Marise’s Favourite TED Talk

Talk: “Your body language shapes who you are” by Amy Cuddy

Link: http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en

Why: Aside from using humour and scientific evidence (which happen to be two of my favourite things) to back her claims about body language and its effect on life outcomes, Amy Cuddy’s TED talk mostly appealed to me because it was just at the right place at the right time.

When this talk started to circulate the Internet, I had recently surpassed the confusing-yet-terrifying-yet-exciting milestone in my life known as “graduating university”. I felt like I was at a crossroads in my life and I wasn’t quite sure which way to turn. Carleton’s Journalism School had armed me with all these excellent skills, but was I ready to apply them in the big bad world of business?

The essence of this talk, in my opinion, is that new chapters in life will always be a bit scary. Whether it’s a new job, a new role, moving to a new city, making the switch from public sector to private sector, many will often hesitate and wonder whether they are cut out for the switch.

As an esteemed social psychologist at Harvard with quite the impressive resume, Cuddy’s most important advice is that you need to “fake it until you become it”. Not to downplay the importance of hard work, Cuddy uses touching anecdotes and exciting facts to reach this conclusion.

This talk gave me the confidence I needed to pursue new job opportunities, and it still remains in the back of my mind anytime I’m looking to make a career or life move. It’s a must-watch!

About Marise Varanda (Volunteer Extraordinaire)

A natural curiosity and a knack for storytelling led Marise Varanda straight into an early career of print and broadcast journalism. Now a Communications Specialist for JS Communications, Marise manages public relations strategies, social media accounts and advocacy campaigns on behalf of clients in the life sciences, automotive, petroleum, technology, and not-for-profit sectors.