A few months ago I received a voicemail from Kelly in Traverse City, Michigan. In her message, she briefly explained a conference where I was invited to give a short 12 minute presentation. At first thought I was only mildly interested. It was a long way to travel. Besides, what can I say in only 12 minutes anyway? But when I returned her call and listed to Kelly explain what a TEDx conference was, I became more and more excited. TED talks are limited to such a brief time so that they can pack the day with inspiration from a variety of voices. Kelly shared with me TED’s history, its goal of spreading wonderful ideas, and an impressive list of past TED speakers. When she was finished she asked if I had any questions.
“Just one,” I replied, “How do I fit in with all those amazing people?”
I spent the next few months watching as many TED talks as I could to prepare for the opportunity to give my own TED talk. I wrote many drafts of a speech in attempt to emulate what amazed me about the other TED speakers. But realizing that I cannot be anything but myself, I finally settled on one speech that I drafted last minute that I didn’t agonize over. I spent a few days rehearsing it so that I wouldn’t talk longer than the allowed 12 minutes, and finally, nervous and excited I boarded the plane to Michigan still believing that I would be out of place among most exceptional minds.
But when I got to the TED conference, my mind began to change until I finally decided that this was exactly where I belonged. Most importantly because of the amazing experience I had and excellent new opportunities and connections I gained.
In 2008 I dreamed of living on a boat and being a writer. I wanted to have experiences that challenged my conception of humanisms and convention in the world I inhabit. Most of all I wanted to write it all down and by doing so, pass that challenge on to someone else and invite them into the conversation. So I moved aboard and began playing with words on a blog. I never expected so many would read it.
When I asked Kelly , “How do I fit in with all those amazing speakers,” she said, “Because your blog has inspired so many.”
She is wrong, I thought, its the blogging that has inspired me.
Writing a blog is a two way street. You inspire us to look at things from a different perspective and consider things we might not have thought of before reading the blog. We ask questions and make comments that make you consider your thoughts so that you can explain them to us. Also, we present opinions and ideas which can alter your perceptions of life since you can then see it through eyes you might never look upon in person. In our lives, we can develop tunnel vision of what needs to be done and how we are going to do it. A tradition which used to be a regular occurance was local group efforts. Women would get together and have a sewing circle or men would make up hunting groups. The purpose of these was not to just produce or provide. They acted as a comunity forum where ideas were discussed and friends were made. Blogs, facebook groups, and other online communities are our modern equivilent. The difference is that you may meet, develop a friendship, and trade ideas with people you might never meet in person. Hundreds or even thousands of miles make no difference.
Teresa, I began following your blog a while back because of my interest in sailing. I also enjoy reading about people who live aboard and live a lifestyle based around boats and the water. This is a dream that I hope to make a reality in the near future. I enjoy your blog and find your passion for living a simpler lifestyle very intriguing. I am also a huge fan of TED, and watch the “Talks” regularly. I enjoyed your talk and learning more about what motivates you to pursue your dream. Thanks for sharing. I will continue to follow your adventures and use your experiences to help motivate myself to pursue my own.
Nicely done Teresa.
Well done! Thinking of you and praying for safe travels.
Hi Teresa….great job….what a wonderful opportunity for you……and we are blessed to be in your life journey.
We are excited, Bridget will be home for 12 days and the whole clan will be together for a long weeken…and wen and kiddos will be here a month.
Know you are in our prayers always
Hugs lynn
Do you remember the words, “I can’t wait to see how you unfold…..”? I always knew you were destined to do great things….explore, adventure, question, challenge yourself…learn….teach…….while many things my girls have done make me extremely proud, I seldom get the opportunity to tell the world…..your Ted presentation was another one of those times….I was moved to tears with a huge smile. I love you. Please be safe.
Hi Teresa,
I just watched your video from the TED conference. The timing could not have been any better. This is exactly where my wife and I are in our lives. We are in our late 40′s and have been chasing what we thought was the American Dream. Instead, it was more of trying to keep up or out do the Jones. That’s when life throws you a curve ball and we pretty much lost everything, but still have each other and a new dream. That is to simplify our life, which means sell almost everything that won’t fit on a sailboat and begin our life on the sea exploring the world. We, too, have come to realize that it isn’t the stuff that matters to us; it’s the memories, family, friends and purpose of life that matter most.
Thanks for being such a great inspiration.
Dear Teresa,
You are such an inspiration. My husband and I have a dream and a plan to own our own sailboat and set off to create MORE memories together. We’ve been so blessed with so many already, but this dream will be the cherry on the icing on the cake! Actually, I have those fake cherries so it will be the strawberry! We too are looking to simplify our lives (which -- yes -- means we’ve overindulged which I HATE to admit). We are determined to go back to the days where we had nothing and were happiest!
We cannot wait to focus on our internal goals of our souls and join you on the ocean someday soon!
All the best -- SAFE SAILING!
Jenny
Wow! You are truly an amazing, intelligent and self-assured young woman! What an incredible opportunity you have been given and you have done tremendous things with that opportunity. I am so proud of my young cousin and incredibly jealous! Be safe and enjoy your awesome journey through your life.
Nice blog and thanks for sharing. The wife and I have spent the last four years selling and downsizing so that we could move aboard and break free from the shackles. Nice that you were intelligent enough to do it so young!
We’ll see you on the coast of California, although if you don’t sail south into the warmer waters you might miss us. If we do meet, we’ll share a glass of wine and a sunset, and appreciate what we have accomplished.
I’ve seen a couple of your videos but forgot about this blog. I found it again!
Nice discussion in this video. Well done.
~Dan
That was a very engaged and engaging talk.
Interesting to hear you say simple living is a values driven lifestyle. I think all lifestyles are values driven. its just that as long as the lifestyle is mainstream we don’t need to think about the values. Just slip along with the crowd.
Teresa:
You sound naive and immature. My wife and I both work. We chose our careers for passion and we make a sizable income. We don’t live an extravagant material life we could afford one but its not our pleasure. We enjoy our work, our life together, we volunteer, we donate our time and money and we live a simple a life.
Life isn’t about chasing ideals of any kind its about knowing yourself what makes you as an individual happy and sharing as a person. Its about coming together with a partner finding love, or family or a dream, or helping someone out who needs a hand (just because they need a hand). Its not for anyone else to judge or preach what is correct or more meaningful its about understanding we are all different. Our wants and needs are different. Freedom is happiness and what that freedom is is different for every person. You don’t need to try and preach simple living, happy people figure it out all on there own its individual.
Doug
Dear Doug,
I believe that if you listened to my TED talk you’ll find that much of what I said shares the same sentiment that you wrote about in this comment you posted on my blog. In some cases, nearly word for word.
You said that happiness (or simplicity) is individual. In fact, I said “Its individual, and very personal, unique to each person that is exploring that lifestyle.”
You also said that “We don’t live an extravagant material life…We enjoy our work, our life together, we volunteer…” It sounds like you are doing exactly what I stated at the close of my TED talk which is what I wish for every American; that you have the opportunity to choose simplicity and to choose to cultivate those internal goods that Aristotle identified.
I do hope that you will continue to live as you describe your life and therefore spread joy to others, but at the same time being open, without judgment to the wide variety of ways people pursue simplicity and happiness. I don’t believe that everyone should choose simplicity, or that they would want to. I only said that I wish everyone had the “opportunity to live simply if they desire.”
Because your comment aligns so well with my TED talk, I’m confused by the judgement of sounding “naive and immature.” I’m having a hard time believing that you were able to listen to the entire talk before commenting on it. Yet at the same time it is such a strong judgement that I find it equally hard to believe that anyone would say that without carefully listening to it entirely. That statement, in the context of the rest of your comment, comes as a surprise to me.
Although you say that “life isn’t about chasing ideals,” I must say that I’m always pleased to hear that people are out there chasing ideals such as, “finding love, or family or a dream, or helping someone out who needs a hand,” as you mentioned. Its ok if we disagree on the meaning of “chasing ideals” but what we do agree on are at least a few things to prioritize in life.
Sincerely,
Teresa
(quotes taken from Doug’s comment and from my TED talk)
Doug,
I try to maintain this blog and all its discussions with a high level of honesty. I’ve discovered that your comment comes to me from a false email address and a suspect IP address. If you choose to be involved in the discussions on this blog again, you’ll have to be more open about your identity.
Sincerely,
Teresa
Theresa,
I started reading your blog in preparation for my own sailing trip. You were an inspiration then and your recent work which I just discovered shows that you have taken the best of what the sea can teach and made it yours. Congratulations on the Tedx. You have come far. As I prepare to cast off, I hope for but a small measure of the wisdom you have fished from wind and water.
Dearest Teresa,
If you will, please permit me to give you a quick critique of your speech, writer-to-writer.
The main reason I love your work is your specificity. So many inspirational speakers use sweeping generalizations and unrealistic ideals in their speeches, hastily plastered over with pithy passionate buzz words. Their audience is left feeling ephermerally moved to accomplish their foolhardy plans, only to be left in chagrin when all comes crashing down.
Your blog and your TEDx speech detail specific, articulate quotations from modern-day sources and relevant personal experiences. You don’t try to hoodwink your readers into believing your way is the ultimate path, or that acheiving their dreams is simple as wishing on a star. Instead, your speech reveals to your riveted audience what was always there: a choice. You say: these are the facts; do with them what you will.
I’ve been reading your blog for at least a year now. I give you my best wishes in finding that ice berg, if that’s still on the agenda.
Sincerely from a sailor,
Ella
P.S. I love the tiny smilie face in the lower left-hand corner, by the way.
Dear Ella,
Thank you for your honest and encouraging words. I do strive to keep an open mind about simplicity as opposed to insisting its the best way to live, and I’m glad that you have been interpreting it that way. And yes, the iceberg is still on the agenda! We are documenting our journey at http://www.simplequestionmovie.com.
Sincerely,
Teresa
P.S. Where is the smilie face?!?!
Great Talk ! -- very inspiring.
Dear Teresa,
Your TEDx talk truly “hit the nail on the head.”
It eloquently reminded me why I gave up a promising science career 25 years ago to build a boat and go sailing. I did this for several years then got entrapped again in the consumer, debt driven society, which has taught me some painful lessons; the most important of which, is that I have to be who I truly am.
For a while I thought I was a remnant of a dying breed, but now I am finding others of like mind, and once again becoming part of that great nation that connects all peoples.
I’m now back on a boat and loving it!
Thank you for sharing your dreams.
Wishing you fair winds and bright skies.
David
Dear Teresa
I, like you, am about to go down to the sea in a sailing ship. I decided one year ago to re-establish myself in sailing. After having spent a good deal of time on board I found it was time to really commit to the experience. Your talk was fabulous.
Allow me to comment on Doug’s comment above. Doug obviously felt threatened by your speech. I felt a good deal of envy was present. Thinking back on when I was a young man I felt that the pursuit of the success I had seen was my desire. It was! But at some point you ask yourself “is that all there is”?
The freedom we look for in life is “simplicity”. Where you find it is in the eye of the beholder. At 62 my eyes may have dimmed a bit however I have never seen my life more clearly than now. At last I am free to see if that simplicity is where my heart leads me to believe I shall find it. Again it is up to me to see if your simplicity is similar to mine. At some point George may find himself realigning his life compass as well.
Jack,
Thank you for your thoughts. I’m happy to hear about other people who appreciate my talk and are also exploring simplicity in their own way. Writing the talk was difficult for me because I had a lot to say and was limited to only 12 minutes. But I absolutely enjoyed it and hope I get to do more stuff like that.
I’m not at all worried about Doug’s comment. I’ve gotten worse already and have been called some nasty names. Its what I bargained for when I put my thoughts on the internet. But Doug didn’t even use a real email address and concealed his identity. I think he was what they call an “internet troll” and just trying to stir up trouble.
Sincerely,
Teresa
I’m so proud for you!
Wow. It is wonderful to see our next generation so intelligent and inspirational!
Thank you.
Hi Teresa
Best Wishes and I hope you can keep things simple with the movie, sponsorship deals and all the publicity. Keep to your path…..
Keep pushing your boundaries and good luck with learning more about diesel engines and electicals…….. Have you seen the book by Nigel Caulder? Good place to start.
\Nick
Thank Nick! Nothing is simple, and especially making a movie. But I believe it aligns with my vision Simple Living in that I am doing it primarily for its intrinsic values of creativity and learning. I never expect it to be easy, but to be honest, I actually surprised how much work it is! More than I had planned.
Yes! Calder’s book is excellent. It helped me diagnose my engine problem. I ended up having to replace a bent connecting rod….quite a nice project for a first-timer! But I still need to learn a lot more.
Teresa
Hi Teresa,
Great speech, an inspiration. I feel you are right about freedom of choice. People are often judged by their material wealth, even if it is a house of cards. What was once healthy and good; ‘the american dream’ has morphed, I think, into something unhealthy and perhaps destructive. Most people carry way too much debt and have no idea how their lives are becoming more and more restricted.
I learned my lesson when I was a young man. I had $1000 in credit card debt and decided to pay it all instead of monthly payments. Sent a check and thought that’s that. Nope. Still twenty odd dollars in interest owed. Called the credit card company they told me exactly how much I owed them and I sent another check of that amount. Done. Nope, not done. Got a bill for a dollar or so because of interest accrued during the week it had taken my check to arrive… Fine, here’s your dollar. Nope, same thing now I owed them, believe it or not, $0.11. I felt like I was walking waist deep in molasses. So I sent them five dollars and keep the change.
Never again did I go into debt. Life can be kept very simple if people simply save for what they need. If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it.
We simplified our lives. Bought a small house raised chickens and had a nice vegetable garden, and did not try to keep up with the rest. We did buy a sailboat years ago, but don’t live on it. However when I sail, live is simple. I tack, reef, listen and feel while at one with myself and nature.
We dream about moving onto a sailboat and exploring the world, and I felt your comment how you chose to make the decision and then figure it all out was well put. We are not ready yet but when the time comes we will cast off and explore and experience the wonders that are out there.
Sincerely, Henk.
PS, Regarding the waterspout. I never felt so alive when I was chased by a black bear defending her cubs, all my senses so alert, so in-tune with my surroundings. Just the wit of my brain, strength of my body and courage in my heart.
Thanks for you courage! You are amazing!
..just found you on youtube..;-) your an inspiration, Theresa! Already saving money for a vessel, to live plan B aswell !! All the best and fair winds everytime! Chris from Austria-
To the highly suave, and ever so mature , Doug I think it was and his equally high earning spouse, you know , if you paid some , meager working guy , to put , “install” huge mirrors on all of the walls and ceilings in your home, you would be able to admire yourselves from even more angles !
Just imagine the thrill, you could watch yourself , as you self inflate !
Don
hi teresa,
i first saw you on-line over a year ago while researching sailing and living aboard- you were one of the first channel markers -helping guide me as i trolled the internet for information and motivation. this evening, i came across your blog and this video (which amazingly somehow i missed previously) -and i’m thrilled to learn more about your journey.
i am north of 50. earlier this month i became the owner of a 32′ sailboat. my wife and i and our two teenage sons will be spending the coming season learning, re-furbishing, becoming sailors- shedding some of the material and filling those voids with something more spiritual and internal- and simple.
who knows where this journey will lead but it feels right and so i am just following- “it”. i can’t wait, and dream of leaving some things behind as we move forward.
i have sailed once in my life….there will be fear to manage…
as this new horizon unfolds- your talk on simplicity, courage, seeking out, not to mention your happy and blissful demeanor- are truly an inspiration- and go a long way in helping me fill in the blanks, and take away some of that fear-
thank you so much.
fair winds.
andy
grand rapids
Thank you!
I am a U.S Marine I have been all around the world across the oceans . I took sailing classes years ago but got caught up in the American dream, now I see I need to live my dream I have been watching your videos and they have inspired me . You are amazing . I’m setting my self up to buy a boat and sail the way I want . Thank you mik3