Personal growth is a lifelong journey. Much of what we see on this topic focuses on this long-term process. While looking at this big picture perspective is important, small wins are what keep you going. This series of TED Talks is chock full of ideas so simple you can implement them today. Simple ideas that will change your life – instantly!
Want to Be Happy? – David Steindl-Rast
Top Takeaways
- “It is not happiness that makes you grateful. It’s gratefulness that makes you happy.” By becoming aware that every moment is a gift, we can learn to live in gratitude.
- Strength comes when we learn to see difficult situations as an opportunity to learn something new. To become more grateful, “we need to learn to stop, look, and go.”
- Gratefulness can change our world. “If you’re grateful, you’re not fearful. If you’re not fearful, you’re not violent. If you’re grateful, you act out of a sense of enough and not out of a sense of scarcity. If you’re grateful, you’re enjoying the differences between people and you are respectful toward everybody.”
[bctt tweet=”It is not happiness that makes you grateful. It’s gratefulness that makes you happy. – David Steindl-Rast” username=”hollyascherer”]
Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are – Amy Cuddy
Top Takeaways
- “When it comes to power, we complement other’s nonverbals.”
- “Our nonverbals govern how other people think and feel about us.” “Our nonverbals govern how we think and feel about ourselves.” “The body can change our minds … and our minds change our behavior … and our behavior changes our outcomes.”
- You can change the level of testosterone and cortisol in just two minutes of practicing a power pose. Do it over and to “fake it until you become it.” “Tiny tweaks = big changes.”
[bctt tweet=”Fake it until you become it. – Amy Cuddy” username=”hollyascherer”]
Want to Sound Like a Leader? – Laura Sicola
Top Takeaways
- 38 percent of how you are judged as a speaker is in the tonality of your voice. 7 percent is based on the actual words. 55 percent is nonverbal cues. Most speakers spend the vast majority of their preparation time working on the content. However, sounding credible during the delivery is more important.
- Strategically using tonality helps the listener focus on the most important parts of the message. This helps them understand and remember what you’re saying. When saying your first name, make your tone go up. Pause and when you’re saying your last name, make your tone go down.
- “Part of vocal executive presence is the ability to read an audience and identify the kind of person from whom they would be most open to receiving your message and then figure out what that kind of person would sound like.”
[bctt tweet=”7 percent of how you are judged as a speaker is based on the actual words. – Laura Sicola” username=”hollyascherer”]
