Why you will fail to have a great career | Larry Smith | TEDxUW
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Throughout his three-decade career here at the University of Waterloo, Larry Smith has inspired legions of students to take up the mantle of economics with his passionate and homespun tales of economic wizardry. A renowned story-teller, teacher and youth leadership champion, Larry has also coached and mentored countless numbers of students on start-up business management and career development strategies.
Having taught introductory microeconomics, macroeconomics and entrepreneurship classes, he recently celebrated assigning his 29,000th grade earlier this year.
Recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Award, Larry has also coached several of his former students to help them position and develop their businesses, the most famous of which is Research in Motion (RIM), maker of the revolutionary BlackBerry wireless mobile smartphone. Larry also sits on the advisory panels of start-ups to provide his guidance on financing and negotiation with investors and venture capitalists.
www.tedxuw.com/speakers/larry-...
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You can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love. -Jim Carrey
this is good. I'd say I get more out of this quote than the video.
aDotFromTheFuture Wonderful quote.
+eurikamerleau Many people need to be kicked in the face, by a talk like this, to realize how silly they are being. Can't really blame them with such a conformal society.
+aDotFromTheFuture A text means nothing. -a random fucking guy on the internet
joemiknor A random text indeed might not mean nothing, but the meaning behind that text does.
Watched this 10 years ago when I was at a crossroads in my life. I had been waiting tables for 7 years after graduating high school and felt completely lost. I always wanted to pursue art, but told myself it was impossible because I was too poor to afford school and probably wasn’t smart, or talented enough. This video was what started my journey. I have since graduated from one of the top animation schools in the world, am a published illustrator, worked on various animated projects including a film that won an Oscar, and now teach at multiple universities to inspire young people to do the same. Wild to think it all started here. This video always stuck with me and I can’t thank you enough! (:
Wow, what´s the name of the film?
@@nosemeocurreunnombredeusua2655 Erin McDermott is a published editorial cartoonist, design artist, and filmmaker from Charlotte, NC. She graduated CalArts with a BFA in Character Animation and has worked on projects such as the Oscar winning short, Hair Love, by Sony Pictures Animation.
@@ArifBasri 😂 detective
this is AMAZING! I'm 24 and two years ago I decided to pursue art even though my family repeatedly warned me against it. Now I'm in galleries, hotels, collaborating with designers, and was offered a residency in Brooklyn a few days ago! It's worth it, always. Love to see a fellow artist succeeding, it makes my heart happy :)
@@ArifBasri calarts.... *oh no*
I am currently driving a school bus. Pay is shit, but the fact is, best job I have ever had. The shift is over before it begins, 4 hours, goes by fast, leaves me plenty of time to continue my education at a self pace. Getting paid to cruise around the city, while being admired by youth is fulfilling. Can't say I love it, but it beats most of the higher paying full time jobs I have held that only left me with a large bank account but in a dead end. At least this job gives me the free time and opportunity to upgrade my skills. Time is more valuable than money.
I agree, time really is more important. As long as you have enough money to get by, it's better to have a job you enjoy, and more time to do what you want.
+Cleveland Indians Unless...
I don't know you. For all I know, you might be cool. But you are very, very, very gay. Who takes topless photos of themselves and posts that as their youtube photo? hah! gaaaaaaay.Monty K
Cleveland Indians Well, girls like masculine body. If you can only think of gays liking masculine body then indeed you are gay.
Monty K I think you're bisexual. Showing off your body to everyone.
I love the ending holy fuck. just ends in unless. just gave me tingles he doesn't tell us what to do... because he knows we already know what to do
+cr7ck5 BU WHAT IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO :'(
+Malavika Nair But you do. Think about it.
+Malavika Nair It's not easy, but it's simple. You need to make a career of whatever it is that you find the most interesting. The thing that you spend the most time with. The most money on. That is the direction of your passion. The thing that you love to think about and learn about when no one else is telling you what you should be doing.
+cr7ck5 it's exactly what i feel,,, i am afraid,,," unless"
+NI Founder Alright, mate. I will become a fucking amazing game developer.
To finish off. Unless. Unless you get up and do something about it and follow your passion to the full. Let nothing stop you. If you fail at your passion it's because you were afraid to try again. Keep trying. Get up when you fall. You will never have a great career, unless you are willing to sacrifice a bit of sleep, a bit of safety and security that you currently have. Fuck what society tells you and follow your passion.
I have your comment printed out and pasted on my wall. Thank you. Thank you so much for this comment. I've seen so many negative comments that claim to see the world in a "realistic" view and for people to stop following their dreams, it's hard to ignore the majority of the society that thinks that. And your one comment is a rarity that people need, the last sentence is my mantra. Fuck what society tells you.
Among all these comments here,I like yours the best. Thank you for posting your comments. Its helps a lot
Great comment mate! very well put :D
No kidding. I always loved art. From a little kid to a senior in highschool. Yet society loves to devalue the hell out of artists, musicians, actors etc. So I thought there was no way to make a viable career out of art. In college I tried computer science and engineering. I love computers, I like understanding how things work. But I could tell that I'd be miserable with that as a living. I'm now building up my illustration portfolio and already have some contact in EA. It's more work than I have ever done before trying to get my work to a decent quality, but it's an effort I could have never done for anything else.
Survivorship-Biaaasss
This guy should be the next Batman villain. I can picture him now. Trapping Batman, then sitting him tied up in a chair. And walking back and forth telling Batman, how he will never have a great career. And Batman crying saying, "Stop it...Enough!"
Unless. Unless...
I can totally imagine this guy as the The Penguin.
***** Could be, but for me The Riddler is this tall lanky guy wearing a spandex suit. Can't and don't want to imagine Larry Smith in a spandex suit. :?
"So, I can stand around and I can try to be The Riddler...but I know that I'll fail to be The Riddler. And then you think, 'but there are people out there who succeed at becoming The Riddler, but they are villains--but I'm not a villain! When I was five, I thought I was a villain...but Batman has beaten that idea out of my head long since..." And it just goes on like that. For hours.
Oh i know i know lets name him DR EVIL!
This guy's a master storyteller, probably the best and quirkiest of all the ted speakers
+Jam Mangubat Very quirky, haha
This almost had me crying. I'm sitting her at work (at an okay job) listening to him thinking "damn....". I've been mulling over the thought of going to med. school..... This TED talk, along with so many other conversations with peers, have made me make up my mind to go.
That's awesome! Go for it ! you only live once :D
+Bob from Accounting Smash it!!!! You can do it mate!
As he said, don't wait until you'll say "if only I had".. go for it!
Thanks guys. I think I am.
You dont want to be on your death bed thinking of all the things you could've done when you had time.... YOU HAVE TIME NOW! DO IT!! DON'T THINK! FOLLOW YOUR HEART !
I've watched thousands of TED Talks and this one is still my favorite.
130starfish did they survive it? :D
130starfish HILARIOUS!!!! LOL!!!
The antonym of fail is my favorite.
Wow, this man is amazing. This world desperately needs more brutally honest people like him, who will tell it like it is while offering hope at the same time. He pinpoints exactly what holds us back from becoming more than what we currently are. I'm done settling for an "okay job that pays the bills". Yes, we, unfortunately, need to pay for expenses and other things that require monetary compensation. However, if we suppress our individual purpose for this life we're currently living, we'll continue to feel stifled and unfulfilled. Yes, you can do "great" jobs all your life and still be fine, as long as you incorporate your true passion. You'd be surprised how your passion can, in fact, create a nice salary in the long-run. You just need to do the research and learn the ins and outs of your trade. Also, you MUST value yourself. As Larry mentioned, we're socially programmed to not be selfish and to only give ourselves "enough" credit to where it isn't excessive. Because of this conditioning, I'm still struggling to forget all that and be okay with loving myself. It's extremely hard, but only because my brain has been hardwired from a young age to accept limitations and to be "grateful" for the bare minimum. It's only recently that I truly discovered how limitless my potential really is, which ignited my passion even further. However, in order to move forward, I need to appreciate and love myself, flaws and all. Accepting failure has always been something I've never been able to accomplish and I know I'll need professional help with it. Gaining confidence after a life of believing I'm a burden on the world is gonna be a long road, but worth it in the end. Just know that your passion will benefit other people. It's in our nature to help each other, so we feel the most fulfillment when we've done something good for another. Love is greatest when it's shared. I hope that, when I finally find love and peace within myself, I can offer that love to as many people as possible in an even greater abundance. In fact, I share that with you all now. :) You're ALL loved, even if you don't believe it. You deserve happiness, fulfillment, laughter, joy, and above all, love.
one of my favourite TED talks
Thank you for your great words! It was a pleasure to read this!
Such an inspiring post. Thank you!
and love is free
wow thank you for this beautfull words
I think it's also important to note that passion can die. Take me for example: I followed my dream. I did what I really wanted to do: I studied language and literature and I was really good at it. They offered me a job in research at college which was what I always dreamt of since my senior years in high school. But then... But then... I realised the price you pay for "following your dream/your passion". And I'm not only talking about stress, insecurity concerning the renewal of your contract (at least that's how it works in research in the country I'm from), but also on a much deeper level. Having to produce "results". Seeing oneself forced to "lower the standards of research", because of dead lines etc. Having to agree with positions of superiors even though your research contradicts them and your conscience is not clear while doing so. Notising after a while of working in your field, that research, especially in the humanities is not based on "truth" and "true findings", based on plausibility etc., but rather just a vast collection of simple opinions, ideas and your personal conclusion that you yourself and your whole field are actually not really "productive", but rather simply talking, discussing numerous topics. I really did what I always wanted to do, what I was passionate about. But in the end after all the disappointments concerning the field I was in, the "laws" which structured it and much more, I actually lost my passion. I lost my respect for the field, and subsequently for myself as I was working in that field, as I chose something nobody could really benifit from, something that was just passion and dream and in the end not even that. I know for a fact that there are many people who are at the same point as I am. Even if you succeed, even if you get the job you always dreamt of in the field you were always passionate about... you can still "fail". You can loose your passion due to so many aspects of your "job". For example a teacher: passionate about teaching but confronted with students who are not interested. Don't you think he will loose his passion in the long run? Or even if the students are participating and so on. What about bad working conditions, educational politics which make your job unnecessary hard etc. If you follow your dream - even if you succeed - chances are you're going to not have a great career after all. And the thing is: If you see your job as one part of the equation of life. If you just want it to be okay, to be somewhat secure etc., you'll probably succeed in achieving that and will be contempt. And there will be so much more which make life worth living, so many other factors in your life which add to the contempt in your job; add up to happiness. But if you "only" follow your passion, if you place all your bets on one card, if you're willing to sacrifice a lot for that passion, chances are, even if you succeed, even if you reach the goal you always dreamt of, it won't be the great thing you and your idealistic mind made it out to be and you will struggle with your "fate". Sucessfull actors and actresses, sucessful painters, musicians. Don't they all have a really high rate of suicide and mental ilness amongst them? Even those who weren't famous during their lifetime (Nietzsche (philosopher), Van Gogh etc.)... They had great careers, they followed their passions and succeeded. But still lots of them were unhappy... And isn't that what it's all about? Being happy? The misleading conception a great career would make you happy? Maybe it's time to rethink that concept. Maybe the "great career" is not the "sure ingredient for happiness" people always made and still make it out to be. Jst a thought. :-) PS: Sorry for my English.
DemocracyHypocricy In my opinion,you get paid for a great career and you pay for your passion.If I got paid to run 6 hours in the scorching sun,I would have retired long ago.
DemocracyHypocricy It was nice reading your letter here, but... life is about living. Living meaning crying, laughing, dancing, arguing, confronting, betraying, obeying, anxiety, curiosity, exploring, working, studying, listening, depression, disappointment etc.. you get the point. Life is about expression. Life gives us the opportunity to experience every role even if we don't choose it. My concern would have to be, how to keep unblocking ourselves emotionally and mentally to reach new levels of enlightenment.
For the last 20 years,my wife wakes me up with a nice cup of tea.I still climb trees when we go out with our 3 teenage kids.Won an 800m track race running barefoot last year.Ran from work,18k,with homemade sandals,yesterday.Having breakfast with the whole family now,for me this is happiness,for the time being, and a great career is way down my happiness list although I enjoy my work as a medical imaging tech. Yes,life is about living and going out of your comfort zone to experiment new things or you will never know what you have been missing.My guess is that it may have something to do with the way our brain is wired and our environment not to mention our genetics.Wishing you a nice day.
Anna M. I really loved your comment, you described my thoughts completely, screw passion, go for balance and happiness! I, myself gave up a career in dentistry after completing school because it made me miserable and I lost sight of what is important in life.
There is no garantee that you would have succeed at what you don't like. Better fail at what you like than what you don't like...that's living. What I would say to someone who want to follow his dream is that, even if you follow your dream you just have to keep in my that there will be time you will want to rethink your decision and give up but that's just part of the game, those time will always be there no matter what career you choose. Just keep in mind that you have to keep going...keep believe and always remind yourself why you where there at the first place and it will be so much rewarding. Sure there are people who follow their dream and fall into depression but what would you say about those who don't must of the time they are always depression 'cause they fall into a trap that they might never get out of." You can fail at what you like, but you can as well fail at what you don't like but you have the chance to live the best like. But imagine failing at something you don't like, something that you did because of what others told you would be best for you. That's even more devasting. ALWAYS GO FOR YOUR DREAMS, YES YOU WILL FAIL AT SOMEPOINT. YOU WILL WANT TO GIVE UP FOR SURE JUST AS ANY OTHER THING DO CHOOSE TO DO WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. BUT IN CASE YOU SUCCEED YIUR HAPPYNESS WILL BE ACCOMPLISH.
He makes a lot of great points. Just a few additional thoughts: 1) A meaningful life certainly relies on the pursuit of one's passion. BUT this doesn't have to be in the form of a career (e.g. a person could be incredibly passionate about raising children as such and therefore also not be bitter about their children's dreams later on because they DID pursue their own passion by having children). In other words, finding and pursuing one's passion is vital, but the concept of what constitutes "meaning" is more general. It might not always be in the form of what we commonly regard as a "career", although it may well deserve that name in terms of the effort and skill that people put into it. I say this not because one shouldn't pursue the kind of great corporate or artistic career that many might think of when watching this video, but simply to argue that the points of Mr. Smith should not be viewed in a restrictive sense. 2) If you have found your passion, pursue it relentlessly, but don't expect that you will be able to make a) money right away b) a lot of money c) money at all. Pursuing your passion may come at the price of having to work odd jobs until you can monetize your passion or it may involve pursuing your passion (e.g. painting) privately as a hobby if the market currently doesn't value your work a lot. Still, the most depressing thing you can do is to remove your passion from your life completely, just because it doesn't make money or doesn't make money yet. Passions are at the center of a fulfilling life and so they HAVE to be pursued if we want to live a life that we won't regret in the end. But rather than to think that our passions will either a) lead to an amazingly successful career right away or b) lead to nothing, we should focus on how we can incorporate our passion into our life under all circumstances. That way, our lives will always contain that which is most meaningful to us and we still give ourselves the chance for it to grow into something bigger. 3) A "great" career might include high status and wealth, but in the end, it is fulfillment that matters the most. The rest is a bonus. Hence, if a person realizes that they are most passionate about being a kindergarten teacher or gardener or nurse, they might not make the most money or have the highest social status, but they will be able to claim that they followed their passion and that they would not have wanted to choose a different career just because somebody told them that their's wasn't "great". (Of course, if you settle for a job that you don't really want and you simply try to rationalize that "this is really an honorable career, you know!", then you might want to reconsider if there isn't another thing that you would rather like to do, but haven't dared to pursue yet. Also, given the importance of certain jobs, we should certainly reconsider the wages of those who are actually willing to do those important jobs.) 4) In the same sense, a "passion" doesn't have to be an incredibly extroverted affair. A person's greatest passion may be to work as a forest warden, taking care of the local environment etc. Again, if that is fulfilling for this particular person and if that person, in their heart of hearts, would not want to be anywhere else, that would be a "great" career based on the pursuit of personal passion, even if it doesn't look like a spectacular, high-energy thing from the outside. 5) It is very true that fear is probably the greates obstacle in the pursuit of our passions: Fear of disapproval, fear of social isolation, fear of poverty, fear of uncertainty, fear of injury. But, while this is true, we should not think of this issue as a personal failure. Mr. Smith's comment should not be understood as an accusation of weakness, even though that's how many people might hear it (and how some people may actually say it). Instead, we should recognize the obstacle of fear as a neutral fact, because once we have recognized it as an obstacle, we can now work on how to overcome it. We should not think of fear as a thing that successful people just don't have and the rest is unlucky. We should realize that emotional health and the ability to not stand in our own way is a matter of personal fitness & development and that personal development is just another part of striving for a great career (e.g. we would never "accuse" a person, like: "You know why you will never finish a marathon?!?! BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT IN SHAPE!!!". Well...duh! Instead, we would regard it as an obvious fact that anyone who wants to run a marathon has to improve their fitness to a sufficient degree first.) So, instead of treating your current emotional/cognitive configuration as an unchangeable fact, treat it as something that can be developed in such ways as to enable you to pursue what you're passionate about.
+Joseph Okori I am over here crying laughin my side hurts So much can be said and understood in very little words lol
***** when I saw the long comment he wrote...I kept scrolling and It was easy to see your response which tickled me because I felt you!
I totally get you Goodlife
People just don't get it We are so self centered it is almost impossible to comprehend another person's understanding
Mr. Johnson are you saying this because of the above comments?
That last part about picking up relationships as human shields to justify our failures hit my head like a hammer
''I had a dream too, but you were born'' LOVE THIS GUY
This man can even motivate a cat to be the lion.
True!
We are lions! We only need remember it :)
Shivam Maurya Agee
real talk
Being cat is better tho. Ez life.
Love this one so much. Watched it at the beginning of my art career, taking a total risk. Now it's my full time job, my gallery exhibitions sell out, and I can't even keep up with the demand for my work. Total dream job. It was so scary when I began, I had to white knuckle my way through it. Totally worth the risk.
Hey , thank you for sharing . A post or a comments like yours are basically the Real life experiences and examples we need to hear or know about. I become genuinely happy when i see someone achieved what all of us are trying to achieve…
I've heard Wim Hof say this: "I do not fear death, I fear not living fully"
Very good talk. Bit harsh on the guy who invented velcro though.
Danny James the Velcro guy should have stuck to it:)
I was afraid to persue my dreams, of course. Larry Smith, with this speech, helped to accept my son's dream to became a coach (sports). I was so sad about his dream then I rememberd this speech, I listened one more time and I told the kid to go for it. Thank you, Larry.
wtf why did that make you sad?
This video got me to Hollywood and I’m extremely grateful it helped eject me from my corporate life and onto a wilder, bumpier road. But I feel alive. And I’m safe.
Nice talk - Don't be afraid of your dreams ... don't be afraid to fail ... your fears just make you stay where you are.
To quote Joe Jackson: "You can't get what you want 'til you know what you want".
+HumanoidOrganism "You can't always get what you want But if you try sometimes well you just might find You get what you need "
Good point. I suppose you can.
+HumanoidOrganism Written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards
The time is now folks. Live your life, without any excuses. Say NO to making excuses in regard to making your own life better. Keep pressing forward. For the young, this video is a wake up call, for the old(er), it's also never too late... UNLESS...
I was doing my biographic research and I was asked about my mentors back in 2011/2012. Larry came to mind... this TED specifically... I can remember clearly the day I saw this on TED website... It opened up a journey of self-discovery. I have seen it over and over again. There is something that always hits me... he is going so deep into human awareness and self-esteem that I really don't understand why the crowd laughs during some deep bits. I ask myself if they grasp the raw meaning of what he is sharing/teaching there... to be honest, with 32, two kids, and becoming very good at something I didn't like, I related instantly ... today I come back here to listen and extract the energy to teach other people about it... ... and those awkward laughs still remind me that we still need to foster his message.
I turn to this talk whenever I need someone to wake me up
It's great to watch again
What a great message. I need to dig deep and jump start my life. I've been in a rut for a good 5 years and it's not good. My confidence is shot to shit and my anxiety is through the roof. Something needs to change and quickly before it's too late. Great video! It's nice to watch or receive positive reinforcement. We all need a good push from time to time.
***** Keep it going! We'll get where we need to be, just hang in there.
Goin Through The Same Shit,... All The Best Fot The Push.
Samvit Kalla It sucks...
good luck! I offer you my greatest encouragement!
Caius Filimon Actually, I have. I got a decent job with a ton of potential, I'm dating someone I care about a lot, got a truck I've wanted for years and now I have a nice place to live, so yeah, I am making progress.
This Still hits me hard & gives me courage
Same
Lol i was bing watching your shorts 10 mins ago...never knew i would see you here😂
This video changed my life. I'm back in school and I'm on my way to my PhD because thats what "I" want.
So what's now
Did you completed your PHD now?
Atleast he went you two jokers
Yes I did. I wrote Mr. Smith as well to thank him for this video. He wrote back and was very nice.
It's videos like these that remind me of why I love TED Talks
"If only I had...if you ever have that thought ricocheting in your brain, it will hurt a lot." Such wise words. I always believed and still do that the happiest people in the world are those who have nothing to regret
We all have regrets. So in the end, no one is really happy
When I watched it for the first time, I was still single and didn't feel deeply. Now that I am a father, it hits my heart even more
This talk was the greatest thing I have ever heard. There is no excuses, we either really love and are going to do what we want, or are just not enough, we don't exist.
I followed my passion to be a professional gamble for twenty years and ended up waiting tables. However I learned statistics from gambling and now I'm a university professor. Sometimes following your passion can have positive consequences even when you fail.
What does it mean to have a great career anyway? I've heard people say that they want one but I don't know what it means. Does it mean you get paid a lot? Does it mean you get a lot of recognition for your achievements? I just want to be able to have a job where I can come into work everyday and be able to be tired, hungry or stressed but not care because I love what I do. I want a job where I can touch people's hearts and influence them and put out new thoughts and conversations out into the world.
+Kira Suzuki thank you for putting it in words :)
+Kira Suzuki I think it means you are really happy and satisfied.
+Kira Suzuki Having great career is having the career that u've always been dreaming of. So if you haven't dreamt of one, you won't have one. As simple as it is.
+Hammad Ali to the top...good ol sir😂
You, my dear, in your last paragraph, described exactly what a great career is. People often place too much importance on monetary gain and status when it comes to a job they want. You described what we're all naturally meant to do: make the world a better place by helping others and spread positivity. It's a dream I'm also pursuing currently. Never let your dreams go, for they're what will help ensure you live a fulfilling life. :)
I just found this talk years later. This made me cry because I have felt so stuck for so long, so frustrated, gave up on dreaming after a failure trying to bridge into a new career. It didn't work out for many reasons, but I have put my passion on hold out of fear. This talk helped me realize, the time is now! I have to dream again, I have to open up my possibilities.
Is Batman aware of this guy?
LALFAST i had to pretend to cough in class after reading ur comment
Yes
Not this time baby!
I spit my drink out reading this comment. 😂
Brilliant! Mmwaahahaha😈
This man is brilliant. All too many times do we as humans give in to our pack mentality, even when it means denying our individuality.
Eat, drink and be merry (in a healthy way). If you are destined to do something great, then you will feel it in your bones. You will be driven no matter what. If you don't have it, don't beat yourself up over it and make your life and the lives of the people around you miserable. Be a good person, be open-minded, be happy.
That I like! :)
BEST ADVICE YET, im screenshotting this :)
I’ve watched this talk about twenty or more times, it still inspires me a lot every time. Thank you for a great inspiration.
One of the best things I've heard in life is " WE ARE NOT OUR JOBS"
I had watched this speech so many times since 2014 ,and it always touch my heart. Remind me to pursue what I want and wish.
Sometimes you have to walk a great circle to make an obvious statement. But it did reach me more than just saying the word, you know. What a great speech. I wish i'd stop making excuses and i wish i could stop caring about the opinions of others. Then i'd be invincible.
same here sighs... but we gotta do it, now or never
Seek failure. Google's philosophy is the best. The sooner you fail, the sooner you'll be free to try something else. Help your children do whatever they wish, really well.
Unless..
Lots of good stuff on that there KZhead.
Libosi unless next video auto plays. ( you don’t even have to click it)
Look at Larry!! How he is engaging the audience !! These guys are gem man!!
I just want to cut hair. I want to make people silky smooth
If that's your passion then go for it.
lmao
PowerNoob9000 a good line for business communication. U will catch s lot of attention n get customers! Use it
Bahahahaha!!!
This is a quote from zohan an Adam Sandler movie
I've listened to so many TedX talks, and this is my favorite one. This guy has overwhelming passion that doesn't just bubble over as overwhelming energy. Love it.
This is probably the most kind TEDx talk about careers I've seen. His honesty is far more useful than false promises. I can work with that.
This guy is fabulous, fear is the thought pattern that is between us and the great career that we would like, our passion, our purpose, our calling can just happen when we consistently ask the question "What can I do right now to keep me happy?" and courageously follow the path of happiness moment by moment. We can let go of the other thought patterns that get in the way, as well as fear there is anger, jealousy, blame, guilt, resentment, sorrow, irritation, frustration, criticism, stress, tension. Live the dream and shine, only you can do this for yourself. I believe in your power to do this, do you?
Wow. I was at a loss to know what is Passion, my Passion, my interest or whatsoever.. this Q. What can I do right now to keep me happy ? seem to dig out my lost Passion ..if at all , there were any ... Thanks.!
After a year of watching videos like this and almost doing nothing about it, I left my advertising job to go to med school.
Aimee Dyamond how did that turn out??
You a doctor now I hope??
You doctah yet?
How about now?
Not a doctor yet?
I'm just 6 minutes into the video and couldn't stop myself from writing that this is one of the best ted talks i have ever watched. That guy just rocked the stage.
Wow, this was deep. Every Entrepreneur should watch this, then be prepared too take action. Nothing is worst then living a life full of regrets.
Right, but what if you just say, "Screw the career, I am going to make my relationships number one." Then you proceed to do so, and you're happy. Because the career really wasn't your goal. I think the underlying message here is not to follow your passion at work, but to do so in life. Figure out what you want to do with yourself, and do it.
Yes, I'm pretty sure the point of the example of the relationships was just one of the big excuses which people use to justify not following their passion to a great career. His talk isn't why you'll fail to be happy (despite how depressing it might be at points). It's why you will fail to have a great career. Unless.
Well, the problem with relationships is that they dont depend only on us. There is a risk that one day the other side of relationship break out of it. Besides usually when one has a career (or is realising passion), it works like a magnet for relationships. And it doesnt work the opposit way that often..
bigzbigi1 Most things in life aren't secure. Yes, people can pull away from a relationship. But you can also get fired or grow tired of your job. You can lose your passion. Personally, I think people are far more important than a career, but, like I said, it's not about everyone following one goal. It's about figuring out what your own goal is and going for it.
True, everybody has different needs. Having balanced life seems to be the best solution.
Notorietypulp Ever heard of the term "doing what you love"? There are those who depends their happiness to their career, and those that don't. Most problem with people is when to think relatively and holistically. They just need to give their passion not to just relationships but also in a career, and that career is usually in what they are mostly good at. You can learn to do it, or just go with the job that you can easily and naturally do because you are passionate about it.
To me this is a hell of a lot more motivating than someone saying "You can do it!"
OMG this brought me to tears I had a dream as a child to be an actor, script writer, they told me I'd fail its sad because the very same university I went to there was a girl in my class who is now in Hollywood acting. What if my parents had motivated me where would I be now. I really want to persue all the other dreams I have while I still can. I hope to be discovered one day. I hope someone will give me my change to shine.
Right now.. I'm SO GLAD AND HAPPY that I'm not too late to watch this talk. This is my favorite talk.
What if I don't know what my greatest passion in life is?? Like till in high school I thought Engineering was my greatest passion but when I joined college and discovered the actual detail working it does not fascinate me anymore, like right now I have a job in IT, and feel that journalism might be my passion but what if it turns out the same way it did with engineering?Plus like a job in journalism is that of much more struggle and low pay than than that of IT. Thinking that these factors are giving me second thoughts, it is really not that much of a passion for me but a mere interest.
+feludaify Yes passion never changes. It is the interest which may change over time.
+feludaify I have had one passion from the day I started talking till now and pursuing it. :)
+feludaify *friendly tone* Or maybe you just have to admit you are afraid.
+feludaify Investigate your passions and interests in your spare time. Journalism is writing - just write. Start a blog and write about whatever you care about. You'll know pretty quickly if it's something you want to do. You don't have to quit your job and enroll in college to find out if you have a passion.
+feludaify What would you want to do to improve the lives of the people around you or the world at large if you didn't have to worry about income?
I feel like this guy formulated a great point for a very small group of people...like he hasn't interacted with enough real people or something to actually apply a general idea.
amazing, he's full of passion i can literally feel it
This is one of my favorite Ted talks! It verbalizes something I have felt for yearsl, but never had words for. I had my children of watch this with me Father's Day this year.As a small business owner living my dream, I wanted them to learn something about success and hopefully understand me a little better.
Unless you make peace with your ego and the world. I'm amazed at the positive response to this. The solution is NOT to sacrifice everything in pursuit of a goal, because whatever the goal is, when you reach it, you will find something else to strive for, and feel unhappy for not having. First let go of your ego. Then you will do whatever flows naturally from you. It will also help you find whatever it is that you do enjoy for its own sake. It will never be a strain. I'm not a good example. There are many people I look up to and want to emulate, in all kinds of directions. So much so that what hurts me is that I am not them. Note that this is markedly different from feeling an urge to do what they are doing. It is simply a convoluted sense of guilt. I need to lose that before I can even contemplate what my passion might be.
My utmost respect for Larry Really loved his emotions
What an amazing talk! Larry's delivery and sharing of his thoughts was amazing and thought provoking. Thanks......and yes...people can use their children and family as shields as they try to be super...everything...Great talk
This guy has risked comparatively little, and has no problem telling others to risk everything. For those of you who may be curious, he is an economics professor at one of the world's leading technology research institutions, the University of Waterloo - home of Blackberry. He has a comfortable perch in academia, and get to throw money at promising startups he catches wind of. His salary is, in large part, paid for by the government subsidization of post-secondary institutions, which are, in turn, funded by the tax dollars of... you guessed it, working people. I'd like to see this guy roll up his sleeves and start a business of his own.
Give this guy a sith robe and call him Darth Smith of the TED.
This guy is fricking brilliant. Amazing stuff. Love the honesty too.. People are just too soft now..
This is a very inspiring video. I have trouble deciding between 3 things as my career. Military & KZhead/Twitch & A counselor. I have a long story of my life I'll save towards the end but I will admit I'm full of excuses. I'm afraid to fail, I'm afraid to be laughed at, I'm afraid of hard work, I'm lazy, and more importantly I'm afraid to try. If I come up with an excuse I just replace it with another. I'm an open minded person who sucks at common sense but is good at thinking outside the box. I love the feeling of helping people through giving advice and gaming was my excape through the hard times at school and home. Being depressed and growing a fear and hatred for selfish and people who are dicks, with limited thinking and only seeing what's in front of me.. started developing these depressed and very depressed thoughts. I've even debated suicide but once I think about leaving those who might love me and hurting others.. I stopped thinking it as much. eventually I thought well.. it's harder to live then die and it's only selfish to deny me that option. my life is full of passion killers and people who would laugh at me. My dad's an alcoholic and afraid to deal with my mom and my mom's just unexplainable. emotionally and physically abused me by throwing me against walls as a child and smacking me to me opening up to her for my problems and she laughing at me and saying I have problems while my dad stays quiet crying in his chair from what i said. never believing in me and comparing me to my successful brother. talking badly about my family to her friends and other family members. The pain she brings to my dad always saying she will leave him and already 2 times but there still together. gaming really helps me cope with this and my parents being so negative all the time gives me the perspective of how awful life is. even tho we are middle classed. I found a girl I really love and want to spend the rest of my life with but it'll take a lot of money so more than ever I have tried to get a job now. now I'm passionate about life. but with all the passion and motivation, I still have days I just feel so lazy and unmotivated and i sont understand why. I feel haunted by my past and currently this family problems still happen. well, apart from my dad drinking as much he still does, and any physical attacks. And I've grown to hate wanting money because how I see the world and how much I hate people only grows by living with them. from being so closed off as a child, I'm 19 and opening up to anyone who can give me any advice or anything honestly. idk what to do with myself. I want to live a happy life and help others. I want military for a good job that pays well to support a family even tho I'm not too happy about joining, or KZhead/twitch laughing and having a good time playing games with my friends I made online.
Hope you're doing fine brother! Please let us know what happened
Im not really able to give such good advice or anything, but youtube/twitch sounds like something that lights you up! Even if you didnt make a career out of them, I hope you still get to enjoy both of those with your pals. Most of all I hope you are doing well or will be!, and healing.
"Don't use your children as a shield." I'm going to start living by these words.
One of the best short talks. Most of us fail due to the fear of failure and thinking about future consequences which itself is uncertain! The key is to have a versatile career and a passionate heart! Yes we fail and we rise!
This was the best of all the speech's given. Loved it, great man!
its 2022 now and I feel like I've failed to get to my most desired university, but I think after this talk I could manage a little
Watched this 10 years ago! Was too afraid to follow my passion, took the safe route. I did a good job but I’m not happy 🥺! Company going through layoffs and i find myself rethinking life! This is my new opportunity to follow my passion once and for all
I did the same. I had about 7 years of independence, and 3 years of slavery pre and post COVID. Just quit my day job and I'm getting back out there. It's never too late
It’s never too late
This video changed my life a few years ago.
What you are doing now?
What you are doing now?
He's saying to not give up on your dreams in order to have a family. First focus on achievement, and then when your satisfied, look for a partner. Because if you spent your youth on pursuing your passion and your career, you will have more potential partners to choose from. And when your kids one day want to pursue a risky dream, you won't look at them as the premature dream-destroyer that stopped you from satisfying your passion. Stop taking the path of parent so early, and take some damn risks for once in your lives!!
Thank you Larry Smith for your spreading your words. Thank you TED for publishing the video. I will keep listening to this video on a daily base 🙏
This is now my favorite TED talk just because of the oration!!!
Brilliant...Captivating..this speech has the power to change the mindset & lives of millions ov people out there....##big fan Sir Larry Smith...
He's brilliant, insightful, very truthful and most importantly funny!
My professor had us watch this for a Personal Health and Wellness class. Best class ever.
I always watch this in moments of weakness. Thank you.
Rather than convincing you that you can do it by saying so, this guy makes you believe you can do it by saying you can't- it's reverse psychology, and I love it.
Same energy as Exurb1a (e.g. "A guide to worrying")
Any career can be a great career, it all depends on the way you think of it. And if you are able to change the way you think about what you doing, you'll be more passionate about it.
If you're good at cleaning you open your own biz and have your own crew. Doing commercial projects, not so bad right? Change the way you think... and you'll see more opportunities in anything you do.
Wiping off butts of Alzheimer patients can be a great career too if you are passionate about poop.
well thats called nursing...is it not?
I feel like the whole point of the video is not to think like this; not to resign yourself (and that is indeed what you are doing) to such mediocrity. I get what you're trying to say, but the fact that you have to "change" the way you feel about whatever you're doing is to say that it wasn't something that you willingly entered into. This would mean A.) you had no other options or B.) you were convinced into doing it. At this point trying to become more "passionate" is to say "Hey, this is the life I was given and I can't change it so I may as well try to enjoy it." Not to get off track, but this mindset has been drilled into the lower class especially, to keep them happy and free of thoughts of rising up. This video is speaking to those who haven't yet given up on their dreams, saying the only thing holding you back is yourself.
You are 100% correct. Happiness is not an outer game it is an inner game. So if you aren't happy now than change the way you think so that you are happy now then you can at least feel good no matter what you do.
he keeps you listening to the end with his humor, and gives concepts to build on
BEST TED TALK EVER. I HOPE ALL OF YOU LIVE A BEAUTIFUL AND ABUNDANT LIFE.
From what I understood, he ended with "unless" which same as saying "unless I do something". Notice that he didn't continue with "if only I had". It's the same as saying "No excuses".
This is definitely one of my favorites. Such a powerful message
True. His passion seems to motivate people while he keeps walking and talking even if he is gasping for breath and the camera men are finding it difficult to contain him in a frame.
One of my favourite career talks of all time - now on KZhead.
bleh, the first part about passion was great... But I tell you what, passions are fleeting, they change with time, an ebb and flow of an ocean.... My love for my wife and kids, now that is an ever lasting force that inspires me to be a better person... ANYONE that looks at their wife and kids as jailers and blames them for their failures, is a coward, and is afraid to look at the real blame, themselves... because if your children don't inspire you to greatness, nothing will.
I don't think anybody would have the time to be an Einstein or Nikola Tesla with a wife and kids you just would not have the time or resources I think this is what he means specifically if your career has you traveling at different times and for long periods of time
what the hell that's exactly what this guy meant. "don't be afraid"
well i know its just I'm tired of accidentally starting comment wars for voicing my thoughts
well said.
Bloody brilliant!! I hope he changes just ONE persons life and it will be so worthwhile!!!
This is probably the most Energising TedX Talk so far. . Wonderful! Truly made me sit back in my seat and go through the whole talk again in my head.
The storytelling skill of this guy!! It was beautiful!
What I got from most of these talks is that most people will fail to have great careers because most people don't know themselves that well. Most people are afraid to step out from the expectations of society. Most people don't know what they're good at apart from the skills they've learned from school.
The key to success is spending the least amount of time working.
MARVELOUS!! THIS MAN GAVE WE THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE IN OUR LIFES!! I AM REALLY GRATEFUL WITH HE BECAUSE HE HAS TOLD ME THE CORRECT WORDS IN THIS MOMENT OF MY LIFE!!
I’ve been watching this for years. Yes, for years, It really is hard to change. Always motivating me but I’m too scared of losing I’ve done so far. Wish I had courage to pursuit my passion.
Oh, you should stop letting BoJack or Princess Caroline just use you. I mean it's great to be the helping hand, but I mean Todd, your life goes first.
FINALLY!! Someone that makes sense. I wish I could make him follow me around all day, telling me when I'm doing stupid shit.
I love this speech. easily one of my favorite Ted talks to this day! It's a kick in the ass. It's a fiery rant on a serious subject. Self fulfillment is something that everyone talks about. They go on and on about finding passion and developing skills and finding direction and that it's the best thing ever, but no one talks about the nagging fear inside. Mr.Smith wanted to bring that fact to light. He wanted to make excuses and fear (even rational ones like crappy job markets and daunting competition) part of a public conversation. It was honest. It was terrifying. It was awesome.
This was great! Added to spotify. Listening to this once a day to never lose the motivation. There is too much logic within this talk, to procrastinate after hearing it. Amazing, love it. Thanks!
i dropped out of high school and now i have college people working for me.
+SuperDeluxe80 Yeah, that's why you spend your time in the KZhead comments.
Guy Souriandt so i should work 24/7, and have no free time?
SuperDeluxe80 You wouldn't be using your free time on this drivel
+SuperDeluxe80 Maybe you have, maybe you havent, if you have though you are probably the exeption to the rule. Having a proper education never ever hurts, and for the overwhelming majority it is key to a good life. The i dropped out of school and stories, ruins way more lives than it makes. If it were the smart thing to do, schools would not exist in the first place.
+Guy Souriandt, it is not a drivel. It helps learn English.