These 17 uplifting TED Talks could transform your life

Are you living your dream?

You may want to improve your income, ramp up your overall performance, master a new skill, get fitter, slimmer, or simply live a healthier life.

But hey, if achieving our life goals were that easy, we would all be lying on the beach in Bora Bora, or Santorini, Piña colada at hand…

It turns out there’s always room for improvement on the road to freedom and happiness.

That’s why we’ve cherry-picked 17 powerful TED Talks from the world’s top performers. We tried to stay away from obvious choices, and bring new voices and fresh ideas.

Some of these TED Talks may inspire you. Some may get you in tears. Still others might give you that kick in the behind you know you need, in order to move forward.

And some talks could literally turn your life around…

Overcome your mental and physical challenges

1. Suleika Jaouad: What almost dying taught me about living

Her dream was to become a war correspondent, but at 22 years old, Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with leukemia and all her dreams were shattered.

What followed was a nerve-wrecking battle of four years, during which she called the hospital home and chemo became her new reality.

As you may have guessed, Suleika has lived to tell the tale, but starting all over was no mean feat. The touching lessons she learnt about living life to the fullest could benefit us all.  

2. Sophie Andrews: The best way to help is often just to listen

I just want to die. Every day I wake up and wish I was dead.

After a few hard knocks, 14-year-old Sophie Andrews from London felt completely hopeless and lost in her life.

With a dirty face, blood-stained shirt from self-inflicted wounds, and an aching body, Sophie dragged herself to the nearest phone booth and called Samaritans — a 24/7 confidential helpline in the UK that helps to prevent suicide.

It took her a few more years to take control of her life and launch a helpline for older people suffering from loneliness. By simply having someone listen to her, Sophie managed to overcome child abuse and other traumas, and help others on a massive scale.

3. Minda Dentler: What I learned when I conquered the world’s toughest triathlon

She can still feel her muscles burning…

Minda Dentler was pushing her bike up the hill on a 15-mile climb to Hawi town. Little did she know that by taking part in the Kona, or Hawaii Ironman, she had set the stage to a much tougher, global challenge.

You’ll be hard-pressed not to be inspired by Minda, a polio survivor who became the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the Ironman World Championship! 

4. Ben Saunders: To the South Pole and back — the hardest 105 days of my life

What’s more important in life? The journey or the destination?

Back in 2013, polar explorer Ben Saunders and his teammate Tarka L’Herpiniere broke a record by retracing Captain Scott’s journey from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole on foot.

In addition to a few frostbites and an extra 30 pounds, the expedition had left a profound impact on Ben’s personality. His insights on achieving goals, the importance of stubbornness, sheer passion, and happiness are admirable.

Live a happy life that’s worth living

5. Brittany Packnett: How to build your confidence — and spark it in others

Confidence is the difference between being inspired and actually getting started.

An activist, educator and writer, Brittany Packnett has been obsessed with confidence since day 1.

In this thought-provoking talk, Brittany cracks the code on confidence. She explains why confidence is a must-have and not a nice-to-have. Do you want to know what it takes to be confident? Watch Brittany now!

6. Helen Pearson: Lessons from the longest study on human development

There’s a little secret in Britain, that can help parents raise happier, healthier, and more successful children…

Back in 1946, British scientists started following thousands of children through their lives as part of a remarkable scientific study. Science journalist, Helen Pearson, shares some of the key findings of this 70-year-long study. 

Helen will walk you through various steps you can take to increase your kids’ chances of living a great life! 

7. Emily Esfahani Smith: There’s more to life than being happy

Author Emily Esfahani Smith used to think the whole purpose of life was pursuing happiness. But the more she tried to chase happiness, the more she felt empty, anxious, and unhappy. 

She came to realize that seeking meaning is what makes you feel fulfilled in life. So she spent five years interviewing hundreds of people and conducting extensive research, with one goal in mind: to find out how we can live a meaningful life.

Even if you put just one of her ideas into practice, you could harness the power of meaning onto your life, and have something to hold on to, no matter what life throws at you. 

8. Robert Waldinger: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness

In a recent study of millennials, 80 percent of them mentioned getting rich as their ultimate life goal, while another 50 percent had the life goal of getting famous.

Now this begs the cliché: Do fame and fortune really make someone happy?

What if you could ask a few teenagers about their life goals, and then interview them again and again throughout the course of their life? 

Psychiatrist Robert Waldinger and a team of researchers have done just that.  Let Robert take you by the hand and reveal the results of a 75-year old study on happiness. 

Robert will hand you the keys to the Happiness Kingdom. Is this a quick fix? Not at all, there’s work involved. But the good news is that once you master that skill, the lifelong benefits are HUGE!

Conquer your fears, gain confidence and courage

9. Lidia Yuknavitch: The beauty of being a misfit

Ever missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by saying no to it just because you didn’t feel you deserved it?

Author Lidia Yuknavitch did. Three times.

In her super-sincere fashion, Lidia tells the story of the misfit. Having dreamt to become a writer all her life, she was lucky enough to win a trip to NYC in her early thirties, where she met her favourite authors and all the big names in the publishing and editing arena. 

Being a misfit though, she passed a few publishing offers to die for.

But no, this is not a story of sorrow and tragedy. Instead, Lidia will leave you no choice but to follow your dreams even if you risk failure, because you’re beautiful, NO MATTER WHAT!

10. Susan David: The gift and power of emotional courage

Discomfort is the price of admission to a meaningful life.

In her thought-provoking Ted Talk, Harvard Medical School psychologist, Susan David, shares her life journey through the world of emotions. Having lost her father at 15, Susan eventually learned to openly express her emotions, as difficult as they may be.

Susan would like all of us to stop rigidly denying our emotions. She believes it’s the ONLY way we can see ourselves, and in turn, see others. 

11. Tim Ferriss: Why you should define your fears instead of your goals

Are you stuck in self-paralysis?

Best-selling author and podcasting sensation, Tim Ferriss, has got you covered!

In his immersive Ted Talk, Tim introduces us to his Stoic practice of fear setting. Follow this tried-and-true technique and you’ll soon realize why the cost of inaction far outweighs the pain of taking that hard choice you’ve been avoiding.

So give it a whirl. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? 

Become great, succeed and win

12. Atul Gawande: Want to get great at something? Get a coach

Can you make it on your own?

Of course you can, but according to surgeon and writer, Atul Gawande, there’s a caveat – you don’t always recognize the issues you face or know how to fix them. The result – at some point in your journey you simply stop growing. 

If you’re still contemplating whether you need a coach, Atul will show you, through breathtaking case studies, how coaching medical teams can literally SAVE LIVES.

13. Serena Williams & Gayle King: On tennis, love and motherhood

How does a twenty-three-Grand-Slam-player keep on winning, even when competing against her sister, Venus?

International tennis megastar, Serena Williams, talks openly with Gayle King about her childhood, career, and her philosophy of winning and losing. 

If you want to be successful in any area (not only tennis!), or you believe success is 99% tallent, then pay close attention to Serena’s answers (The best part starts at 02:48′).

14. Julie Lyncott-Haims: How to raise successful kids — without over-parenting

Author and former Dean of Freshmen at Stanford, Julie Lyncott-Haims, has two teenage kids of her own. When they were younger she used to treat them like little bonsai trees, carefully shaping them into perfect human beings… 

But throughout her work with thousands of kids she’s now come to realize that her kids, like every child, are wild flowers that need only one thing every parent has a boatload of…

If you’re obsessed with your kids’ A grades, and sending them to Stanford, Yale, or another brand-name university, then you NEED to hear Julie’s passionate talk!

Boost your productivity, creativity, and overall performance

15. Adam Grant: The surprising habits of original thinkers

If you thought original thinkers, such as Steve Jobs, Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg have no fears or doubts and don’t procrastinate, THINK AGAIN.

In this captivating talk, organisational psychologist, Adam Grant, illustrates the three key habits of original thinkers. 

Watch him and discover how procrastinating, when used correctly, can actually boost your creativity, why you need to have bad ideas, and what’s the BIGGEST fear original thinkers have. (Hint: not failure).

16. Ethan Hawke: Give yourself permission to be creative 

Well, I want to go Austin, and I wanna stay home. Invite our friends over but still be alone. Live for danger. Play it cool. Have everyone respect me for being a fool. 

Ryan’s song

Do you spend your life doing what’s important to you? 

If you don’t, then this intimate talk by actor Ethan Hawke would feel like a breath of fresh air to you.

Using  vivid examples from his acting career, movies he’s watched and his personal role as a parent, Hawke will show you why you need to express yourself and allow yourself to be foolish, in order to thrive in life and help others.

The good news is that IT’S SUPER-EASY TO DO. Hawke will show you exactly how!

17. Matt Walker: Sleep is your SUPERPOWER

Late risers, rejoice!

This talk is going to make you yawn, stretch out, go back to sleep, and feel great about it! 

What if we told you that you already own one of the most powerful productivity and wellness hacks, and it’s FREE, and easy to use?

In this noteworthy Ted Talk, sleep scientist Matt Walker debunks a few myths about sleep, providing solid evidence of how essential sleep is to our immune system, memory, and even longevity.

If you think pulling an all-nighter is a cool way to steal a few more working hours to get that project done, then watch Matt’s talk and you might think again…