TED Talks are the best “infotainment” out there. Period.
If you haven’t seen any of these videos from the popular TED conferences, then you’re missing out. The TED movement has beomce so vast that it has led to spin-off events (such as the independent TEDx events) and pretenders alike. I’d say it has had a major impact in the resurgence of conferences — or rather, the emergence of un-conferences.
Next Saturday, I’m going to my second TEDx event. But this time, I’m one of the speakers. And I’m stoked.
I attended the first TEDx Vancouver in 2009, and I was blown away. While not all of the speakers resonated with me, it was being around some of the most driven and inventive people I’ve ever had the opportunity to be in the same room with that made my day. The speakers were all accessible — none of them retreated too far from any of the attendees’ line of sight — and the conversations that were going on were top-notch. It was there that I met Sean Aiken of The One-Week Job Project. I also discovered later on that there were others who’d been there that day but I never got around to meeting. I met them months later and it was that common thread that allowed to us to strike up a healthy dialogue. Being a part of a TED offshoot event elevated my game…big time.
Now, I get to speak at TEDxJuanDeFuca. And to those that have the opportunity to join me, you’re in for a great day.
I’ll be doing my talk on “Hacking Lifehacks,” which is a talk based on my idea that while the innovative lifehacking movement has saved people countless hours, more often than not those saved hours are used to do more work. That means more lifehacking leading to even more work. And the cycle continues. I’m going to suggest what should be lifehacked and what should be left well enough alone.
As for being at a TED event — spinoff or otherwise — I can’t possibly describe it to you; the TED experience is something different to everyone. But I will tell you that you’ll leave with a little bit more knowledge, a few more friends and a whole lot more inspiration.
Basically, you’ll be better off because of TED.1 Without the x is fine — but with the x is so much more of a local experience. I hope to see you there.
1 Myself included.
