The Time Is Now: Cause/Affect The SpiriTED San Diego TEDxEvent Conference 2012

Remember the movie Pay it Forward? If not, it’s a warm film about the very simple, but powerful, world-changing methodology that kindness and humanity can multiply itself. That the empathy and brilliance of people serves as a catalyst for social change.

In the spirit of this Emmy award-winning film, I am here to multiply the knowledge and inspiration I gained from Saturday’s TEDevent, in the hopes that it will extend itself far behind the virtual confines of this Quad page.

TED is a non-profit forum whose mission is to spread ideas. TED brings change makers, thought provokers, innovators, and humanitarians together in fellowship to share their brilliance with the world. Participants included His Holiness the Dali Lama’s translator, Thupten Jinpa; Documentarian Chris Szwedo, Auschwitz survivor Dr. Edith Eva Eger; Leadership Theorist Ken Blanchard; and Genealogist Dr. Vanessa Hayes. It is rare in this world to find such an energy-infused space that leads to vulnerability, honesty, and unity.

The theme of the TEDxSanDiego 2012 conference was Cause/Affect. The day was broken into four sessions: Cause/Belief, Cause/Action, Affect/ Awareness, and Affect/Possibility.

There was one ubiquitous message infused into every speaker, topic, and story: the time is now. If you have been sitting on an idea or thought, do not wait—engage the courage within and extend your introspection outwards. We each possess the ability to color this world with intelligence, compassion, beauty, and hope but if our hearts, minds and thoughts remain stagnate, the world does as well.

As Gandhi said “Be the change you want to see in the word.” Start to manifest your passions, mission, and concerns. Imagine the AFFECT your CAUSE will have not just in your own life, but in your home, workplace, relationships, and world.