School is officially upon us. Reconnecting with friends, getting settled into a new space, maybe even navigating your way around a new town or city. Not to mention actual school, going to classes, trying to stay awake during dry lectures in an uninteresting class, and assignments.

Something that I am sure most college students can put on their unofficial resume is “Professional Procrastinator.” Spending hours putting off that 60-page reading, or the 2-page reflection that is due the next day by watching that show on Netflix you started over the summer, or just mindlessly scrolling and re-scrolling through your social media accounts, or not to mention taking BuzzFeed quizzes.

I totally relate to this struggle and will fall into the endless pit of procrastination when I really do not want to do something. However, today, I provide you with a more enlightening form of procrastination: TED Talks. Sure, you might be thinking that watching a TED Talk is just like doing another class assignment but when you are choosing to watch one on a topic that really interests you, it can be an awesome mental break and who knows, it may just provide you with some inspiration for a future essay.

The two TED Talks I have listed below have really been thought provoking for me and are ones I return to time after time because they provide good reminders about how to live life to the fullest and become a better version of yourself. I also have to give kudos to one of my favorite teachers from high school who showed me both of these TED Talks. This teacher had a reputation amongst students and staff as being the “King of TED Talks” as he has a certain knack for finding the really good ones out of the thousands that are on the TED Website and he certainly hit the head on the nail when he found these two.

The Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown

After my teacher showed this talk in class, I could not stop talking about it for weeks. I found the message of understanding the importance of being okay with being vulnerable in life in order to make stronger connections in life really impactful and relevant. Making strong and valuable connections in high school and college can be difficult because people are not comfortable with being vulnerable in front of our peers, which consequently can create relationships that are unhealthy and not supportive.

In her talk, Brown describes her findings from her research on vulnerability and shows that by choosing to be vulnerable shows that individuals, therefore feel worthy of “love and belonging.” I think this is a great TED Talk to watch especially at the beginning of the year when many of us want to take advantage of a new beginning and find more love and support from the people around us. So maybe, being vulnerable is the best way for us to find those connections.

Everyday Leadership by Drew Dudley

Maybe I just like this TED Talk because its tag line message of creating “lollipop moments” of leadership or the sweet story that sparked Drew Dudley to have the reflections he gives in this talk, but in all honesty the message he gives is a powerful one. Dudley makes the point that people currently fear the power that we have. Society has brought about the expectation that to be a good leader we must have something to show for it, whether it be a higher job title, a bonus, or something else that indicates status. However, the point of Dudley’s talk is to encourage us that we have what it takes to be leaders within us and we should turn our attention to smaller acts or moments of leadership. These small moments are what he calls “lollipop moments.” He also expresses the need to understand that moments where we are leaders or had an impact, can go unnoticed and that is okay.

I love this talk because it reminds us to complete everyday actions of kindness and doing that can be powerful without being acknowledged. Exchanging smiles on the street, giving a person a compliment, opening a door for someone, giving up a seat on a bus to someone who needs it and so many more actions are an example of this.

Transitioning back to school can be difficult and it can cause people to feel alone and scared so giving small expressions of leadership and kindness can have a bigger impact than what we might think. Take a listen to this TED talk to remind yourself that little things do not go unnoticed or just listen to it if you are wondering why these moments are called “lollipop moments” or also if you like a sweet love story with a good lesson to take away.

The TED Radio Hour with Guy Ross:

This is a National Public Radio show that dives into the analysis of one topic through different TED Talks. The combination of several TED Talks and then separate interviews with the TED presenters is interesting to listen to, and once again very thought provoking. The hour-long show that is available as a podcast also introduces you to new TED talks and takes the leg work out of shuffling through the thousands of talks that are available to listen to.

Happy listening and happy procrastination!