Chasing joy & misadventures | Bash Harry | TEDxAnggerek Desa Youth

Key Concepts:

• Choosing Joy: Prioritizing activities and decisions based on whether they bring personal joy.
• Misadventures: Small, interesting, and personally meaningful experiences.
• Connection: The importance of human connection, both online and offline.
• Success vs. Joy: Questioning the pursuit of success without considering personal joy and well-being.
• Self-Awareness: Recognizing personal limits, needs, and the importance of self-care.
• Depression: Recognizing the signs and impact of depression, and seeking help.
• Present Moment: Focusing on the present and how it makes you feel, rather than solely on future outcomes.

1. Introduction and Personal Anecdotes

• Bash introduces herself and explains why she's wearing her favorite jacket, emphasizing the importance of choosing joy, even in potentially nerve-wracking situations like giving a TEDx talk.
• She describes feeling "silly" and relates it to the anxieties of being a teenager, highlighting the universal experience of feeling insecure and trying to appear more confident than one feels.
• Bash acknowledges that life doesn't necessarily get easier with age, but individuals become stronger by prioritizing joy and embracing "misadventures."

2. The Power of Connection in the Digital Age

• The speaker reflects on growing up in the digital age, emphasizing the hyper-connectivity facilitated by the internet and social media.
• She shares her personal experience with online communities, specifically her involvement with Tumblr and fandoms like "SuperWhoLock" (Sherlock, Doctor Who), highlighting the positive impact of online connection and community.
• She defines a blog as a website where one can share their interests through pictures and words, contrasting it with AI-generated content.

3. Blogging as a Coping Mechanism and Catalyst

• Bash recounts starting her blog, "Hey Bash," at 16 as a way to cope with her first breakup.
• She emphasizes the consistency of her blogging, posting three times a week about various topics that interested her.
• She attributes her presence on the TEDx stage to the small acts of joy and adventure that stemmed from her blogging.

4. Defining and Experiencing Misadventures

• Bash defines "misadventures" as small, personally interesting experiences, not necessarily grand or exciting events.
• She provides examples of her own misadventures during university, such as long bus trips to London for fashion events and accidentally becoming president of the fashion society.
• She also highlights the importance of smaller, more introspective misadventures, such as being alone in a quiet space in a bustling city.

5. The Dark Side of Misadventures and the Onset of Depression

• Bash explains how the initial joy of misadventures can fade if one loses sight of their purpose, leading to a cycle of constantly seeking new experiences to feel something.
• She describes how her constant pursuit of misadventures at university became a burden, driven by a fear of being alone and a need to feel significant.
• She recounts experiencing isolation, loneliness, and a resurgence of the pain from her first heartbreak, ultimately leading to a realization that she was suffering from depression.

6. Seeking Help and Redefining Success

• Bash shares her experience of seeking counseling and the pivotal question her counselor asked: "Who are you doing this for?"
• This question led her to realize that she was chasing success and external validation rather than genuine joy.
• She questions the value of success without joy and the importance of not losing oneself in the pursuit of achievements.

7. Prioritizing Joy in the Present Moment

• Bash emphasizes the importance of asking oneself, "Will this bring me joy?" before committing to activities or experiences.
• She encourages focusing on the present moment and how things make one feel, rather than solely on future outcomes.
• She reminds the audience that they are not numbers or metrics but individuals with flaws, and that this is what makes them human.

8. Finding Joy in Simple Things

• Bash shares examples of what brings her joy now, such as creating knitting videos, organizing markets, teaching writing, and spending time with her cats.
• She emphasizes that joy can be found in simple things and that it evolves as one gets older.
• She concludes by encouraging the audience to find beauty in their mess, chaos, and misadventures, as that is what makes them human.

9. Notable Quotes:

• "You get stronger by choosing yourself, by choosing joy and misadventures."
• "What is joy? What is success without joy? What is success without the journey? And what is the journey if you lose yourself in the process?"
• "Will this bring me joy?"

10. Technical Terms and Concepts:

• A-levels: Advanced Level qualifications, a UK subject-based qualification.
• Tumblr: A microblogging and social networking website.
• SuperWhoLock: A fandom name combining the TV shows Supernatural, Doctor Who, and Sherlock.
• Slow Fashion Show: A fashion show promoting sustainable and ethical fashion practices.

Synthesis/Conclusion:

Bash's talk centers on the importance of prioritizing joy in one's life and recognizing the potential pitfalls of solely pursuing success or external validation. She shares her personal journey of using blogging and misadventures as coping mechanisms, but also highlights how these activities can become detrimental if not approached with self-awareness and a focus on genuine joy. The core message is to ask oneself, "Will this bring me joy?" and to find beauty and meaning in the present moment, embracing imperfections and prioritizing personal well-being over societal pressures.