TeenVogue: "7 Inspiring Lessons We Learned from the Most Influential Young Women of 2015"
By Courtney Lindstrand, May, 2015
photo: courtesy of tedxteen
Teen Vogue hit up the TEDxTeen conference this weekend and watched 14 incredibly inspiring young people take the stage to perform, discuss important issues, and ask the tough questions. For those not in the know, TEDx Talks are kind of like YouTube for motivational speeches. You only have to watch a couple of them before you find yourself ready to jump off your couch and make your mark on the world. And that's exactly how we felt after listening to the TEDxTeen speakers—click through for our favorite insights from the conference.
Get ready to be blown away.
It's time to cut down on clutter.
photo: courtesy of tedxteen
Lauren Singer spoke about having a no-waste lifestyle. After an entire year, she only created enough trash to fill a tiny mason jar. It might be a bit of a challenge to go completely waste-free like Lauren did, but making a conscious effort to cut down on pre-packaged goods seems fairly simple, right? (Excuse us while we swap our bag of Doritos for an apple from the farmers market.) To read more about all things sustainable from clothing to condoms, check out her lifestyle blog, Trash Is for Tossers.
There are lots of different ways to experience music.
photo: courtesy of tedxteen
Allison Wood took us back to the time when we used to carry around boomboxes and listen to mix CD's, noting that music was a multisensorial experience. So, she dreamed up a software product (now called REIFY) that takes music and turns it into artistic sculptures that you can see, feel, and experience. Alternatively, it can interpret the sound of an object, producing rhythm or melody on your favorite sculptures or photographs. It got us thinking of new ways we can share our favorite things with friends and family: "What if you could hear the sounds of the paintings at the MoMa?" she asks. What if, indeed.
Don't be one-dimensional.
photo: courtesy of tedxteen
Eesha Khare may have won the 2013 Intel International Science Fair, but in her heart she considers herself to be a dancer. While Eesha loves science and continues to study biomedical engineering at Harvard, she also has expanded her interests beyond that. She made it her mission to learn more about the politics behind science, explore international issues, and become a "global citizen." She dances from one interest to the next, not allowing herself to be defined by any one characteristic or passion.
Remember that you have something important to say.
photo: courtesy of tedxteen
It's always been about words for Taylor Trudon. As the editor of Huffington Post Young Voices, she reads and curates the stories of teen contributors from across the nation every day. She described how incredible it is that everyone has their own story and how having the courage to share your story can inspire others and potentially change lives. And in our social media-driven world (which, she points out, is often more image-focused), it's easier than ever to share our stories with others. All that's left is deciding what you want to say.
Don't give up on something just because it's difficult at first.
photo: courtesy of tedxteen
"Learning to understand something that fascinates you but also something that may be crazy complicated is just an investment in yourself," says Rachel Fox. Rachel is a talented actress and singer, but also enjoys learning about selling and trading stocks. Rachel at first found finance impossible to understand, but she made a commitment to learn something difficult so that she could become financially independent and continue to invest in herself. She also created a blog, Fox on Stocks, where she documented her learnings and shared them with her audience. This led to national television news spots and quite the social media following. Now, on top of being in the entertainment world, she's also something of a finance expert. Don't limit yourself!
The best way to combat bullying is with simple acts of kindness and positivity.
photo: courtesy of tedxteen
Caitlin Haacke is an anti-bullying advocate. One day after being cyberbullied in high school, she decided to take her bully's insults and turn them into positive, kind words. She wrote inspiring messages on Post-Its and stuck them all over her school. Her favorite? "You're a sprinkled cupcake in a box of muffins." (She found that one on Pinterest, natch.) It was a simple act, but it sparked a worldwide movement called "Positive Post-It Day" in which people are encouraged to fight bullying with their own positive messages. It's just further proof that small acts of kindness can spread rapidly and change the world.
You can start solving global problems right in your own community.
photo: courtesy of tedxteen
When Rebecca Dharmapalan realized that child sex trafficking was happening in her hometown of Oakland, California, she exposed the issue in a documentary film called International Boulevard. Afterwards, she was elected chair of the Oakland Youth Commission, where she continued to raise awareness with a citywide billboard campaign. Rebecca stressed how young people should be empowered to identify and solve issues within their own communities, saying, "Sometimes you can make the greatest impact here, right here at home. We have a lot to work on ourselves."
Read full article HERE:
www.teenvogue.com/my-life/2015-05/tedx-teen-conference-speeches/?slide=1