I love TED.
It was an honor to be asked to speak at a TEDx event.
TED has a huge value in the world. It brings a hugely cosmopolitan, truly diverse
set of speakers, offering to a global audience, in user-ready chunks, access
to stimulation, education and entertainment through an awe-inspiring range of
subjects. Never have so few presented so much to so many.
We laugh, we cry, we go Wow. We applaud (sometimes standing) if we are in the
audience. And we do the equivalent of applause if we are online: we go to the
Comments section and tell everyone what we think (and almost always that will
prompt someone else to tell us that their thinking is smarter than our thinking).
But spreading ideas – even the most worthy ones – is not enough.
And that’s what my TEDx talk on the power of language is about.
I want to remind myself that I could spend all day in a room with some of the
most amazing people in the world
Like the one virtual ‘room’ that TED represents
Sharing opinions and spreading ideas and thoughts and viewpoints
And at the end of that day, nothing yet has happened.
Even when someone – or even everyone – agrees with me!
Stlll, the world has not changed.
Have you not noticed? The world is not changed by people getting together and
agreeing they are right.
Have you ever been Inspired by a TED talk? Good. But there is no change yet.
Have you ever been moved and touched by a TED talk? Good. But there is no
change yet.
Have you ever been given a new and powerful understanding about a topic that
matters to you?
Good.
But there is no change yet.
But if I remind myself to shift into the language of commitment…
I was inspired and here’s what I am committed to doing about it.
Then things can begin to move…
That’s personal sustainability.
And then in fact I don’t need to worry about changing the world
I need to be concerned enough to change myself from someone who has a
concern about something to someone who is a cause for something
Then I need to be in powerful conversations with others – designed to produce
action – not ‘being right together’ – action – whether in baby steps or in giant leaps
through clear requests and bold promises.
And that’s what my TEDx talk is about.
Because nothing moves your life forward better than commitment spoken out
loud…
