TED Talks and TEDx Events can be life-changing, and the TEDxHyderabad event on September 25, 2016, was no different. Poignant stories of people who explored opportunities, battled their fears, overcame adversity, and crafted their futures, here are my top 6 lessons from TEDxHyderabad 2016.
1. The beauty and power of stories of human endeavor remain unmatched. The simple yet endearing narratives convey profound messages in such an easy going way that something within you, shifts. The stories of Kiran Kanojia, Jaahnavi Sriperambuduru, Srikanth Bolla were outstanding. Do we use stories enough – to connect, to inspire, to drive home our message? As we keep running our lives perhaps we should take inspiring story breaks not gossip breaks.
And while we’re talking of breaks, what are your “Break” rules at home?
2. Faced with adversity – the human spirit seems to break through, and normal people seem to find grit, determination and motivation that was previously unknown even to them. To me it meant that we need to open the right tap within ourselves and perhaps not everyone needs to wait for an adversity.
3. Age and stereotypes are limits we impose on ourselves – a 14 year old Indian girl scaling the most dangerous mountain peaks in the world – inspired by her father. With the right inspiration and support anything is possible. Are you an inspiration to someone? Anyone?
Every story has a different definition of success, but What Does Success Mean to You?
4. Where there is a survival need – people will learn, adapt and thrive. Uneducated fishermen using WhatsApp in the ocean to pre-sell their catch by sending photos of fish they caught to prospective buyers versus you and me using it to forward others’ messages. Big eye opener – technology is a great leveler, what economics separates, technology converges. Rural India is ready, more ready than you think – to be taken seriously.
5. The voice of the urban and influential is not always representative of the majority and when we ignore the other voices, we tend to learn lessons the hard way – Brexit was one such instance. Inclusive practices need more real action than just lip service be it at home, work or the country.
6. If you try hard enough and persist long enough – you can find a solution to any problem – as Chinthakindi Mallesham, the weaver indicated in his story. Are you willing to follow your passion and never give up?