Selected Thoughts on TEDxRTP [Part 2]

This is a continuation of the TEDxRTP Part 1 post. Part 1 ended on food and that’s when we all took a 1 hour conversation and lunch break. After lunch we kicked off Part 2 of the event with a comedy skit by some DSI Comedy kids. And we did the wave. A few times. It all took off from there:

DSI Comedy. Skit. They’re right (Zach Ward & Jeff Brenman that is), we are improvising every minute of every day of our lives. A member from the crowd actually stood up a few hours later and said “I’m improvising right now by standing up and saying what’s on my mind. Zach Ward, you have made this experience a better one.” I hope that I’m quoting that mean somewhat correctly, but I think that gets the gist of it. Point being, we were all moved by everything we heard and we began to put new lessons into practice immediately.

Watch the skit here: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150111300675654

August Turak. Auther of Business Secrets of the Trappists. I wasn’t sure how August’s experience of working with Trappist monks for 13 years was going to apply to my life at all, but in fact one line said it all: “Talent is not in short supply, passion is in short supply.” It is so true for my generation and the rest of our society today. There are a lot of smart people out there. There are a lot of people who could change a tire, manage a business, write a book, or fly an airplane. For our society to grow, though, we need passionate people in those roles because passionate people are going to be the creative people. Why do we have so many smart, educated, and trained individuals who lack passion? This is something I’m going to be thinking about for the next few weeks, so look for more on this…

Jill Bolte Taylor. Stroke of Insight. This was a pre-recorded TED talk, but it still managed to provoke intense, yet varying responses. I for one was enthralled by the fact that she was able to witness her own stroke as a brain scientist. I just thought it was SO COOL. Meanwhile I saw someone else crying by the end of her talk. The next day my sister explained to me how Jill’s experience of the right brain separate from the left brain resonated with her in a spiritual way. Just goes to show how ideas can be interpreted in different ways by different people.

Catherine Cadden. Empathetic & Nonviolent Communication. Alright, so she’s my new idol. Seriously. If I were as calm and empathetic as her I know my attitude on life would improve ten-fold. I realize that changing automatic thoughts and reactions to situations are not easy because I’ve tried reading Buddhist literature and practicing in my own life, but it never seems to stick. All the more reason to appreciate what she does. I would love to take a workshop with her.

Sam Krishna. On Conversation. Thesis: Conversations are the basis for everything that happens. You know how much I love conversation. I wouldn’t have relationships with any of my readers without conversation. Think about how much some conversations have changed your life. Can you think of the most life-changing conversation of your life?

David Beaver. The Overview Institute. TEDx definitely ended with a BANG here. David spoke just like the crazy space scientist that he is. With a long grey beard and a black beret, David explained to us that they are currently building hotels in space as we speak and Virgin is planning to send the first tourists into space in 2011. This stuff gives me chills. Astronauts say that if everyone saw the Earth from space the world on Earth would be a completely different place. They say that nobody who has gone to space comes back unchanged. What would happen, really, if we sent all of our world’s leaders into space to see that it is, in fact, one Earth and the only one we have. Would it solve world peace? Everyone should read more about the Overview Effect.

And that ended TEDxRTP. At least for now. I hear a lot of buzz going around about starting up a TEDx for youth, smaller TEDx events on a more regular basis in Carborro, etc. Collaboration has only begun.