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How to Find Your Purpose (W/ Yara Shahidi) | How to Be a Better Human | TED

“Optimism is not what exists in a vacuum on your best day, but how you’re pulling through for yourself on your worst days,” says actress Yara Shahidi. Yara is known for her sitcoms Black-ish and its spinoff Grown-ish. She shares what she learned from creating a “Hard Yes” list, why she chose to attend Harvard…

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“Optimism is not what exists in a vacuum on your best day, but how you’re pulling through for yourself on your worst days,” says actress Yara Shahidi. Yara is known for her sitcoms Black-ish and its spinoff Grown-ish. She shares what she learned from creating a “Hard Yes” list, why she chose to attend Harvard after acting, and why she thinks anyone can find their highest order if they pay attention.

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18 Comments

  1. @mahima2007-mj

    April 15, 2026 at 3:03 pm

    Ted you’re helping us alot😭🫶🏻

  2. @ioanarcalean7870

    April 15, 2026 at 3:24 pm

    Foarte fain.
    De ce acestea nu se traduc și în limba română?

    • @elin_

      April 15, 2026 at 4:01 pm

      Not enough people speak romanian, just like they don’t speak my language.

    • @ioanarcalean7870

      April 16, 2026 at 12:14 am

      ​@elin_😢

  3. @madsisak

    April 15, 2026 at 3:44 pm

    Zzzzz

  4. @elin_

    April 15, 2026 at 3:58 pm

    How to be a better human? Abandon abrahamic religions.

  5. @tlwest1

    April 15, 2026 at 4:14 pm

    I thought this was about finding your purpose

    • @elin_

      April 15, 2026 at 4:20 pm

      Nah just rambling from a celebrity

  6. @elin_

    April 15, 2026 at 4:20 pm

    This is so cringely tiring.. Yet another video saying the exact same thing as the others have done in the past.

    Also very easy for a celebrity without severe mental illness to sit and talk about optimism…

  7. @PharaohGomez

    April 15, 2026 at 5:15 pm

    She’s so smart and yet so elegant and beautiful wow 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵😍😍😍😍😍😍

  8. @siiiomaiiii

    April 15, 2026 at 7:49 pm

    I want her to keep talking, she has such insight, I want her wisdom to never end

  9. @Gharial555

    April 15, 2026 at 8:11 pm

    A highly successful actor decided that everyone else needed to hear their opinion on why we should all be happier about our sh*tty lives? Stfu😂

  10. @BehavioralCapital-c1m

    April 15, 2026 at 9:38 pm

    I’ve recapped Yara’s ideas into short, actionable steps for you to follow below.

    1. Follow multiple interests → don’t force a single path.
    2. Replace “either/or” with “and.”
    3. Act before you feel fully certain.
    4. Choose optimism → it leads to action.
    5. Stay curious → you don’t know enough to limit yourself.
    6. Build a “Hard Yes List” (what truly brings you joy).
    7. Define your “Highest Order” (core drivers of your life).
    8. Go deep on what matters → ignore pressure to comment on everything.
    9. Allow yourself to be bad at new things.
    10. Redefine yourself continuously → purpose evolves.

    • @pashaveres4629

      April 15, 2026 at 11:58 pm

      Nice! Thanks. 🙂
      Wondering “How does this have only 2 likes??”
      Oh, it was posted two hours ago.

    • @BehavioralCapital-c1m

      April 16, 2026 at 1:08 am

      @pashaveres4629 Appreciate it! Yeah, still fresh 😄

    • @DivorceThrivers

      April 16, 2026 at 6:15 am

      🎉

    • @BehavioralCapital-c1m

      April 16, 2026 at 2:26 pm

      @DivorceThrivers

  11. @miriamkromah2983

    April 16, 2026 at 9:25 am

    This similar to something I want to build and am building. This is a sign that my idea is possible and will actually happen.

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