7 Top TEDTalks
by Women

Mirjam Stoffels

F or a long time now I’m a fan of TED, the nonprofit devoted to ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’. Two annual conferences bringing people from Technology, Entertainment and Design together.

And lots of indepently organized TED events called TEDx[name-of-the-city]. TED brings knowledge and inspiration around the world [and you know I love that!], usually in the form of short, powerful talks of 18 minutes or less.

There are a numerous TEDTalks to watch on the internet. Visiting YouTube or TED.com gets you easily overwhelmed with the loads of inspiration you find there. And before you know it a whole weekend has passed you by [yes, that has happened...].

 
So here is a line up of some of my favorite TEDTalks by women. Some of them are already mentioned on seven2success.com, at on time or another…

I strongly recommend not watching them all in a row. Watch one each day and this will get you going for the whole week!

As said, these are just some of my favorite talks, because TED provides with so much inspiration that I could easily fill seven blogs with this. Stay tuned, because maybe I will!

 
#1
Amy Cuddy – ‘Your body language shapes who you are’
Our body language may not only affect how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy has this great TEDTalk about ‘power posing’. How standing in a posture of confidence, even when you don’t feel confident, affects the testosterone and cortisol levels in your brain, and might even have an impact on your chances for success. An essential talk for all young women!

‘Don’t fake it till you make it. Fake it till you become it.’ ~Amy Cuddy

 

 

 
#2
Ariana Huffington – ‘How to succeed? Get more sleep!’
In this short talk Arianna Huffington shares a little idea that can unlock millions of bigger ideas: the power of a good night’s sleep. Instead of us bragging about sleep deprivation, she insists that we close our eyes to see the bigger picture. With our eyes closed we can achieve greater productivity, more happiness and smarter decision-making.

‘We are literally going to sleep our way to the top, literally.’ ~Arianne Huffington

 

 

 
#3
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor – ‘My stroke of insight’
One morning, a blood vessel in Jill Bolte Taylor’s brain exploded. As a brain scientist, she realized she had a ringside seat to her own stroke. She watched as her brain functions shut down one by one: motion, speech, memory, self-awareness… She studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.

‘I am the life-force power of the universe. I am the life-force power of the 50 trillion beautiful molecular geniuses that make up my form, at one with all that is.’ ~Jill Bolte Taylor

 

 

 
#4
Adora Svitak – ‘What adults can learn from kids’
A prolific short story writer and blogger since age seven, Adora Svitak [now 16, 12 at the time of her Talk] speaks around the United States to adults and children as an advocate for literacy. According to Adora the world needs ‘childish’ thinking: bold ideas, wild creativity and especially optimism. Kids’ big dreams deserve high expectations, she says, starting with grownups’ willingness to learn from children as much as to teach.

‘You must lend an ear today, because we are the leaders of tomorrow’ ~Adora Svitak

 

 

 
#5
Maysoon Zayid – ‘I got 99 problems… Palsy is just one!’
‘I have cerebral palsy. I shake all the time’, Maysoon Zayid announces at the beginning of this exhilarating, hilarious talk [really, it is hilarious!]. ‘I’m like Shakira meets Muhammad Ali.’ With grace and wit, the Arab-American comedian takes us on a tour of her adventures as an actress, stand-up comic, philanthropist and advocate for the disabled.

‘If I can can, you can can!’ ~Maysoon Zahid

 

 

 
#6
Kelly McGonigal – ‘How to make stress your friend’
Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others. This amazing Talk can save your life!

‘Stress gives us access to our hearts. The compassionate heart that finds joy and meaning in connecting with others, and yes, your pounding physical heart, working so hard to give you strength and energy.’ ~Kelly McGonigal

 

 

 
#7
Ash Beckham – ‘Coming out of your closet’
In this touching talk, Ash Beckham offers a fresh approach to empathy and openness. It starts with understanding that everyone, at some point in their life, has experienced hardship. The only way out, says Beckham, is to open the door and step out of your closet. We all have our closets. All a closet is, is a hard conversation.

‘The experience of being in and coming out of the closet is universal. It is scary, and we hate it, and it needs to be done.’ ~Ash Beckham

 

 

 
‘Sharing is caring!’
Is your favorite TEDTalk missing in the list above? Tell us!
Maybe I haven’t even seen it… I doubt it but hey, try me!
Please leave the url to your favorite Talk [or other comments] in commentbox below!

Mirjam Stoffels

Founder of seven2success, author of ‘Daily Little Secrets to Success’ and guest blogger at Project Eve and 365 dagen succesvol. In my mission to make seven2success the biggest platform of knowledge and inspiration for women, I want to inspire you with our content! Check us out on Facebook and Twitter! I’d love to connect!  And do you want to inspire other women? Write for us!

 
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