COVID TIMES VIDEO RESOURCE CENTRE

The COVID Times Resource Centre

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TRY SOMETHING NEW FOR 30 DAYS It could change your life! TED Talks are produced by an American media organisation that posts online talks for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading".

In this video, technologist and TED speaker Matt Cutts - an early employee at Google and now an administrator at USDS, a tech group in the Executive Office of the President that improves government services relied upon by millions of Americans - talks about the 30-day challenges to try something new, for which he is widely known.

At a point in his life and career and stuck in a major rut, Matt decided to take on board the thinking of US philosopher Morgan Stanley and persist at something for 30 days he'd often dreamed of doing.

He's since become an avid (but slow!) distance runner, written a (bad!) novel and climbed Mt Kilimanjaro. But Matt says that while big challenges bring great satisfaction if persisted with and – better still - achieved, it's the smaller ones that are most likely stick and truly change your life.

REMEMBER TO SAY THANK YOU Dr Laura Trice is a counsellor for addiction rehab clinics, life coach and, in her other life, the head of Laura's Wholesome Junk Food, making healthy cookies and brownies. She is devoted to practices that help people find fulfillment. In this TED talk, Dr Trice muses on the power of the magic words "thank you" - to deepen a friendship, to repair a bond, to make sure another person knows what they mean to you. She also encourages people to not be afraid of asking others to express their thanks and gratitude to you. As we all know, thanks and gratitude are especially precious to us in these ultra-challenging times.