Psychology Professor Dan Gilbert explains how the brain has developed a habit of predicting how happy we will be in a given situation-in other words, already determining our happiness from past situations and circumstances. The Surprising Science Of Happiness by Dan Gilbert. Believe it or not, science can tell us about how we can achieve happiness. He raises the idea that the more ways we have to connect-email, social media, texting, and so on-the more we seek to unplug. In a counterintuitive and lyrical meditation, this inspiring writer talks about the unexpected adventure of staying put. Too often we associate vulnerability with emotions like fear, shame, and uncertainty, when we should also correlate it with joy, creativity, and belonging. She asks the question, “Is vulnerability the same as weakness?”. The Power Of Vulnerability by Brene Brown. Brene Brown studies human connection-our ability to empathize, love, and belong. What We Learn Before We’re Born by Annie Murphy Paul. This discussion professes the idea that the conditions before birth tremendously influence our individual characteristics and shape the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of the developing baby for the rest of its life. In this talk, she encourages listeners to grow, explore, take risks, and challenge yourself through self-belief and self-motivation.
If I Should Have A Daughter by Sarah Kay. Spoken-word poet Sarah Kay recites a poem and gives a speech that applies to all of life’s important moments. From Brene Brown taking on the power of vulnerability to a rumination on whether schools are killing our ability to be creative, take your pick, grab some popcorn, and dive in. This lyrical and inspiring book expands on a new idea, offering a way forward for all those feeling affected by the frenetic pace of our modern world.Once you’ve finally put the kids to bed and you’re ready for some much needed/deserved “me” time, why not dive into something a bit more inspirational than Game of Thrones? Not sure where to start? We’ve rounded up 16 of our favorite TED Talks that are sure to uplift your spirit and get your wheels turning. In 2013, Pico Iyer gave a blockbuster TED Talk. Ultimately, Iyer shows that, in this age of constant movement and connectedness, perhaps staying in one place is a more exciting prospect, and a greater necessity than ever before. The Art of Stillness paints a picture of why so many-from Marcel Proust to Mahatma Gandhi to Emily Dickinson-have found richness in stillness.
Growing trends like observing an "Internet Sabbath"-turning off online connections from Friday night to Monday morning-highlight how increasingly desperate many of us are to unplug and bring stillness into our lives. These aren't New Age fads so much as ways to rediscover the wisdom of an earlier age. He reflects that this is perhaps the reason why many people-even those with no religious commitment-seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or seeking silent retreats. Iyer also draws on his own experiences as a travel writer to explore why advances in technology are making us more likely to retreat. In The Art of Stillness-a TED Books release-Iyer investigate the lives of people who have made a life seeking stillness: from Matthieu Ricard, a Frenchman with a PhD in molecular biology who left a promising scientific career to become a Tibetan monk, to revered singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, who traded the pleasures of the senses for several years of living the near-silent life of meditation as a Zen monk. There's never been a greater need to slow down, tune out and give ourselves permission to be still. Why might a lifelong traveler like Pico Iyer, who has journeyed from Easter Island to Ethiopia, Cuba to Kathmandu, think that sitting quietly in a room might be the ultimate adventure? Because in our madly accelerating world, our lives are crowded, chaotic and noisy. A follow up to Pico Iyer's essay "The Joy of Quiet," The Art of Stillness considers the unexpected adventure of staying put and reveals a counterintuitive truth: The more ways we have to connect, the more we seem desperate to unplug.