6 Inspiring TED Talks to Elevate Your Event Planning

Here are 6 TED Talks that can provide inspiration and insights to enhance your event planning. These talks cover a wide range of topics, from creativity and innovation to human behavior and psychology. By watching these TED Talks, you can gain new perspectives, learn valuable lessons, and find innovative ideas to make your next event a memorable success. Whether you're a seasoned event planner or just starting out, these talks can help you take your skills and creativity to the next level. So sit back, relax, and get ready to be inspired!

According to radio show host Celeste Headlee, our ability to engage in meaningful conversations has deteriorated. Instead of listening to each other, we tend to express our opinions on social media or rely on brief text messages when communicating with friends. This lack of attentive listening can hinder effective communication as people may miss important information while their mind is focused on what they want to say next. Celeste emphasizes that we should strive to listen with the intent to understand rather than solely for the purpose of responding. This is especially important in a business setting where important information can be missed if we fail to listen attentively. To improve our conversational skills, Celeste offers 10 useful tips that can benefit both our personal and professional relationships.

According to psychiatrist and addiction expert Judson Brewer, the solution to breaking bad habits such as smoking, junk food snacking, or compulsive Facebook checking lies in mindfulness. Rather than trying to eliminate our cravings as quickly as possible, Brewer suggests facing them head-on and analyzing our feelings to recognize that cravings are merely bodily sensations, such as tension and restlessness.

Brewer's approach to smoking cessation is to encourage clients to smoke mindfully and pay close attention to the experience. This technique is twice as effective as traditional therapy, he claims. Instead of instructing clients not to smoke, he wants them to smoke mindfully. Could this technique be beneficial for you?

What does a good life mean to you? Is it personal accomplishment, wealth or fame? Is being considered successful the ultimate goal?

A recent study of millennials in the US showed that more than 80% of them strive to become rich, while 50% believe that fame will bring them the fulfillment they seek.

However, Robert Waldinger, the Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, argues that these aspirations do not necessarily lead to a good life. For 75 years, his team has been tracking the lives of 724 men, from their teens to their 90s, to measure their life satisfaction every two years.

The study followed two groups of men: one consisting of Harvard students and the other of poor boys from Boston tenements. Although their lives varied significantly, with some climbing up the social ladder while others went in the opposite direction, they all learned one important thing: it is not fame, money, or power that brings happiness, but rather our relationships with our family, friends, and community. In this fascinating talk, you'll learn how strong social connections can even help us live longer.

Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin explains that when we experience stress, our bodies react by shutting down certain internal systems that are not necessary in a fight or flight situation, such as the digestive and immune systems. Unfortunately, stress also impairs our ability to think rationally and make good decisions.

To combat this, Levitin suggests developing the skill of "prospective hindsight," which involves anticipating potentially stressful situations and taking steps to prevent or minimize them. For instance, designating a specific spot in your home for easily misplaced items like your passport can prevent the stress of misplacing it before a trip. By conducting a "pre-mortem" analysis of possible events and identifying potential stressors, you can implement systems to reduce stress and promote calmness. However, Levitin acknowledges that this skill requires practice.

Health psychologist Kelly McGonigal suggests that stress may not necessarily be bad for our health. In fact, the belief that stress is bad may be more harmful than the stress itself. According to McGonigal, changing our perception of stress can actually make us healthier, even when we experience high levels of stress.

When we are in a stressful situation, our body responds with physical symptoms such as increased heart rate and sweating, which we tend to view as negative. However, McGonigal suggests that if we can view these symptoms as helpful signs that our body is energized and ready to take on a challenge, it can actually change our physiological response to stress. Studies have shown that adopting a more positive attitude towards stress can prevent blood vessels from constricting, a common negative effect of stress, and reduce the risk of stress-induced heart attacks.

Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist, missed out on the opportunity to invest in Warby Parker, now a $2 billion online glasses retailer, because he felt they were not making progress quickly enough. This failure led him to study "originals," who are individuals driving creativity and change in the world. As a self-proclaimed procrastinator who wants everything done in advance, Grant investigated the relationship between procrastination and creativity. Surprisingly, he found that immediate action was not the best approach. While good for productivity, it stifles creativity. Originals need time to incubate and think in nonlinear ways, allowing them to make unexpected leaps that alter the world. In fact, Adam discovered that "moderate procrastinators" are 16% more creative than those who act more quickly. So, if you have work to do, take a break and watch this video - it's a fantastic excuse!