I attended my first TEDx event on Saturday at TEDxHillsboroughLibrary. It was such a great experience. Many thanks to Nishat Ruiter and her team for organizing this. I had the pleasure of meeting some interesting people and got to enjoy some informative and thought-provoking presentations. This included live and pre-recorded ones.

If you’ve never heard of TED, it’s a global community devoted to spreading ideas in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began as a conference in 1984 with the convergence of Technology, Entertainment and Design. TEDx events are independently run to help share ideas in communities around the world. You can visit www.ted.com to learn more.

I found it odd that although the event was held in my hometown, I didn’t know anyone. There were at least 100 attendees in addition to the speakers, technical staff, and volunteers that made it all possible. But I did have the opportunity to meet some cool people.

One of the talks that resonated with my health & wellness interest was given by Lori Sweeney, titled “From Bullied To Bold”. In it, Lori shared her some of her difficult childhood experiences of being over-weight, where she was bullied and made fun of. Although I couldn’t relate directly to her situation, I couldn’t help but feel empathy for her. It brought back some memories of being bullied as a little kid along with some regretful ones of bullying others.

After many years, Lori finally had enough and turned her situation around. She gained confidence, took control, and lost 125 pounds over a 3 year span. And she’s kept if off for 4 years. She looks fantastic and is an inspiration to many people.

Here are two of my takeaways from Lori’s presentation:

1. Don’t allow negativity to enter your ‘cup of life’. This doesn’t only include negativity from others, but also from your own negative self-talk.
2. Drop your excuses. About why you’re over-weight, out of shape, not good enough… Take responsibility and take control of your life.

Jon Knox, a local farmer talked about ‘getting closer to your food’. Jon and his wife Kim run a local farm in Hillsborough. They’ve built a traditionally diverse farm with fresh produce and pasture-raised meats. Their approach is based on sustainable farming practices, with no adverse impact on the environment. You can learn more about them at www.dogwoodfarmsnj.com.

All of the speakers did a great job. They each made a compelling point within their message. Emily Goshey said something that really resonated with me. “We find joy when we lose ourselves in service to others”.

Check out www.ted.com for tons of inspiring and educational talks. And if you have the opportunity to attend a live event, take advantage. You’ll be glad you did.

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