5 TED Talks to Help You Love Yourself

In my last post about What I Learnt From My First Year in Business Development, I talked about how I was struck by an initial feeling of "being lost" once I had settled back into Nigeria last year - and how my biggest lesson after it all, was about Purpose.

This post, shares some of the most impactful TED talks I watched during my period of disorientation, that helped me to find myself again.

1. The Art of Being Yourself

At the top of my list is this talk delivered by Caroline McHugh, CEO of IDology, a movement dedicated to helping individuals and organisations be fully deployed, original versions of themselves.

In it she describes a fascinating framework for thinking about the self, and being yourself. The talk was especially powerful for me because I believe it arrived at an opportune moment - something she calls, an interval of possibility.

2. Why We All Need to Practice Emotional First Aid

In second place, is this talk by Guy Winch, a licenced Psychologist and Author who has been working with individuals, couples and families in his private practice in Manhattan, since 1992.

In his talk, Guy makes the point that we tend to value our bodies over our minds, and most of us have no idea how to manage our psychological health. Having suffered from rejection, loneliness, and a brief manic episode in the past, I could more than relate to everything that he said.

So if you're struggling emotionally, or if you have in the past, this talk is a good introduction on why and how to recover with good Emotional Hygiene.

3. Don't Regret, Regret

Third, is "Don't Regret, Regret" by Kathryn Schulz, Pulitzer Prize winning Staff Writer for the New Yorker.

This talk is important for the same reason that the Emotional Hygiene talk above is, but I've included it separately, because I think regret is a special kind of demon with the innate ability to resurrect itself at the slightest provocation. My regret was a long lost friendship. Her talk really helped me to embrace that regret, and stop seeing it as a sign of weakness or failure, but rather as a source of strength.

4. Embrace the Near Win

Having watched any or all of the above videos, it might be tempting to rush in excitement to make changes in our lives, expecting to immediately become a
perfect self. This, despite the fact that we know most significant lifestyle changes take time and perseverance.

This fourth talk by Art Historian and Critic Sarah Lewis, addresses this pursuit of perfection, and how we can propel ourselves towards it by embracing "the near win".

5. The Power of Vulnerability

This talk by Brené Brown, CEO of CourageWorks - an online learning community for individuals and organizations ready for braver living, loving, and leading, is actually one of my favourite TED talks of all time. I shared it for the 1st time on this blog 2 years ago, and since then, I've re-watched it several times.

It serves as a reminder to me, that I can and should ask for help when I need it - since I have found that sharing my struggles in the moment, isn't really my strong point. I've included it in this list, for those of you who may be like me, or who now realise that they need help, to encourage you to seek it.

Yet sometimes, after we’ve fussed
Sometimes, despite the cost
Sometimes, even when lost
We find solace and trust

Excerpt from Sometimes, a Poem by Me 🙂