<Warning: Proud mama alert!>
Two months ago, my daughter gave a TEDx talk. She’s only 15.
Wow, right?
And not only did she speak, she played guitar and sang twice during her presentation!
I mean, a TEDx talk is on my bucket list, and she beat me to it!
Friends who have spoken on the TEDx stage describe it as nerve-racking and stressful. She seemed to have missed that memo!
It may also be that she doesn’t live in the personal and professional development world like I do and she doesn’t understand WHAT A BIG DEAL it is! But nevertheless….
Here are a few things that I learned from watching her:
- Doing big things doesn’t have to be hard and scary. She came home from school one day in the fall and casually said “Oh Mom, I signed up to give a TEDx talk.” There was no fanfare, no agonizing over whether or not she should do it. Just clear, decisive action. Her school hosts Asheville’s only annual TEDx Youth event. She had a few friends who did one in recent years, so it felt very attainable for her, I believe.
- When you follow your passion, hard work becomes easier and even fun! Riley’s passion is musical theater, so when the theme of the event was “time,” she had a natural entry point. Her speech is about the power of moments in the theater to help us be present in time. Her first draft was excellent, but as she continued to refine it, she had fun, adding in new musicals and ideas as they came to her. Each time she shared it with me (which honestly wasn’t very often) she got more excited about the revisions.
- You don’t have to be really good or experienced at something to do it. Riley made the decision to do the TEDx talk in the fall, and my boyfriend Forrest and I gave her a guitar for Christmas. Within two months, she taught herself enough chords and enough songs, that she felt comfortable enough to sing and play guitar on stage. I don’t know about you, but that was gobsmacking for me!
- Connect with your audience and that’s where the magic happens! Riley is a natural on stage, having started musical theater at age 6. She is comfortable and confident, and always willing to stretch herself and take risks. But one thing she does that stands out above the rest is that she knows how to connect with her audience. She looked around the theatre, so everyone felt that they were included. Then, she invited us to sing along with her not just once, but twice! She gave people a truly memorable experience.
Watch for yourself and see what I mean!
We have so much to learn from our youth. This next generation continues to astound me with their creativity, compassion, and courage!
Riley reminded me that doing brave things doesn’t have to feel hard—it just has to feel right. If there’s something you’ve been putting off because it feels too big and you’re ready to work with a coach, let’s talk.