5 Must-Watch TED Talks About Pursuing Your Dream

At the start of the new year, many people discover sudden motivation to dust off their dream journal, blast upbeat tunes to pump themselves up and really start that goal they’ve been dreaming about for years.

So, what better way to kickstart your passion than by watching TED Talks?

If you don’t know what a TED Talk is, it’s a series of worldwide conferences that are held every year, where people of all ages and backgrounds share their research, personal stories and wisdom. Chances are, if you have a question about life, someone has answered it at a TED Talk.

Here are five TED Talks that’ll have you feeling motivated and empowered to lead a more fulfilling life.

1. “Stop searching for your passion”

Whether you’re a college freshman who doesn’t know what you want to major in or a 40-year-old in need of a career shift, “follow your passion” is a phrase you hear a lot.

But what if you don’t know what your passion is? Are you doomed to wander the earth, searching for a passion you’re not even sure exists? Will you always be viewed as a lesser-than when compared to people who do know what their passion is?

That’s exactly what Terri Trespicio tackles in her TED Talk, “Stop searching for your passion.” Terri recalls when she was fired from her job at Martha Stewart and suddenly had to switch careers in the middle of her life. It’s then that she realized the truth behind finding your passion — it’s bull shit.

“Passion is not a plan. It’s a feeling, and feelings change,” Terri says.

2. “What should I do with my life?”

Odds are, all of us have dreams. What those dreams are, exactly? Well, that depends on who you are and what you consider to be a dream. (Your dream could be to travel to each of the seven continents, or your dream could be to save $5,000 within the next year — both are valid.)

But too often, we give up our dreams, because we believe we cannot achieve them. (Imposter syndrome is a bitch.)

In 24-year-old Charlie Parker’s TED Talk, “What should I do with my life?”, Charlie talks about silencing your inner critic in order to go after you dreams and how your answer to the question “What do you want to be?” reveals more about you than you realize.

3. “How to Achieve Your Most Ambitious Goals”

The difficult thing about dreams is, they can feel too big to achieve — they require too much time, energy, money or talent to accomplish. As a result, many of us may become overwhelmed by how vast our dream is that we toss it aside and forget about it.

In “How to Achieve Your Most Ambitious Goals,” Stephen Duneier reveals the not-so-complicated secret to achieving your goals, even the ones that feel too out of reach.

4. “Knowing when to quit”

Quitting is often looked down upon, and people who quit are seen as weak, lazy and unreliable.

But what if we looked at quitting in a new light, a light that didn’t shame people for staying in situations that made them mentally and physically ill?

In “Knowing when to quit,” Sarah Weiler recalls the moment she knew she had to quit her teaching job when she became too burnt out and unhappy to continue. It’s then that her life changed for the better.

5. “How to Find Your Passion and Make It Your Job”

Most of us don’t marry the first person they kiss. However, it’s not uncommon for people to settle with the first job and/or career they choose, even if they don’t like it. Why is that?

In “How to Find Your Passion and Make It Your Job,” Emma Rosen, an author, blogger and speaker, explains why we need to be dating a variety of jobs. She shares her story of how she did exactly that — she worked 25 jobs in a year when she was 24 years old, a journey she says helped her discover what she was truly passionate about.

“All too often, we think abut how we fit into a job or a career type,” Rosen says. “We don’t consider how well it suits us.”

Pursuing your dream isn’t an easy task, but it isn’t impossible either. As seen by these TED Talk speakers, many people of every age and situation have lived their dreams out. That can be you too.

It’s okay perfectly okay to not know what your dream is yet. As you learn more about life and yourself, your dream will become clearer. It may even change, and that’s okay too. In fact, it’s more than normal for people to change their minds again and again.

The real dream is, experience life in all of its highs and lows, and let those experiences shape you into who you’re meant to be.

Your friend,
Jane

P.S. What’s a TED Talk that changed your outlook on life? I’d love to know! Comment your favorite TED Talks below.