By Laura D’Onofrio
It’s been an incredible summer. Our beloved Canes won the Stanley Cup. World Cup festivities brought distant cultures together. Our nation celebrated its 250th birthday in grand style. And of course, we took some deserved breaks from school and work.
But time rolls on, and summer is making way for fall. As we get back to school and life, the TEDxRaleigh event, held at NC State, served just the motivation we need. The event, themed Beyond the Blueprint, featured 12 dynamic speakers who were inspiring and relatable.
The Kindness We Pass On
John Cooper, CEO of Cooper Tacia General Contracting Co., had the room teary-eyed and earned a standing ovation. “I had a tough childhood and success did not change my reflexes,” he said. “I got resources but not peace.”
Cooper spoke of his grandmother Mozelle who stepped in to raise him and ultimately became his daily inspiration. He makes sure to infuse kindness into his business dealings.
“Remembering her was not enough. Her legacy now lives on in my kindness to myself and to others. In moments of conflict or disagreement, healing occurs when we pause and stop allowing reactions to dictate our next action.”
You Are Not Your Job
Celeste Bell, a former C-Suite HR executive-turned-professor and researcher shared a compelling talk on the power of “serious leisure” to build an identity outside of your day job (and report card).
“I was laid off and when I stood outside with my box and thoughts, and the loudest question in my mind was, If I am not my job, who am I?,” she said.
Since then, Bell has run more than 70 marathons on every continent and these accomplishments have empowered her, especially when things don’t go her way at her day job.
“There was one marathon where I finished dead last, I threw up multiple times, EMT asked if I should stop, but I finished. And crossing that finish line, I felt proud of doing the hard thing.”
The Long Game of Short-Term Wins
Anthony Rapillo, whose company Layla’s Son Hospitality has restaurants from Brier Creek to downtown Raleigh, shared a heartfelt lesson he learned from his mother.
Rapillo recalled his first day of kindergarten and the small praises he received when answering questions correctly or completing a task. Fast forward to adult life when the biggest question became his 5 and 10- year plan. “We need a north star, but short-term wins tracked over a long-term horizon increase our motivation.”
Rapillo referenced Harvard research that showed the greatest motivator is not money, but progress.
“This progress principle helps improve our creativity, productivity, and performance,” he said. “These small wins compound over time, release dopamine, and reinforce good behavior.”
The Takeaways
Talking to members of the audience, I could sense they were all leaving with important lessons on dedication, persistence, and the power of human connection. Ginny Lee and David Jones who are friends with speaker Mark Agnew praised the event’s message.
“I am deeply inspired, a lot of these talks gave me new ideas on how to show up,” Lee said.
So, whether it is back to work, or back to school, consider ways you can forge your own path this fall season and don’t forget to treat yourself as you do.
As organizer Allison Sanders put it, “life’s blueprint is dictated by society, but today we shared authentic stories of people who went beyond that and how it led to their success.”
To learn more about TEDxRaleigh and the many conversations it inspires, visit tedxraleigh.com.
