Why you will fail to have a great career | Larry Smith | TEDxUW

Best I have seen so far. And completely true. I just do not quite agree that being a good person for others is another excuse. You need to start with your career early, and so especially women needs to choose wisely their priorities in their life. There are successful women out there being able to manage great career and kids together, but it is not for everyone. Maybe you don't feel great about babysitters taking care of your kids while you are working on your career instead of being with them when they need you the most. You also probably do not want to go boost your career on 3 months business trip leaving your kids home - maybe you are lucky and working for company which will pay for your family going with you, but I do not think it is standard. There is thousand of examples like this, I just do not feel it is appropriate to call it excuses if you really feel it that way. But all in all, I must agree, those reasons are preventing you from having a great career. I also think it is OK to tell kids that you had a dream but you set it aside because you have chosen what you loved the most and career does not mean (to you) everything in your life.

In my current position in my life I know I could try to get better job, more interesting, where I could make more money. But I also know it might not end up well and most importantly that I would need to work harder (at least from the beginning) which is a big thing for me in a moment, since we have 2 little kids, they are little just once in their lives and for short period of time. They will not need me anymore in couple of years, so I do not want to miss it now and regret it for the rest of my life. Any normal parent will tell you that those moment spent with kids were the best - not the promotions, met milestones, new cars, luxury things nor expensive holidays. I had one school mate whose father was a big business man working 24/7, he had everything but not what he wanted the most - his dad.

Damn that’s clever

The secret of having a "GREAT" career ...... be born into money ! .... it opens ALL THE DOORS REQUIRED TO PERSUE "YOUR PASSION !!! ...... END OF !!!

This has got to be the best TEDx talk I've listened to. It really drives to everyone's reality.

I was doing my biographic research and I was asked about my mentors back in 2011/2012. Larry came to mind... this TED specifically... I can remember clearly the day I saw this on TED website... It opened up a journey of self-discovery. I have seen it over and over again.

There is something that always hits me... he is going so deep into human awareness and self-esteem that I really don't understand why the crowd laughs during some deep bits. I ask myself if they grasp the raw meaning of what he is sharing/teaching there... to be honest, with 32, two kids, and becoming very good at something I didn't like, I related instantly ... today I come back here to listen and extract the energy to teach other people about it...

... and those awkward laughs still remind me that we still need to foster his message.

That camera man how shot this footage failed his "great career" too 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

The question here is how to determine from our interests our passion?
And it is easy to say that don't afraid of failure you will fail in some point. But the truth is that time passes, and if I try and fail every time I try to find my passion, I will get old and not find my passion, not excel at it, and not get the great job that I aspire to find.

❤

what a strange character indeed, I couldn't pay attention, too distracting

Even in 2024 I could say "this is a legendary speech" With my mouth full!

Here's my excuse: I got of "the farm". Got off the hamster wheel. I consciously decided not to perpetuate a cancerous dog eat dog system. Moved to the countryside, keep livestock and have a small patch of land to grow crops enough to feed myself and my family. Amazing wife and 3 kids. We live as one soul. Is it an easy life? Hm... What does easy mean? We're never bored. There's always something to do. At the end of the day, everything we do benefits us, and us only! Not some boss, CEO, executive, etc. No workplace politics. Clean air, fresh food, the sun, clean water. A happy life. A life worth living, and if you offered me a billion dollars right now, I wouldn't change anything and politely refuse.

A lot of blablabla that do not apply to real life, in real life believe me or not you need money to eat, to rent an appartment, ... and money usually comes from jobs that are not passions, this is fact

the lorax lives

This guy gets a thumbs up just for this magnificent performance.

The inventor of velcro contributed more to the humanity than this dude ever did, ironically.

Obviously I have to see this when it's too late, when I already wasted all the time I was so kinldy given :)

buddy was not cooking

go for kid just like i did!!

oh my godnes the word.

I will fail, I wlll fail. I'll fail. I will fail. I WILL FAIL I'm going to FAIL. Fail. Fail. FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL!
💘

I watched this video 11 years ago. Every since then, when I have doubts about a career decision.
I remember that phrase "Does the word 'destiny' scare you?" that reflection always gives me the mental freedom to grow.

One of the most underrated TED talks of all time.

Excellent!

2024 ❤

I found this video in 2014 when I had just become a new father. We had moved and purchased a home in a mountain town renowned as the mecca of ski guiding. With my prior experience managing hotels. I hated it but it paid the bills. I listened to this talk in my shared office on an evening shift and as a new parent and husband, it hit me like a ton of bricks. The university students laughing at the line about having your family as jailors was anything but comical to me. I was so close to my passion but never even considered it for myself, I was surrounded and reminded every single day as the helicopters flew overhead early in the morning and again in the afternoon. A couple more play-throughs of this talk and I wrote my resignation letter with the help of an incredibly supportive partner and chased my passion. I had plenty of well-meaning non solicited advice from family sowing doubt in the early stages of my transition but with the words " unless " ringing between the ears I continued. Best decision I have ever made. I am happy, curious and filled with excitement for life and what's to come. As a result, I am a much better parent and role model than I would have otherwise been.

Amazing video! It is very important for any person to find something to strive for and fight for no matter what the circumstances. Once you set the right goal for yourself, making decisions will be easy and fun. What used to seem like an excruciating chore will turn into an enjoyable activity. Go where your labour will be needed! Go where there is money and where your work will be decently paid! Sooner or later you will have to co-operate with people of different nationalities and cultures. To make your business successful, you should learn a foreign language. I would like to recommend to you Yuriy Ivantsiv's workshop "Polyglot Notes. Practical tips on learning foreign language". This book will help you to structure and organise your individual language learning process, will give you the opportunity to independently determine the methodology of language learning, which will become interesting and unburdensome. In this amazing book everyone will find a lot of useful information: how to learn foreign languages, how to memorise information, how to deal with culture shock, what to pay attention to when travelling to another country. I am convinced that the book "Polyglot Notes" should be in the bag of every business person, school and college student, and tourist. The most important thing is that the book gives a good motivation. Don't be afraid to do something to realise your dreams! If people realised that fears have no connection with reality, everyone would live a much better life. Thanks to the author of the channel for the informative and useful video. Your videos motivate me and give me new ideas!

You are a nice guy!

Coming back here time to time, as a reminder

This is probably the pinnacle explanation of the word "execution". I've seen the word so much, but it is only at this point that I understand what it really means.

He had a lot of great points, but I think the greatest career (and honor) of all time is to parent the next generation.

unless

That was strongest case of word "unless" I have ever heard

Only video I watch when I loose focus or start complaining, I don't watch any other motivational videos ever since I watched it the first time in 2017, it made a great impact, it made me change my career and I have been a teacher ever since. I don't know to describe what aspect of his speech made an impact, but I have recommended this to as many people I know when they are in need of motivation, when they keep blaming situations and people and not take responsibility.

here in 2024/2025? This is still my favorite Ted Talk

Apart from being one the best ted talks i've ever watched, the delivery, the absolutely shakespearean delievry of this talk makes it so engaging, fun and a delight to listen. 10/10 Recommend.
Also, fills you with passion for engaging in your craft, work that you chose, not that which was imposed on you. Dead Poet society-esque

The real GOAT🐐✌🏽

As a Filipino I find it very difficult listening to this, eslecislly the part when he says "unless". like what???

Conhecer onde possivelmente vai errar ajuda a planejar a melhor abordagem para não cometer erros.

for me not having a successful or good career was because i did not put the time and effort in and didn't take the chances and opportunities or took the wrong ones. no one to blame but me. but i 50 now so it's a bit late to worry about it now.

My fav ❤ I good watch after New years eve

Estava lendo o livro do TED e vim assistir essa palestra que é mencionada no livro, muito boa !!

This is probably the best TED talk that I have ever seen. I had goosebumps watching this. It was almost as if he was speaking to me

O my econ teacher

Passion comes and goes though… It’s not a stable base for a career. Just start something that you’re somewhat passionate about and likely to be good in, always keep changing and promoting or starting something for yourself (on the side) to keep things interesting and full with passion.
A career is not a once in a lifetime decision but an onging process for your throughout your working life.

Or do what this guy says and become a full time magician, if it’s something that you really want and are good at and believe in of course choose that path, but you have to be able to earn money and that’s a big risk about it…

2025 🇿🇦 from South Africa. And many years later this Ted talk still wakes me TF Up!!! Listen to it daily, you'll do what you know you have to!!! Trust me

Anyone watching in 2025?

Any body from 2027