Alona Anuran

Link to the Video for Transcription https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN79-Tv5GHY This is really a two-hour presentation I give the high school students, cut down to three minutes. And it all started one day on the plane, on my way to Ted, seven years ago. And in the seat next to me was a high school student, a teenager, and she came really from a poor family. And she wanted to make something of her life and she asked me a simple little question. She said, “What leads to success?” And I felt really badly, because I couldn’t give her a good answer. So I get off the plane, I come to Ted. Now I think, jeez, I’m in the middle of a room of successful people! So why don’t I ask them what helped them succeed, and pass it on to their kids? So here we are, seven years, 500 interviews later, and I’m going to tell you what really leads to success and makes TEDsters tick. And the first thing is passion. Freeman Thomas says “I’m driven by my passion.” TEDsters do it for love; and they don’t do it for money. Carol Coletta says, “I would pay someone to do what I do.” And the interesting thing is: if you do it for love, the money comes anyway. Work! Rupert Murdoch said to me, “It’s all hard work. Nothing comes easily. But I have a lot of fun.” Did he say fun? Rupert? Yes! TEDsters do have fun working. And they work hard. I figured, they’re not workaholics. They’re workafrolics. Good. Alex Garden says, “To be successful put your nose down in something and get damn good at it.” There’s no magic; its practice, practice, practice. And its focus, Norman Jewison said to me, “I think it all has to do with focusing yourself on one thing.” And Push! David Gallo says “Push yourself. Physically, mentally, you gotta push, push, push.” You’ve got to push through shyness and self-doubt. Goldi hawn says, “I always had self-doubts. I wasn’t good enough; I wasn’t smart enough; I didn’t think I’d make it.” Now it’s not always easy to push yourself, that’s why they invented mothers. Frank Ghery said to me, “My mother pushed me.” Serve! Sherwin Nuland says, “It was a privilege to serve as a doctor.” Now a lot of kids is telling me they want to be millionaires and the first thing I say to them is; “Ok, well you can’t serve yourself; They got to serve others something of value because that’s the way people really get rich.” Ideas! Tedster Bill Gates says, “I have an idea: founding the first micro-computer software company.” I’d say it was a pretty good idea. And there’s no magic to creativity in coming up with the ideas. It’s just doing some very simple things. And I give lots of evidence. Persist! Joe Kraus says, “Persistence is the number one reason for our success.” You’ve got to persist through failure. You’ve got to persist through crap! Which of course means “Criticism, Rejection, Assholes, and Pressure.” So, the answer to this question is simple; Pay 4000 bucks and come to TED. Or failing that, do the eight things -- and trust me this are the big eight things that leads to success. Thank you TEDsters for all your interviews! Official Transcript (Click me to compare how you did with your Assignment)