I just had to share this video. It is absolutely fascinating and well worth the 22 min and 20 sec it takes to watch.
I hadn’t initially intended to post about my recent experiences with TED, but when I saw that video, I thought it definitely worth sharing (more videos below).
I’ve always loved TED Talks, and I think they’re a great way to spend a little procrastination time. They’re fascinating and inspiring, and they range from 3 min to 25 min or so in length. When I watch them, I feel not only like I’m taking a bit of a break, but also like I’m learning a very small but profound bit of information each time. Now, sometimes my brain just needs to zone, and this is probably not the activity I’d choose to fill that need. But most of the time, they give me a much needed lift and a bit of inspiration. I’m quite grateful for that.
My latest surge of TED Talk addiction has unfortunate beginnings in a hip injury I received while running.
Let me explain a bit. I love throwing on tennis shoes and walking out the front door for a jog. I love exercising outside. I love running around the city in the afternoons. I’ve done it in all kinds of weather. Among the things I almost can not ever bring myself to do lies running and other similar sports indoors. My brain feels like it’s dying on a treadmill or exercise bike, and my body misses the feel of adjusting to the elements (even if the elements are just uneven sidewalks). My whole being feels like it should be moving forward. My eyes search for the passing of scenery and find nothing that comes close. Is it really that bad? No. But my patience with indoor exercise wanes quickly. So getting an injury that prevents me from running outdoors can (as it has in the past) be the death of an exercise routine for me until I’m feeling better.
However, I’m trying to suck it up this time. I can’t run for now. Ok, I can accept that. But I can bike. And I really need to keep moving. I will not bike outdoors until the average temperature tops 50 deg. But I do have an indoor trainer. So now, instead of layering up and heading out into the frigid air and last rays of winter sun a few days a week, can I tolerate throwing on shorts and a T-shirt, putting my bike in the trainer, and riding indoors? Can I stick with it?
Well, this is where the TED Talks come in. I need a good distraction. From past experience, TV doesn’t work. Neither do movies, even the exciting ones (though they’re a little better, and Brian loves them and could bike for hours with them). I’ve even tried putting on YouTube videos of other people biking with helmet cams to give myself some scenery. They sort of work, but the videos are quite short, and so I have to loop several of them to ride long enough. Yet, somehow, TED Talks are perfect. I’m not quite sure why. They are not fast paced. They often involve watching one person on stage and sometimes include a few slides – not the most visually stimulating thing for a workout. There’s no soundtrack, nothing that seems like it will get and keep the blood pumping. And yet, I’m fascinated enough by the speakers and what I’m learning that I can pull up a stream of TED Talks, and, most of the time, my workouts fly by.
Go TED! For now, it’s rocking my world and helping me stay fit! Below I’ve posted a few more of some favorites. If you have ones you love, I’d love to hear about them and check them out! [Note: This is in no way an exhaustive list (nor do the views of the speakers necessarily represent my own views on the topics presented). These just happen to be the ones I’ve hit on so far that have left me high on life.]