WE ARE ALIVE — On Living the Creative Life [My TEDx Talk, Decentralized]
Around the tubes down his throat, he mouthed three words to me: "We are alive." 17 years ago today, my life changed forever.
Filmed in 2013 at TEDxSBU, this is the entire decentralized TED Talk that I delivered about taking creative risks, valuing life, and doing something that matters.
I have decided to decentralize this speech I gave. Twenty thousand people have had a chance to watch it on YouTube, and most of those have been exposed to a commercial on that network. The words and images are mine, and the recording was streamed live on the Livestream network, as well as on the TEDx website. The edited version has been available for nearly five years, and is available with a standard YouTube license. I believe this is fair use, but I'd be happy to have a conversation with you about that.
While I am very grateful for the TED corporation, I just don't want people who are watching my story to be exposed to unrelated advertising; the profits from which go to a private corporation.
A few quotes from the speech, in case you want to skip around:
0:11 "We hit that tree with the sound of lightning."
0:37 "My dad had a decision to make. If he went one degree to the left, I would probably be dead today."
2:13 "His eyes blinked open, like he was seeing the light of day for the first time."
2:27 "Then he said three words that I'll never forget: 'Are we dead?'"
4:08 "He said another three words that changed the rest of my life. But he said them around two-inch tubes that were going down his throat to keep his lungs inflated. He mouthed to me, 'We are alive.'"
4:45 "I blinked my eyes open that day ... and I've devoted myself ever since – and for the rest of my life I devote myself – to things that matter."
10:38 "Don't die before you're dead. Don't settle."
14:13 "All of the amazing things you've done – they make up your wingsuit. So, when you're standing on a metaphorical cliff, looking out over the world, you don't have to worry, because this wingsuit is there... You can fail, but you're not going to fall. You've got this wingsuit underneath you. Leap!"
16:54 "Creativity can heal us. Creativity can inspire us every day to blink our eyes open – it inspires me to get out of bed in the morning."
17:08 "Listen to your own music as if you've never heard it before."
Let me know what you think about decentralization, life, creativity, death, and anything else.
Take good care, and catch you on the flip side.
We are alive!
My video is at DLive
Thanks for sharing your story. ^^;
Beautiful .. wonderful words
What one needs is a real goal for his life
Well done, for more creativity
Thank you for sharing your story. I'm glad you made it out alive :) So much to be grateful for in life.
Thank you so much @karensuestudios! I really appreciate that you watched. I'm very grateful :)
It's really great, I was just thinking that someone should do a video on this... Awesome! You should consider making a step by step vlog on this for people to be able to follow along with the steps as well as additional ideas you might have. I wish people would think #Steemit through on something you mentioned in this video. We should all help each other be successful. Doing this not only reciprocates the support, but everyone becomes successful together. And even further, #Steemit then becomes more popular.
To really be honest with everyone, I'm super excited about the future of Steem and Crypto Currency as a whole ????
I look forward to sharing the future with you all ???
I too am excited about crypto currency and blockchain techniology.
I suffer PTSD and the freedom given by applications like this have made my life so much better. I'm into crypto for the long term and because it can change peoples lives..
Its the revolution but its going to be a long haul until everyone is awaken from their slumber........
There are many lessons to learn from this. :) I'm glad that this reached almost top in Trending and that @jerrybanfield is resteeming this. <3
Kent thank you for adding this talk to @dlive! I will resteem soon after enjoying the original YouTube video!
Thank you very much, my friend @jerrybanfield! Much appreciated.
Your story is inspiring and full of heart. We all have dreams but most times lose the heart of the dream and then it fades away. Thanks for sharing. And it must have been a great accomplishment to be on TED. I don't know you but you are the first person that I have this close proximity to that has been on a TED talk. That must have been such an acheivement. I am glad that you are part of the steemit community. Thank
Thank you so much, @jackie2017! I really appreciate your note. I'm glad you're here, too! We are alive :)
I am beyond thrilled that you and your dad are alive.
Thank you so much for making your TED talk available to all of us here on steemit; it was so powerful. I commend you for taking the stance on life that you have.
Years ago, my now-ex-husband had cancer; the doctors found it accidentally, and if they hadn't, he wouldn't be here today. He had a kidney removed and swore that he was a changed man, so thankful for this second chance. He was no longer going to live at work, and promised to spend more time with his family. My father-in-law, having survived quadruple bypass years earlier said to him, "Don't worry, that will pass". And unfortunately it did.
At the time I was so sad for him, because he was given a wake up call and chose to let it go to voicemail, instead falling back on his old routines...living life with his eyes closed.
I have always lived my life with my eyes wide open and have tried to really touch, taste, smell, hear every single thing throughout my day. I taught high school at a Fine Arts school and was so blessed to be around creativity on a daily basis. And music! It's the best anti-depressant around.
My current husband is exactly like me and we've lived 50 years in our 7 years together. He unfortunately has cancer and the prognosis is poor. We decided to sell everything and move from Canada to Mexico with two backpacks, a suitcase and our cat, and simply live. There's so many people who question our decision and I can't tell you how many times I've been asked, "but what do you do all day?", and they can't understand it when I say things like, "stand on my balcony and feel the ocean breeze on my face", or "float on my back in the ocean and just be".
It really is a sad state of affairs...the amount of people who somehow have ended up on an endless hamster wheel, overworked and wearing it like a badge of honour. They've forgotten how to live, and your TED talk here is a wonderful reminder to so many, to do just that.
Thank you again; it really was wonderful.
Wow @lynncoyle1. What a message, and what a story. Every breath is so important. And living with your eyes open. Prayers and blessings to you both. I’ll be following your journey. 🙏
Thank you so much for that @drkent! We both appreciate that here :)
Thinking of you today and every day. Take good care!
Aww that is awfully sweet of you to say! You and your story are forever embedded in me as well!
This was a great speech! Listened to the whole thing, very heart warming !
Thank you my friend @uhatgaming! :) That means a lot.
Very powerful!!
Excellent video and I am sure you both came away from that for a reason.
Thank you for sharing such a great video and I look forward to your next article!
Followed :-)
Take Care
Thank you @furn01! That means so much to me. I really appreciate it.
That's awesome you did a TED talk, and your story is is a great reminder of the value of our existence.
Thanks @silentdiscourse! I appreciate that. And the gif is great ;)
Yeah, my pleasure. And I'm a firm believer in visual stimulation when trying to express ones self ;P
It was really touching. I learn a lot from it bro. You made a good impression
Thanks so much @adeyemidrey!