Draw Your Future - Patti Dobrowolski TED

ThisIsRealBusiness

4 Jan 201310:36

Summary

TLDRThe video script emphasizes the power of envisioning one's dreams to transform reality. It suggests that by creating a vivid mental picture of your desired future, you can align your actions with that vision. The speaker illustrates this with the story of 'Joe,' who aspires to change his life by visualizing his goals and taking three bold steps towards them. The script encourages viewers to draw their dreams, use their imagination to overcome the brain's critic, and take action to make their fantasies a reality, as inspired by Maya Angelou's quote on the transformative power of fantasy.

Takeaways

🌟 Visualizing your dreams and desires is crucial to turning them into reality. The speaker emphasizes the power of seeing and believing in your vision before it can manifest.
🎨 Creating a visual representation of your vision, even if you're not an artist, can serve as a roadmap for change and help you understand your current state and desired future.
🔍 Research shows that the odds of making a significant change in life are 9 to 1 against you, even in the face of a life-threatening illness, highlighting the difficulty of change.
📈 The example of Ro pharmaceutical demonstrates the impact of a visual representation of a company's vision, increasing employee understanding and alignment with the company's strategy.
🤔 The script encourages introspection to identify your current state and what you want to change, using the character 'Joe' to illustrate the process of envisioning a new reality.
🧠 The left side of the brain is the critic, while the right side is the source of creativity and imagination. The speaker suggests tricking the brain to activate the creative side.
💭 The act of drawing and dreaming stimulates the brain to produce serotonin and oxytocin, leading to feelings of happiness, capability, and creativity.
🚀 To move from the current state to the desired reality, the speaker outlines a process of seeing, believing, and acting on your vision, with the brain's ability to guess and construct the path.
🤝 The importance of taking action is stressed, suggesting small steps such as reaching out to someone who has achieved what you want or asking for support from loved ones.
🛑 The script warns against the rational side of the brain that may try to dissuade you from taking bold steps, advocating for a compelling visual representation to overcome this resistance.
📚 The speaker invites the audience to use a provided template to draw their dreams, symbolize their desired reality, and share it, echoing Maya Angelou's message about the transformative power of fantasy.

Q & A

What does Maya Angelou's quote suggest about the power of fantasy?
-Maya Angelou's quote suggests that a solitary fantasy has the power to transform a million realities, implying that our dreams and visions can significantly impact and change our lives.
What is the primary challenge mentioned in the script that people face when trying to make a change in their lives?
-The primary challenge mentioned is the tendency to continue the same behaviors that prevent change, despite having dreams and discussing them with others.
What are the odds mentioned in the script against making a change in one's life?
-The odds against making a change in one's life are stated as 9 to 1, even in the face of a life-threatening illness.
How did the use of a picture impact the employees' understanding of the company's vision at Ro Pharmaceutical?
-After seeing the picture of the company's vision, the percentage of employees who understood it increased from less than 40% to 96%, and 84% understood how their daily tasks aligned with that vision.
What is the significance of drawing your own picture to visualize your current state and desired reality?
-Drawing your own picture is significant because it creates a roadmap for change, and we remember things better when they are attached to a picture, which can be 65% better.
Who is Joe in the script, and what does he represent?
-Joe is a character in the script who represents an average person with a good job and life but desires more, such as reducing workload or dealing with a negative boss. He symbolizes the common struggle to achieve a higher purpose.
What role does the left side of the brain play in the process of envisioning a new reality?
-The left side of the brain, which houses the critic, tries to keep one safe from harm and prevent risky or foolish actions. It must be tricked into allowing the use of imagination to activate the right side of the brain for creativity.
What are the three bold steps that the script suggests for achieving one's desired reality?
-The script does not explicitly list the three bold steps but implies that they should be derived from looking at one's picture, closing one's eyes, and allowing the brain to suggest the best possible solution.
How does the act of drawing and dreaming make one feel according to the script?
-Drawing and dreaming cause the brain to emit serotonin and oxytocin, making one feel happy, capable, creative, and cool.
What is the final call to action in the script, and how does it relate to Maya Angelou's quote?
-The final call to action is to draw one's dream into a template, choose a symbol representing the desired new reality, and send it to TEDx. This relates to Maya Angelou's quote by encouraging the transformation of one's reality through solitary fantasy.

Outlines

00:00

🤩 Embracing Visions to Transform Reality

The speaker begins by quoting Maya Angelou to emphasize the power of dreams and visions in shaping reality. They discuss the common desire to make significant life changes, such as starting a business or adopting a healthier lifestyle, and the psychological barriers that often prevent people from taking action. The importance of visualizing one's goals is highlighted, with the example of a company where employee understanding of the company's vision increased dramatically after a visual representation was created. The speaker encourages the audience to draw their current state and desired future to create a roadmap for change, using the character 'Joe' as an example to illustrate the process of envisioning and pursuing a new reality.

05:01

🎨 Visualizing the Path to Your Dreams

This paragraph delves deeper into the process of visualizing one's aspirations. The speaker explains that by drawing a picture of one's current situation and desired future, an individual can create a compelling roadmap for change. The example of 'Joe' is continued, with a focus on how he can use his imagination to overcome the critical voice in his mind and tap into his creative potential. The speaker suggests that by immersing oneself in the visualization and engaging with it emotionally, one can stimulate the brain's release of feel-good hormones, aiding in the realization of the dream. They propose a three-step process to bridge the gap between current reality and the desired future, emphasizing the importance of asking the brain for guidance and acting on the insights received.

10:02

🌟 Taking Bold Steps to Actualize Your Vision

The final paragraph wraps up the speech by reiterating the power of a solitary fantasy to transform realities, as stated by Maya Angelou. The speaker challenges the audience to take three bold steps towards their dreams, using the metaphor of a brain that can guess and piece together the necessary actions to achieve one's goals. They caution against the rational side of the brain that might dissuade from taking risks and encourage the audience to create a compelling visual representation of their desired reality to motivate action. The speaker concludes by inviting the audience to use a provided template to draw their dreams and share them, thereby taking the first step towards making their visions a reality.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Vision

Vision refers to a mental image or idea of what the future could or should look like, often used to inspire and guide action. In the video's context, it is about turning one's dreams or visions into reality. The script uses the idea of vision to encourage individuals to imagine and create a picture of their desired future, as exemplified by the speaker's challenge to the audience to 'see it, believe it, and then act on it'.

💡Change

Change is the process of becoming different, implying a transformation from one state to another. The video discusses the odds against making a change in one's life and offers strategies to overcome these odds. The script illustrates this with the example of an individual wanting to alter their current state, suggesting that by visualizing and pursuing a new reality, one can effect change.

💡Imagination

Imagination is the faculty or action of forming new ideas, images, or concepts of external objects not present to the senses. The video emphasizes the power of imagination in creating a new life scenario, as it activates the right side of the brain, which is associated with creativity and possibility. The speaker encourages the audience to use their imagination to trick the brain's critic and dream big.

💡Critic

In the context of the video, the 'critic' represents the part of the brain that is cautious and protective, trying to prevent one from taking risks. The speaker mentions the left side of the brain as the home of the critic, which is always trying to keep one safe from harm. The concept is used to illustrate the internal struggle between creativity and fear of failure.

💡Desired New Reality

Desired New Reality is the term used in the script to describe the ideal future state that an individual aspires to achieve. It is the outcome of one's vision and the goal towards which they are encouraged to work. The script uses the example of 'Joe' to illustrate how one can visualize and work towards a new reality that includes a new job, being one's own boss, and having a more fulfilling life.

💡Roadmap

A roadmap is a plan or outline that provides guidance or direction. In the video, the speaker suggests that by drawing one's current state and desired new reality, one creates a roadmap for change. This visual representation helps to clarify the path from the present to the envisioned future, making the process of achieving one's goals more tangible.

💡Serotonin

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that contributes to well-being and happiness. The video mentions that drawing and dreaming can trigger the release of serotonin and oxytocin in the brain, creating positive feelings. This is used to highlight the emotional benefits of visualizing one's goals and the role of positive emotions in the process of change.

💡Three Bold Steps

The concept of 'Three Bold Steps' in the video refers to the strategy of identifying and taking significant actions that will lead to the realization of one's vision. The speaker suggests that by looking at one's picture and closing one's eyes, the brain can offer the best possible solution to move from the current state to the desired new reality. This concept is central to the video's message of taking action towards change.

💡Oxytocin

Oxytocin, often referred to as the 'love hormone,' is a hormone that plays a role in social bonding, trust, and well-being. The video script mentions oxytocin alongside serotonin, indicating that the act of dreaming and drawing can create a positive neurochemical environment that supports creativity and the pursuit of one's vision.

💡Template

A template in this context is a pre-designed structure or guide that can be used to create something. The speaker provides a template for the audience to draw their dreams into, as a tool to help visualize and plan their desired new reality. The template serves as a practical aid in the process of turning one's vision into a tangible plan of action.

💡Symbol

A symbol is something that represents or stands for something else, often an abstract concept or idea. In the video, the speaker encourages the audience to choose a symbol in their drawing that represents their desired new reality. This symbol serves as a focal point for their vision, helping to concentrate their thoughts and efforts towards achieving their goals.

Highlights

Maya Angelou quote on the power of fantasy to transform realities

The desire to make a change in one's life and the common obstacles faced

The odds against making a change in life are 9 to 1

The importance of visualizing one's vision to achieve it

Case study of Ro pharmaceutical's vision clarity improvement through a picture

The concept of using a simple drawing as a roadmap for change

The role of imagination in activating the creative side of the brain

The example of 'Joe' to illustrate the process of envisioning a new reality

The brain's ability to guess and piece together solutions from past experiences

The three bold steps method to bridge the gap between current and desired reality

The importance of engaging all senses when visualizing to stimulate brain chemicals

The challenge of overcoming the brain's rational side that resists change

The strategy of drawing a compelling picture to motivate bold action

The call to action for the audience to draw their dreams into a template

The invitation to share the drawn vision with TEDx to inspire others

The closing message emphasizing the transformative power of three bold steps