TED SPEECH

YOUR BODY LANGUAGES SHAPES WHO YOU ARE

This twenty minutes speech shows us how can you be uncovered with just looking at your body or, in contrast, how your body language can change your mind and your way to act.

Amy Cuddy has offer a speech which she begins with a little introduction asking for the attention of the audience who has to focus on their body position the next two minutes. Afterwards she goes on with an example for introduce her talk which will persist until the end. She talks about the position of power. Other scientists and she have been studying how people reacts in front of different situations and they have wrapped up that there’re two noticeable postures that transmits how powerful the person feels in that moment.

Amy Cuddy split this responses into powerful people, those who tend to optimise the space occupied by opening their arms or putting their legs on the table, or stretching their legs as much as they can, etc. The other kind of reaction was striking in feeble people. They close their arms, they are hunching, crossing their legs, wrapping their ankles: making themselves smaller.

Throughout a study that consists in submit people under pressure or in a threatening situation like job interviews, she comes to the conclusion that cortisol and testosterone are the gauges that correspond to those body postures. Testosterone increases and cortisol decreases in powerful people and the other way round in non-powerful ones.

Practically concluding Cuddy narrates a short personal story reminding the importance of overcoming and how you should struggle with your mind faking you feel comfortable and gain confidence with yourself as time moves forward and always think that if you are doing something it is because you were supposed to be there.

And finally she advices audience to adopt these powerful positions when we aren’t sure about feel strong enough or skilled enough, in one way or another faking our minds making them seem as though that we feel comfortable and sure with that situation.

First of all, I’ve found this speech interesting because it talks about attitudes we aren’t conscious we do, so it is always a good idea to investigate about some behaviours ruled by our unconscious mind.

I agree at all with the explanation she gave about how people adopt different postures depending on how they feel in this situation. Looking back, I confirm that I tend to cross my legs during an oral presentation, or wrap my arms, etc. because I don’t feel comfortable in this situation, I always think this isn’t my place and I try to go unnoticed as much as I can. But, however, when I spend time with my friends or at home (places where I feel absolutely comfortable, I tend to spread out and take up space, feeling sure with what I’m defending.

Making a reference to the other part of the speaking, the last one, I can’t corroborate the effectiveness to fake our minds. I’ve never tried it, and it’s something I should do. I’ll show a powerful and self-confident posture every time I don’t feel I should be there. I will believe in myself and maybe it can offer more relaxed and fluid sensations which I can transmit in my talks.

Some words I’ve learned in this speech are:
Awkward interaction: an interaction difficult to use, do, or deal with.
Sued: to take legal action against a person or organization, especially by making a legal claim for money because of some harm that they have caused you.
Cortisol: a hormone that is used in medicine to treat parts of the body that are swollen and painful.
Take a gamble on you: trust in you.
Whopping: extremely large.
Fake it: To make a pretense of knowledge, skill, etc.
Feeling sort of shut down: feel devastated. 

I’ve chosen some Amy Cuddy quotes with which I agree: 

“EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER AND YOU HAVE THE RESPONIBILITY TO DISCOVER WHAT IT IS"

Dear Lourdes,

I’m Aina Vesa Martínez and I’m 17 years old. I live in Castelló d’Empúries and I was born in Figueres hospital.

Nowadays I’m a student from IES Castelló d’Empúries and I’m doing second of batxillerat in order to access to a university degree. Indeed, I’ve been a lucky person to the effect that I have always had a clear idea of what I would like to study in the future; my life goals are pretty set.

If we talk about this course goals I could say that I hope to earn good grades because I would like to get a scholarship to have a part of my studies paid and because it’s a hallmark of a good student. It also means that I would study whatever I am interested in and wherever I prefer.

I don’t really expect any challenge this course because I’ve been always putting pressure upon myself to get excellent marks, so maybe the only challenge I have to face is to keep up with my study rhythm and try not to drop in grades.

But if we refer to a broader meaning I’m convinced I have a long way to go plenty of challenges which I will try to overcome working hard with the strength of self-improvement and always counting on the unswerving support of my parents, my friends, my family and the teachers that once believe in me.

I would like to make a careful consideration about the sentence “Every single one of you has something to offer and you have the responsibility to discover what it is” said by President Obama. I’m in favour of multiple intelligences which means that everybody has different skills. It’s too complicated to know about everything and it’s not necessary either. Just focus on what you are good at and with what you feel comfortable and improve yourself spending time on whatever it is, in order to be the best, if not more, playing your part in that you’ve been working at. Maybe your contribution will be the grain of sand necessary to end the sandcastle.

Hence, refuse to give up and don’t listen to those who try to sink you, they haven’t found with what they are good at, so they don’t want to let you find your way.

Put your best effort and don’t let any opportunity scape because one of them belongs to you.

  
So, that's all. Hope to see you soon,
Good bye, Lourdes. 

SKYDIVING

Taking advantage of what we are going to talk about during this term, dreams, I would like to start my blog with one point that appears in my bucket list. 

I've been dreaming of skydiving and my desire has increased even more after work in Skydive Empuriabrava during all this summer. 

For this reason I decided to make my dream come true and in 9th of September I jumped.

A part of point out how extraordinary has become this experience and, I would even go so far as saying that it was the best action I've done in my life, I would like to tell you how is the feeling of making your dreams come true. 

  

I think it must be something usual in our life. I mean that we should take this kind of decisions most often because they transmit us happiness and we feel really great when we do them. And it isn't just about the sense of well-being of the moment but also how you change your way of acting in other kind of aspects, the way you face your problems, the desire of experience these feelings again…

It could sound a little bit "corny" but I'm not joking when I'm saying that you change your point of view. You are motivated and you want to do other fantastic things just because you feel really great. You feel fulfilled and it produces a sense which is priceless.

And finally, let me tell you that there's only one life to lead and you are the only one who has to enjoy it and work out for it to make it unique. Don't miss any opportunity, experience as much emotions as you can, and do what you really love, don't spend time doing what those things that add anything to your life but also make you feel grumpy. 

I leave the video about how my skydiving experience was. 

BYE BYE SUMMER