Ric Elias' incredible story

For my eighth and final TED talk blog, I chose to watch Ric Elias’ recount of his experiences on the plane that landed in the Hudson river (http://articles.cnn.com/2009-01-15/us/new.york.plane.crash_1_air-traffic-controllers-bird-strike-pilot?_s=PM:US). I chose this talk for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was five minutes. Up to watching this talk, I didn’t know what a five-minute TED talk looked like. I think this will help with my own presentation greatly. Also, it was a story of survival. These kinds of stories really interest me personally. Ric’s brush with death really broadens my mind as to what my goals and aspirations are. It really makes you think about your purpose. Luckily, I already know what my purpose is. This TED talk, however, is a message that has been simpler to grasp and more clear than every other talk I’ve seen. This makes it a powerful message. I feel that this simplicity is part of what makes this message applicable to all. I will definitely incorporate simplicity into my talk, trying not to make it overly complex or confusing. Something that surprised me about Ric’s whole talk was his almost complete lack of fear. How could someone recount a near-death experience without talking about fear? All that I’ve heard so far have dealt with it in some way or another. For example, in Aron Ralston’s story, he felt fear nearly every step of the way, and told about it. It’s hard for him to even talk about his experience because his mind was in such a dark place. Ric’s ease of talking about his experience made it clear that his mind was not in a dark place. This really surprises me and changes my perspective on how certain peoples’ minds work.  During Ric’s presentation, he was never rushed to speak. He spoke slowly and coolly the entire time. I will definitely make my presentation less wordy to have this engaging effect. This presentation works because it is remarkable. Ric Elias’ views on what he went through are really unique. This unique message makes people care more. Also, I think emotionally connecting with people more creates a stronger message. I believe that an emotional connection can be made to an audience in five minutes, and this is exactly what I intend to do. This talk has really helped to inspire me to make my own better. His message is simple, his style is concise, and his vision is clear. Ric’s incredible story of survival can inspire all.