“Ideas worth spreading.”
This past week, I attended TEDxFargo, our community’s annual event.
I dig TEDxFargo. I dig TED talks. I dig pretty much any type of conference, event, or learning opportunity. I love the inspiration, connections, and change of pace a day like this offers and I’m grateful my company and boss encouraged me to attend.
Unpacking my notes & inspiration from TEDxFargo
As one would expect from a TED event, there were a ton of great speakers and different reasons for their greatness. They all varied in their style and delivery and the way they connected their stories to the key message. I jotted down a ton of notes and walked away with a lot of inspiration for story ideas.
But outside of the new ideas and fresh inspiration, one of the things I love about events is they’re often a good reminder of what we already know. They’re things we don’t always think about and we need to hear, like why to take a rest day or hey, you – drink more water.
All of this in mind, I figured this week’s blog would be inspired by TEDxFargo…the big question was which message or key piece of inspiration would I start with?
I had a tough time choosing just one. Oh, the irony! So instead, I want to share 10 of my favorite quotes from TEDxFargo speakers, the messages that most resonated with me.
1. A woman named Ashley proved that being crafty and creative is good for our wellness (I’m onboard but I still suck at it…does writing count?).
2. A man named Dave reminded us that there’s something more important, bigger than any one person or business goals – community (it’s all about community).
3. A human beatbox named Bjorn made me think about the value of cardio conditioning for our everyday lives (duh) and the importance of good breathing technique (ah ha!).
Energy & lots of it at TED in Fargo
4. A woman named Aneela bravely gave us the okay to come to terms with what we’re ashamed of in ourselves (hi, I’m Lindsay and I’m an aggressive sweater).
5. A man named Lonnie made the case for a simple approach to life and stuff (hello, minimalism).
6. A woman named Sady opened our eyes to, instead of seeing someone’s disability, to see their ability (and not to judge a book by its cover).
7. A woman named Jean asked us to think about the perspective, “What if life really is all about learning lessons?” (and not in the adult-wagging-their-finger, ‘I hope you learned your lesson’ way.)
8. A man named Cory challenged us to rethink the way we measure and evaluate our childrens’ success (and perhaps our own).
9. A man named David pointed out that great things are accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit (true teamwork).
10. A woman named Annie encouraged us to embrace our weirdness (I mean, we’re all a little weird, right?).
I imagine several forthcoming blogs that will be inspired by the words I heard, ideas that came to me, and notes I scribbled at this year’s TED event in Fargo. But, for now, I hope these little takeaways are something you can chew on, too.
Did you attend TEDxFargo or have you attended a TED event, either in person or watch a talk that resonated? What’s a powerful lesson you’ve learned from a TED talk – bonus if it has a wellness component. The comments are your space to share thoughts so please do so. Or, connect with me @lindsayinreallife on Instagram or @LindsayIRL on Twitter.