Larry Smith, an economics professor, stalks across the stage in his challenging TED talk, “Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career”, admonishing us all to be just a bit braver.
He pinpoints a number of excuses we make to avoid what it is we really want to do with our lives. Then he proceeds to boil all these excuses down to one thing. We’re afraid. “You’re afraid to pursue your passion, you’re afraid to look ridiculous, you’re afraid to try, you’re afraid you may fail, “ Smith notes.
Especially poignant were his points about hiding behind being a good friend or spouse or parent to avoid taking action toward our passions.
This is not a particularly actionable talk, but I found Smith’s blunt, humorous, and inspirational speech to be worthwhile all the same.
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