TED Talks For The Soul

Yesterday I posted on Instagram a quote about letting your intuition lead, and wrote about a recent TED Talk I'd listened to before going to sleep. It's become a bit of a ritual to queue up a talk and let it glide me into sleepytime. If I do this, I am guaranteed to catch at least one in full, and then I generally end up falling asleep part way through the second.

Part of the reason I love TED talks is because they are so bite sized and succinct. They also make my mission to consciously consume my entertainment super easy. What I mean by consciously consume is to pursue entertainment in a very intentional way. That doesn't mean I never watch fluff, because yes, I like to let go of consciousness every once and slip into fantasy land. I'm human. But, the purpose of this post isn't to talk about ways to shut off - it's about leaning into entertainment in a way that can intellectually and or spiritually...turn you on.

Below are a handful of my current favourite TEDs. I hope you'll enjoy them too and I'd love to know which ones have inspired and taught you - leave your recommendations in the comments if you feel like sharing!

This remains my favourite TED Talk of all time. It is fascinating and rivoting and will challenge your perception of reality as you know it. 

This talk is a bit controversial and suffered a ban originally. The point of the talk isn't to glorify drug use though, but to emphasize our autonomy as adults to choose to alter our consciousness if we so choose (while placing importance on responsibility). Graham Hancock uses DMT as the example, citing many profound and life changing experiences with the drug (which, by the way, our brain does naturally produce). I won't give you a real primer in DMT, but it's essentially a fantastically potent hallucinogen that takes its users on a wild, but almost always, spiritually inclined journey.

I believe we will see a rise in popularity in this concept of liminality. Truthfully, how many of us can breath a sigh of relief knowing we don't have to suck it in to fit a tight space. Following this TED, I created a document on my Google Drive called "My Island" and in it, I've begun to list all the things which surround it and which make it (me) unique. Not only cathartic, but also a powerful branding exercise! You'll have to watch the TED to understand what I'm talking about!

If fucks were bucks how would you spend them? Seriously, let's stop assuming we have unlimited fucks already and start prioritizing that shit! Yes, girl I'm so down for this!

Death and the discomfort it brings is poignantly challenged in this TED talk, which will both break your heart and give you hope. Warning: You will cry. Disclaimer: I'm crying right now just thinking about it.

And, we're coming full circle with the TED talk that inspired that Instagram post and ultimately this article. This talk is all the encouragement you need to really start leading with your intuition and aligning your path to the direction your inner compass points. It is both a guide and an anchor and if we can learn to trust it, we will witness the truest of transformations in our life. Guaranteed.

I hope you enjoyed some or all of those talks and I'd Iove to hear your thoughts or share your recommendations! Feel free to leave a comment below!

Stay inspired,
Julia