Nonprofits & Activism

How to shift your mindset and choose your future | Tom Rivett-Carnac

Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. When it comes to big life problems, we often stand at a crossroads: either believe we’re powerless against great change, or we rise to meet the challenge. In an urgent call to action, political strategist Tom Rivett-Carnac makes the…

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When it comes to big life problems, we often stand at a crossroads: either believe we’re powerless against great change, or we rise to meet the challenge. In an urgent call to action, political strategist Tom Rivett-Carnac makes the case for adopting a mindset of “stubborn optimism” to confront climate change — or whatever crisis may come our way — and sustain the action needed to build a regenerative future. As he puts it: “Stubborn optimism can fill our lives with meaning and purpose.”

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91 Comments

  1. Khalidhosam khalis

    May 13, 2020 at 5:53 pm

    Surah 7: Al-A’raf (The Heights): Verses 65-10

  2. Marie FC

    May 13, 2020 at 5:58 pm

    This is just what I needed to hear right now. Thank you. ❤

  3. End Of Innocence

    May 13, 2020 at 6:21 pm

    Relax … The raw NOAA data alone proves that it has actually gotten cooler in the last 100 years.

    • 7 7

      May 14, 2020 at 12:06 am

      source? would like to learn more

    • End Of Innocence

      May 14, 2020 at 12:22 am

      @7 7 You could read “Raw NOAA reveals more than we could have imagined” on LeagueOfRealPeople.

    • End Of Innocence

      May 14, 2020 at 12:22 am

      @7 7 Let’s see if links are allowed:

  4. Bjanka Simonsen

    May 13, 2020 at 6:22 pm

    If we all compost our veggie scraps in stead of throwing them in the bin, it would make a big difference.
    If you got a garden, don´t drive any greens away, but chop it up, and use it as cover for the soil. This will keep the soil moist and renew it.

  5. End Of Innocence

    May 13, 2020 at 6:24 pm

    Does TED ever do science any more?

  6. End Of Innocence

    May 13, 2020 at 6:25 pm

    This is not at all what the title implied.

  7. End Of Innocence

    May 13, 2020 at 6:39 pm

    Oh, no … This poor man has wasted his life, and he doesn’t even know it.

    • Evan Shirley

      May 13, 2020 at 6:47 pm

      End Of Innocence All of life is a waste. We will all die and the universe itself will settle into a frigid heat death. There’s no point to any of it. But this guy still holds on to hope. It might be a foolish hope, but really we’re all fools if we still hang on to life.

    • End Of Innocence

      May 14, 2020 at 12:24 am

      @Evan Shirley We are talking about how he has devoted his life to something that is completely false.

  8. Sean Hardy

    May 13, 2020 at 6:55 pm

    Did you really need two cameras? It feels completely redundant and gives the whole video a creepy omniscient observer vibe rather than just looking at the speaker.

    • Isaac Williams

      May 13, 2020 at 10:44 pm

      Sean Hardy it’s so if he messes up they can cut the video on the first camera and switch to the other camera where he repeats his line. If there was just one camera he’d have to do it perfectly all the way through otherwise if they wanted to edit out the mess ups it would look really clunky as the video stops and starts with him in different positions.

  9. आदित्य Aditya मेहेंदळे Mehendale

    May 13, 2020 at 6:59 pm

    SIDE CAMERA IS ANNOYING – PLEASE DON’T!

  10. Mario Glory

    May 13, 2020 at 7:00 pm

    rhodes island greece 🙂

  11. Gildardo Valencia

    May 13, 2020 at 7:11 pm

    113

  12. Marcus V. Terra

    May 13, 2020 at 7:41 pm

    Thank you for your inspiring talk! You’re kind of a new Churchill! Well done!

  13. Sweet Girl*** TAP ON MY PHOTO

    May 13, 2020 at 7:43 pm

    how good, subscribe bro

  14. Sarah bearah

    May 13, 2020 at 8:14 pm

    Thank you

  15. Jordan Austin

    May 13, 2020 at 9:14 pm

    Dudes a joke 🤣🤣 climate change is natural and uncontrollable. Like how these people call it climate change now and not global warming

  16. Nanci MacLeod

    May 13, 2020 at 9:22 pm

    This is Brilliant 😍 exactly what my heart has been speaking 💛

  17. Malcolm Pagett

    May 13, 2020 at 9:33 pm

    This is kind of inspiring.

  18. Guide To Phone

    May 13, 2020 at 9:52 pm

    Stubborn optimism is truly powerful

  19. KootFloris

    May 13, 2020 at 10:13 pm

    Wow, wonderful! Almost the same, in very different words, as my attitude as social activist. Only a constructive positive attitude leads us the way out. Not by focussing on the outcome, but on our own contribution and outcome. Read here how it may enrich your life to start helping!

  20. Leocram Vinci

    May 13, 2020 at 10:36 pm

    I don’t know why but when I hear some quote about that Churchill speech, it gives me goosebumps. I’m not old and not even english but damn! that was a good speech.

  21. Rolf Schmitz

    May 13, 2020 at 11:09 pm

    Awesome speech – how did he do it in the middle of the woods – some technical trick must have been applied there to make it so perfect. 
    Sorry for my skepticism. Any trick you reveal any how I will love it.

  22. Onteaya Evelina

    May 13, 2020 at 11:58 pm

    Superb!! What a revolutionary talk!!!

  23. Passive Aggressive Platypus

    May 14, 2020 at 12:27 am

    Why would it be the job of the US to help poorer countries with climate change?

  24. m js

    May 14, 2020 at 12:59 am

    This is a real attitude people need in this kind of depressing situation… Optimism and Action, we should do something.

  25. Mary Wright

    May 14, 2020 at 1:16 am

    The UN agenda 21. The most evil theory ever

  26. 레알노답토마토

    May 14, 2020 at 4:27 am

    youtube hi

  27. User2832

    May 14, 2020 at 5:10 am

    What if you’re stuck in an urban jungle with no woods nearby?

  28. Neha Agarwal

    May 14, 2020 at 6:05 am

    Thank you Tom Rivert Carnet sir for this inspiring Ted talk, it will definitely help to change the mind toward the stubborn optimism.

  29. Francesco Piffari

    May 14, 2020 at 6:54 am

    Powerful words!!! Thank you

  30. capotnt05

    May 14, 2020 at 7:34 am

    I can’t put a hounded million like for this wonderful video and words ! I’m at work for creating something new about the pollution from humans . 🙏🏻

  31. NGHƠ VLOG

    May 14, 2020 at 7:49 am

    Wow 17 tr wes

  32. Emma Brooker

    May 14, 2020 at 8:18 am

    I’m not religious at all, but this was like hearing a beautifully written and spoken sermon. Inspiring.

  33. Bella Andrade

    May 14, 2020 at 8:37 am

    Being a monk in my twenties doesn’t give me a seat at the UN. Do something. You put money and fix the glaciers. I’m stuck at home trying to make rent.

  34. Honig Son

    May 14, 2020 at 9:38 am

    be the change that you wish to see in the world, sure thing , but i am not ghandi just an ordinary guy – screw your talk

  35. Jack Grimes

    May 14, 2020 at 9:45 am

    Yeh, UN. I’m especially fond of their Agenda 21/30. That’s going really well.

  36. mappyhappychappy

    May 14, 2020 at 10:18 am

    We are choosing our future.
    We’re choosing a nightmarish dystopia.

  37. Tj Tj

    May 14, 2020 at 10:39 am

    Shift it by calling covid 19 a PLANdemic

  38. 親切な王子

    May 14, 2020 at 11:50 am

    A brilliant talk. One that is most needed right now. Thank you, Tom.

  39. alarcon99

    May 14, 2020 at 12:03 pm

    Gritty, Determined, Realistic, Stubborn, Optimism = Great 👏 Divas 👏 Run 👏 Straight 👏 On 👏

  40. butterfflyess

    May 14, 2020 at 12:55 pm

    Lockdown was the most useless and idiotic move ever causing more damage than good. Only Sweden understood it.

  41. James O’Shea

    May 14, 2020 at 12:58 pm

    Uhh sir, this is a Wendy’s.

  42. Jesus A_ Prophet_In_Islam

    May 14, 2020 at 1:10 pm

    3 Ways To Future-Proof Your Career :
    Invest in yourself.

    Continuously learning and developing keeps you both at the top of your game now and in the right mindset to adapt to change in the future. By making learning part of your routine, it will become a habit and your brain will become used to consistently taking in new information. This way, when a big change happens, you’ll be ready to learn what you need to do to stay ahead of the curve.

    Take the time to learn new skills that will help now as well as in the future. Stay on top of new innovations in your industry. Keep a pulse on what’s going on internally at your company. Think about where you’d like to be in the next five years in terms of job title, position, and company you’re working for. From there, figure out the most important skills related to those jobs or positions, and make that your priority for learning. Being aware of what can come next and staying open to options will set you up for future success.

    You don’t have to go back to school to learn. In fact, learning as you’re working is usually a far more effective method. You’ll be able to stay current in your industry and learn specifically what you need, rather than following a rigid set curriculum. If your company offers education as part of your development, take full advantage of it. If you plan to make a drastic career change, that’s when formal schooling could be beneficial.

    Create the job you want to do.

    Job titles and roles are changing, and you have the power to use this to your advantage. If you’re not feeling satisfied or fulfilled in your current role but there isn’t another role available, create one. This is a particularly useful way of gaining more knowledge and developing your skillset without having to leave your company.

    When you’re pitching an idea for a new position, make sure to be detailed in your explanation. Explain the responsibilities of the new position, how it relates to your current role, why it would be beneficial to the company, and of course why you’re the right person for the job. Be prepared to answer any questions that you’re asked, and always frame answers by highlighting the value it adds to the company.

    Not all companies will be amenable to this, but it’s always worth having a conversation with your manager to see if it’s a possibility. If nothing else, it shows them that you’re serious about development, and can put you on their radar for the next opportunity that opens up. You can also use this as an opportunity to transition into a conversation about ways to take on more responsibility, or even set yourself up for a promotion.

    Put down your phone.

    There’s a whole world outside of your phone. Too often, we use our phones as a defense mechanism. In an uncomfortable situation? Pull out your phone. Don’t want to talk to someone? Pull out your phone. It’s easy to hide behind a screen, but it’s far more effective to put it down every once and a while. It’s even changed the way we communicate. We spend so much time on our phones for work that we get too accustomed to texting and typing rather than having conversations with people in person.

    Rather than spending all of your time focused on digital ways of connecting with people, mix things up a bit. Make it a goal to have a five minute conversation with someone each day. Go to a networking event after work or happy hour with your colleagues. Networking events are a great way to help you step out of your comfort zone and practice face to face communication. You’re able to meet new people and learn about what they’re doing. It might even spark an idea for you to explore.

    There’s no way of telling exactly what the future of work will look like, so it’s important to keep a pulse on your industry. By preparing yourself now, both by learning and putting yourself into the right mindset, you’ll be able to take the changes in stride and be ready for anything that comes your way.

  43. Dr. Atom

    May 14, 2020 at 1:56 pm

    The best so far

  44. John Excel Aguilar Cabansag

    May 14, 2020 at 1:58 pm

    GRITTIER, DETERMINED, REALISTIC, STUBBORN OPTIMISM 🔥

    “we now need to move beyond this narrative of powerlessness.” 👏

    “we can no longer afford the luxury of being powerless.” 👏

  45. Rokshana Akther

    May 14, 2020 at 3:29 pm

    Thank you for your concern,As a Bangladeshi climate crisis is now every day issue and touching every one in minimum or maximum way like unwanted heavy rain in Dhaka, heat, sudden flood in river side or heavy storm in coastal area………..

  46. Polina Abrashneva

    May 14, 2020 at 4:56 pm

    твою ж дивизию, а мне че делать

  47. Denis Távara

    May 14, 2020 at 5:13 pm

    I understood your works❤

  48. Edward

    May 14, 2020 at 7:47 pm

    The problem is that organizations like UN WHO are totally corrupt, economically and politically. Bad actors like CCP controlled China are clearly not on the par for humanity other than coercion and bribery.

  49. Matthew Basnett

    May 15, 2020 at 12:01 am

    I thought this talk was brilliant

  50. Carlos Spicyweiner

    May 15, 2020 at 12:12 am

    Nothing is going to change unless we all admit to ourselves, the real problem is capitalism.

  51. quAdxify

    May 15, 2020 at 2:13 am

    “Is it really true that humans will only take sustained and dedicated action on an issue of paramount importance, when they feel they have a high degree of control?” No, this is not true! Humans will only take sustained and dedicated action on an issue of paramount importance if and only if they feel the pain – given that taking action involves a reduction or delay of immediate gratification. Our brains are based on locally optimal optimization not global one, although the later is theoretically possible, it must usually be enforced by pain and extreme fear.

  52. CharlynZR

    May 15, 2020 at 2:45 am

    i originally thought this was gonna be a ted talk on “the law of attraction” lol

  53. epSos.de

    May 15, 2020 at 3:20 am

    Very weird hand movement. His words do not connect to the hand movement.
    = He is not telling honestly, because his body movement is telling otherwise.

    • ___

      May 16, 2020 at 10:08 am

      yeah his hand movements are weird. but his words make sense and are true. judge a book by its cover?

  54. Lady Anne Aribal

    May 15, 2020 at 4:59 am

    The best one I heard from his talk was “it’s scary now but let’s approach it with love.”

  55. David Sanchez

    May 15, 2020 at 7:40 am

    so…at the end, The Beatles were right….

  56. A Dream

    May 15, 2020 at 9:03 am

    The UN is the future as globalization continues rapidly, but there will be a time in the future when “the people” will turn on the UN as a “One World Government,” and oppose them. The conspiracy theorists who oppose any rule of power and law will always try and undermine any good being done with a sceptical eye. Simply put, the idea of a small room of people dictating all of the world’s big choices, will become the establishment to dismantle.

  57. Black Flame

    May 15, 2020 at 9:03 am

    The UN is the future as globalization continues rapidly, but there will be a time in the future when “the people” will turn on the UN as a “One World Government,” and oppose them. The conspiracy theorists who oppose any rule of power and law will always try and undermine any good being done with a sceptical eye. Simply put, the idea of a small room of people dictating all of the world’s big choices, will become the establishment to dismantle.

  58. Derrick Farnell

    May 15, 2020 at 9:45 am

    His arm muscles must have been so tired by the end of this talk.

    • AK Immortal Productions

      May 17, 2020 at 12:03 pm

      Derrick Farnell lol

    • SN

      May 18, 2020 at 5:38 pm

      He is an Ex.monk.
      Energy is equally distributed

  59. Erin Kirchner

    May 15, 2020 at 11:31 am

    Someone edit a barbell or gavel in his hands.

  60. Aditya Kumar Seth

    May 15, 2020 at 11:39 am

    Loved your talk.. can’t explain how much I needed to hear that.

  61. Valerie Gerke

    May 15, 2020 at 1:17 pm

    Fabulous

  62. Cassia Chloe

    May 15, 2020 at 1:47 pm

    #xr

  63. Daniel Saphiere

    May 15, 2020 at 4:19 pm

    Great talk but I wish he’d move his hands more 👀

    • Kenny Wolfe

      May 19, 2020 at 2:30 am

      I wish I wouldn’t have read this comment before watching the video. All I could do was to watch and see how much he moved his hands.

  64. _supercars919

    May 15, 2020 at 8:01 pm

    Great how to video, definately giving me ideas for videos on my channel !

    Thank you for motivation 😀

  65. The Kid From The Mountain

    May 16, 2020 at 4:44 am

    I’m actually liking this TED format! Beautiful talk!👌

  66. gillian owens

    May 16, 2020 at 11:42 am

    This will be back in history books

  67. gregorio cavazos

    May 16, 2020 at 2:32 pm

    We can no longer afford the luxury of feeling powerless 👏💪🌎

  68. L B

    May 16, 2020 at 9:04 pm

    Good as audio. Terrible as a video. Too many Blairish hand gestures. Too many!

  69. James Hill

    May 16, 2020 at 10:25 pm

    This is one of the greatest TED talks I’ve ever watched.

  70. Louise Raskin

    May 18, 2020 at 5:11 am

    so powerful!!!

  71. Mark K

    May 18, 2020 at 2:28 pm

    We cannot stop climate change, hence the name. Pretty soon you’re going to change the name of it “Climate Crisis”. Tell that girl to shut up while you’re at it bubba.

    • Fire C

      May 20, 2020 at 4:28 pm

      We were too busy preparing for a climate crisis to prepare for a pandemic. At least we have those windmills to blow the covid away. Let’s approach it with love.

  72. samhita mahata

    May 18, 2020 at 4:07 pm

    Thank you for this❤

  73. Red Sparks

    May 18, 2020 at 9:21 pm

    Great talk but if the source of that stubborn optimism is to get behind Trump then count me out, or better still, I would rather go it alone and do what I can for my fellow humans and not for Trump’s ego and political agenda.

  74. Tarron Burrha

    May 18, 2020 at 11:12 pm

    Green screen m8

  75. Amanda McDowell

    May 18, 2020 at 11:25 pm

    Waste of my time. Should’ve had climate crisis in the title and I would have never watched it. But now you have added a view to your count. Boo.

  76. amar nath

    May 19, 2020 at 7:30 am

    Anyone help me

  77. Matt Harmer

    May 19, 2020 at 11:25 am

    thankyou

  78. Bảo Gà Gamer

    May 19, 2020 at 1:46 pm

    Hello, I’m from VietNam, I would like TED

  79. Nduduzo Ka-Mbuyazi

    May 21, 2020 at 8:50 am

    👏👏👏This so deserves a live audience. Thank you 🙌

  80. B McB

    May 21, 2020 at 2:27 pm

    Oh the ole’ bait & switch…

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