This blog post is supposed to revolve around a Ted Talk that inspires us, and out views on it. I presume that the majority of people will look for something academia related, to show how they are inspired to improve as teachers. However, this is not the case for me. Truthfully, teaching is not a passion of mine, therefore I find it hard to be inspired about someone talking about education or the like. Instead, I've chosen a talk by the late Sam Berns, on his take on how to lead a happy life.
To put it frankly, this talk inspires me as it's not pretending something that it's not. It doesn't preach about something hollow, such as why we should reflect as teachers. There's no pretence, no shock tactics, no gimmicks. It's a man talking about ways to be happy, which is something I can definitely relate to. My overall goal is not to become a teacher, or to change the lives of my students. Somewhat selfishly, I simply want to be happy.
Sam was a 17 year man who suffered from progeria, a genetic disorder which affects around 1 in 8,000,000 people. He died in 2014, leaving behind him a legacy devoted to spreading happiness and raising awareness of those less fortunate.
The talk itself is very inspiring. Sam lists a few things that he does to try ensure that his life is filled with as much happiness as possible. These are things that can be done easily, such as surrouding yourself with the kind of people you want to be around, and accepting (and learning to love) your limitations and imperfections.
This video is fantastic on a number of levels. In a world where it is easy to get caught up in horror and sadness, it is a reminder of several logical steps that can help bring happiness and joy. So many people are focused on what people think of them, making sure they give a perception of a person who is a certain way, thinks certain things. Sam reminds us that these things are a waste of valuable time and energy, to focus on the bigger picture. You can have the biggest car, the best job, live in the best house, but without being happy, is there any point?
The notion of happiness translates into teaching. Teaching is profession notorious for elevated levels of stress and worry. There are many aspects of teaching that can cause unhappiness, and I have realised that only a few months into my PGCE!
Everyday, I'm surrounded by people who want to let me know how great their last assignment was, how brilliant their new car is, how expensive their new jeans are. Talks like this from Sam help show me the bigger picture, that I don't need to worry myself with anything but being happy.
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