8 TED Talks for Women at any Lifestage

TED talks for women at any Lifestage
Brimming with thought provoking questions, information and insights, here is a list of 8 TED Talks compiled to suit whatever stage of your life you are in right now.

A spark from a conversation, ignited at the right time, can sometimes change your life.

Brimming with thought provoking questions, information and insights, here is a list of 8 TED Talks compiled to suit whatever stage of your life you are in right now.

Much like us women, these TED talks are multi-faceted. While each is different in content and context, they come together to inspire with a singular message – the need to trust yourself & your abilities and the belief that change starts from inside out.

If you are new to TED talks, their motto is ‘Ideas worth Spreading.” 10-15 minutes of your day on a video can lead to inspiration, motivation & direction in incalculable ways.

Listen to these 8 TED Talks for Women at any Lifestage!

On Female Friendship (16 minutes)

With a simple yet powerful truth- “Women friends are a renewable source of energy”, who needs any convincing to watch these fabulous friends discuss friendship, feminism, longevity & more, all with a healthy pinch of wit & humor.

On the Power of Body language (21 minutes)

According to Amy Cuddy, a small tweak in your body language can have a big impact on your life & career. Even in times of hesitation and doubt (e.g. before a presentation or interview), faking it till you make it by striking power poses & confident postures can reduce the stress & change our actual thinking and outcome for the better. If you get as convinced as I did, do share this brilliantly free trick with others in your life.

On the Secret of Powerful Presentations (18 minutes)

We are all storytellers. Whether it’s trying to sell an idea or a product to the masses or trying to convince our kids to take on something new, what does convincing communication involve? After analyzing great speeches – from Martin Luther King to Steve jobs, Nancy Duarte has a fresh perspective on effective storytelling to influence and change opinion. See if you agree with her.

On being a Multi Potentialite (13 minutes)

“Embrace your many passions and explore their intersections,” especially when your life & career draw you to multiple directions – Where one may see as lack of focus or perseverance, Emilie Wapnick encourages us to view our diverse mix of skills and experiences as a strength to be capitalized. Some call it Pivot, others call it Multi Potentialite.

On Ivy League Credentials versus a Patchwork Career (11 minutes)

Regina Hartley’s advice to interviewees, “Choose the underestimated contender whose secret weapons are passion and purpose.” So how does that translate to us? In this thoroughly captivating talk, she talks about the power of grit that comes to those who rise from adversity and limited resources. So when you doubt (or self-doubt) your resume, make it up with passion, purpose & skill.

On Embracing Stress (15 minutes)

In this compelling talk, backed by scientific studies, Kelly Mcgonigal challenges the status quo on stress and its harmful effects. According to her, stress is only bad for you if you think it is. Learn about the value of conditioning yourself and your thoughts, to get a positive response from stress. And the best part – our body has a simple built in mechanism for stress resilience – human connection. So I can’t ‘stress’ enough that you must watch this talk.

On the Acceptable Measure of Feminism (12 minutes)

 “I would rather be a bad feminist than no feminist at all,” Roxane Gay laments the fact that when a proclaimed feminist is not perfectly perfect, society (other women included) judge them. Referring to Beyonce’s 2014 VMA performance, where she performed the song Flawless  in front of a projection of the word “feminist’, Gay says  “They graded her feminism, instead of simply taking a grown, accomplished woman at her word.”  

As for me, I will also quote Barack Obama – “That’s what 21st century feminism is all about: the idea that when everybody is equal, we are all more free.”

Do you know (or have you ever dwelt on) your personal definition of feminism?

On Improving the Bravery Deficit in Girls & Women (13 minutes)

“Women have been socialised to aspire for perfection and they are overly cautious, because of which we take less risks in our careers.”

With powerful statements supported by data, I urge you to watch ‘Girl’s Who Code’ founder Reshma Saujani’s captivating talk. While she advises/promotes encouraging girls to take risks and embrace imperfections, I feel this talk can be used by every woman (myself included) for an honest self-evaluation to identify, analyse & improve upon our personal bravery deficit.

So, if you are convinced enough to watch any or all of these, but are wondering at the time commitment, I will let you in on my personal trick – make time along with work & chores. I usually listen at lunch breaks over multiple days, or while cooking or even washing dishes.

Where there is a will, we will find a way – and the family might benefit too from some second-hand listening.

Contributor-Aditi Tandon
Aditi Tandon

You can’t use up creativity. The more you create, the more you have.

A Designer and Entrepreneur, Aditi graduated from a top design school and subsequently started her own design and merchandising business. Co-founder at Maroon Oak, she has over 17 years of business experience with Two Dotts, her design consulting company and an Etsy store which serves as an outlet for her gifts and patented product designs.

A mother to a teen and a tween, she enjoys running, dancing and raising her newest baby, a Bichon named Miltie.

Maroon Oak on LinkedIn

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6 Comments
  1. 8 years ago

    Great list ! I had never seen a TED Talk before. Thank you for introducing me to this great free resource.

  2. 8 years ago

    Love the one on bravery. We need to imbibe too besides the kids.

  3. 8 years ago

    Love. love Love the list. As a mother of a daughters, these are some good lessons to remember to share when the time is right.

  4. 8 years ago

    Women are really multi-potentialities. We constantly reinvent ourselves, but I think that is a natural progression in life.
    I will certainly try to watch all talks in this selection!

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