress and start living to satisfy themselves. Neil Pasricha used these three A’s to come out of a tough time and now he’s giving a TED talk. Talk about a huge turn around. Imagine if everyone could come out of tough times like this and turn it into something inspiring for the world; people would constantly be changing for the better. I feel like bad times may seem like steps back at the time- but in the long run they make you grow and become stronger. That sounds cliché but I feel like it really is true. Bad times really do help us and when we look back we are always happy it happened. Life is an amazing thing that should be appreciated in its entirety for the short time we have it. Neil Pasricha closes with this idea that life is short and talks about how is dad always thought it was amazing that foods could be shipped from all around the world to right down the street from his house. This story made me laugh because I never realized how amazing that really was. It all relates to perspective and how you see the world. I think people need to use the three A’s and see the world for a beautiful thing rather than a source of unhappiness. This will create success and happiness in the world.

See the talk here

Go ahead, make mistakes.

Kathryn Schulz gave a TED talk was all about my worst fear- being wrong. She talks about how by age 9 we are taught that if we make mistakes we are not smart, we are lazy and we are not worthy. We then strive for a life of perfection. I know I see this in my own life because I constantly feel the need to have straight A’s and if I have a bad soccer practice I am really hard on myself about it. I feel this pressure that the only way to succeed is to be perfect. But what Schulz is saying is that it is human nature to be wrong. No one knows everything about the world; no one knows their purpose or meaning. People need to step back and say “I’m okay with not knowing”. This really relates to my own idea of the children mattering. Children, before schools starts picking out the losers and the winners, have an innate curiosity to learn and grow. They do not know that being wrong is bad; they simply make mistakes and grow from it. I think society needs to teach this to kids in school to keep trying and learning rather than making them feel dumb for getting stuff wrong. If kids can be taught to accept being wrong and then retain this throughout their whole lives they will gain a new, open mind towards people and life. Adults are usually very stuck in their ways and hate being wrong. They tend to think that their opinion is always right…but it’s an opinion. People need to be more accepting to this and listen to others. I think that if people act more like children do, curious about new information, the world could be a lot more peaceful. Sometimes people are wrong. We screw up, we fumble our words, we trip in the grocery store, and we act like we know a lot when we don’t. People are forever going to do this, but I think that we are okay with this aspect. What we are not okay with is getting called out for it. Think about someone fearless you know, someone who can always laugh at themselves when they are wrong and who doesn’t seem to care when they are. These are the kinds of people we need. And to me, children have this. They have this gift of fearless curiosity that just enables them to be able to do anything their minds can imagine. This goes to relate to Pink. He says the future is going to be more creative and innovative –this is going to require mistakes. Some of the best ideas come from mistakes and experimenting, but without the ability to accept being wrong- these mistakes won’t happen. Being wrong is scary, and not knowing how things are going to turn out is even scarier. But if people can embrace that being wrong is alright, then they can succeed. People need to learn that perfection should not be there goal. This sounds really difficult to achieve, but I think that is only because these ideas are stomped out of us when we are kids. School teaches us that we must be smart and get good grades and not make mistakes. However, schools should be teaching kids that messing up is acceptable and help kids use their mistakes to grow. What matters to the success of the future is messing up; it will help create this creative and inspired society the Pink describes. And it starts with the children and encouraging them to explore and be wrong and learn.

Kathryn Schulz talk here

Cognitive Surplus can Change the World

Clay Shirky was a very strong speaker. His main idea was cognitive surplus. This idea is that everyone uses what they know and combines it for everyone to have access to. This idea is a wonderful idea because it relates to the future that Dan Pink describes. Dan Pink thinks the future is going to more creative and out of the box. This idea combined with cognitive surplus shows one thing. Information is everywhere. Anyone can fairly easily find out information about almost anything. I like this because it has endless possibilities. Everyone in the world can give any ideas, information and opinions that they have. There is an abundance of information in availability. The problem is no longer finding information; the problem is doing something with that information. What matters to me from this talk is not that everyone has access to information and has the ability to share information. What matters to me is that this information can be used to change the world. If people do not use this surplus of collective information to better something else in the world, then it is a waste. I think people should find where there is a large malaria breakout somewhere in Africa, find out how to help out and then act upon it. I think people should find where there has been a large natural disaster somewhere in the world, find out what that area needs, and act upon it. Clay Shirky is right; everyone should contribute and use the intrinsic motivation in them to share with the world. However, I think he did not go deep enough. People need to act upon this information. Part of the generous community he talks about is giving the information, but what good is the information if no one uses it to better the world? I think the other half that Shirky does not mention is taking this information, finding out what it means to you and then doing something with it. It does not have to even be something world changing. Maybe you find out a local recreation center needs extra volunteers to help out with kids’ summer camps. You then research good art projects for the age group you will be helping out. The summer camp then becomes a great experience for you and the kids you volunteered to watch for half a day for a week. By sharing and receiving information, the world can easily be more knowledgeable. Being more knowledgeable is good for the world, but imagine what could happen if nearly everyone was reaching out in little or big ways to better the world with the information they can now receive. It would be a worldwide step toward peace and happiness for everyone. This is what matters, creating happiness in yourself and others.

Clay Shirky was a powerful speaker with an interesting idea. He told stories, sly jokes and used pictures to his advantage. He gave a great idea, however I think there was a deeper message to be had from his talk. I hope in my talk to go really deep with the audience and really hit home with them. What matters is the future, the children and the betterment of the world by using all the information everyone in the world has to offer. It’s a thing called generosity that is lost through the ages as we grow up and focus on personal success. What if personal success and world betterment were the same thing for everyone?