When executed well, inspirational, educational, and motivational lectures and lessons are extremely powerful. Why? Because they express what we know, recognize, feel, believe, think, accept, imagine, hope, fear, desire, acknowledge, and/or have experienced as a life truth. They help us to understand that we are not alone and offer the hope we all need to plow through life's challenges to achieve our dreams.
Today I gathered some of my favorite videos in the hope that you will find just the inspiration you need to accomplish your next great thing. Enjoy!
Dr. Randy Pausch had only months to live when he gave this powerful and uplifting speech. Yes, you read that right: It is uplifting. It's not a talk about death, but rather about how to live.
My favorite quote: "Don't complain, just work harder--you can choose to take your finite time and effort and spend it complaining,- or you can spend it playing the game hard."
Storyteller/researcher Brene Brown studies human connection: our ability to empathize, belong, and love. This is a poignant, funny talk at TEDxHouston where she shares deep insights about vulnerability--something every entrepreneur needs to master--and her personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity.
My favorite quote: "There is only one variable between people who really have a sense of worthiness, love, and belonging and the folks who struggle for it. Those people who have a strong sense of belonging believe they are worthy of love and belonging."
Writer and lecturer Susan Cain offers powerful insights on the expectations placed on introverts in a culture that prizes social and outgoing personalities. You'll be pleasantly surprised with her research and discoveries that demonstrate the talent and abilities brought to this world by introverted people.
My favorite quote: "When psychologists look at the lives of the most creative people, what they find is that they are very good at advancing and exchanging ideas, but they also have a serious streak of introversion in them. This is because solitude is a crucial ingredient to creativity."
This little clip by Coca-Cola is a playful break to boost your confidence in mankind. It will also help to shape your perspective on how you market your brand. Notice that this promotion has little to do with the Coca-Cola brand and everything to do with touching and stimulating your emotions.
If you offer incentives and other traditional rewards for performance, you're doing it all wrong. Notable author and ex-chief speechwriter at the White House, Dan Pink, examines the puzzle of motivation and makes a case for rethinking how we run our businesses. He offers a thought-provoking idea for a new operating system for businesses that revolves around three principles: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
My favorite quote: "So many of our businesses don't work. It's not a feeling, it's not a philosophy, this is a fact. Incentives dull thinking and block creativity."
Simon Sinek presents a simple but powerful model for how leaders inspire action, starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?" With examples including Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers, Sinek will inspire you to connect with the "why" behind what you do.
My favorite quote: "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."
Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shares a very emotional, inspirational life story in this video. You'll see evidence that body language affects how others see us and may also change how we see ourselves. Fascinating research shows how "power poses" can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.
My favorite quote: "Don't fake it until you make it, fake it till you become it."
Guy Kawasaki shares surprising mistakes and misconceptions that you've probably experienced while growing your business. You don't have to run a startup to learn from this one.
My favorite quote: "The moment you take outside money, you have lost control of your company. Fifty one percent is an illusion of control; if you can't deal with that, don't take outside money."
Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock has placed himself in difficult, even dangerous positions to examine societal issues in a way that make them interesting and entertaining. Here he dives into the hidden, but influential world of brand marketing on his quest to make a completely sponsored film about sponsorship. (And yes, onstage naming rights for this talk were sponsored, too. By whom, and for how much? He'll tell you.)
My favorite quote: "When you train your employees to be risk-averse, you're preparing your whole company to be reward-challenged."
When was the last time you did absolutely nothing for 10 whole minutes? Mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe will convince you that refreshing your mind for 10 minutes a day will impact your entire life. Meditation will help you gain a different perspective.
My favorite quote: "We spend more time taking care of our clothes and cars than we do our minds."
What videos have helped to shape the way you think and succeed? Please share!
