I’m curious what you think. If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you probably know that Billy Collins is one of my favorite poets. I love the simplicity of language and imagery, the unpretentiousness of his poems and person, his ability to evoke emotion and insight through succinct use of language, and the reliable good humor he employs (just read To My Favorite 17 Year-Old High School Girl or  Litany for stellar examples). In the TED Talk below, he shares a description of an invitation he received to allow some of his poetry to be illustrated in short films. And here’s where my question come: do you think the...

Just five and a half minutes. That’s all you’ll need to take a brief mental health break from wherever you are or whatever you’re doing to be astonished by the treasures of the ocean that David Gallo shows us in this remarkable TED Talk. Gallo, who has led expeditions exploring the remains of the RMS Titanic and the German battleship Bismarck, lends animated narration to riveting footage. Go ahead, you can afford it, take the 5:20 this Talk requires. You won’t regret it. Notes: 1) If you are receiving this post by email, you may need to click the title at the top of the post in order to watch the video. 2) The...

What is the difference between love and acceptance? Between disease and personality? Between difference and identity? Andrew Solomon takes up these and other questions in this moving talk on the challenges that face parents of extraordinary children – extraordinarily different, bright, difficult, and more. But as you listen, you’ll realize he is speaking about all parents, all whose destiny is held captive by the fate and fortunes of their children. Based on the research and interviews he conducted for this remarkable book Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity, Solomon challenges us to reconsider the ideals we...

I have this theory, maybe you agree: a lot of our relationships – at home, work, school, and more – would improve, and a lot more would be accomplished, and a lot less misunderstanding would occur, and a lot more people would feel valued… if we spent more time listening to each other and less time talking. And not just passive listening where we nod our heads while thinking of what we will say next, but active, interested listening where we believe – and more importantly act – as if what the person speaking with us is saying really matters and that, by extension, that person really matters. If you agree –...

Jill Bolte Taylor’s TED Talk on what she calls her “stroke of insight” is one of the top two or three most viewed Talks of all time. And for good reason. A brain scientist, Dr. Taylor suffered a stroke and immediately became aware of, and an informed witness to, what was going on in her brain as her brain-controlled abilities to speak, move, and ultimately be consciously aware shut down one by one. What she learned, how that experience changed her life, and what she invites us to consider, is well worth the eighteen minutes of this talk. (And if you enjoy the Talk, you may be interested in her book about her experience: My Stroke of...