Imagine your happiest life. Are you married to the perfect spouse? Are you excelling in your career? Are you traveling the world? When most people think about happiness, it’s these types of images that come to mind. Fantasies of bliss, excitement, and perfection. Now imagine these dreams never came true, and that your life was ok, but far from what you thought would make you happy. As a psychiatrist, Dr. Gregory Scott Brown has worked with thousands of patients who are chasing their idea of what happiness should be. More often than not, it’s an impractical fantasy that they just can’t seem to access. Like his patients, and perhaps like you, he's been there. That’s until he realized that there’s a lot we get wrong about happiness. First, we put too much value in it. Studies have shown that overvaluing happiness – by assuming that the only way to experience it is when life is perfect – causes you to feel less happy. Second, we pay too much attention to so-called hedonic happiness, the kind of happiness you experience on your wedding day or after getting a big promotion. Eudaimonic happiness, on the other hand, priorities the experience of finding joy in purpose and community. Third, we undermine the importance of fulfillment – that’s when you accept who you are, are grateful for what you have, and are optimistic about the future. If you want to access true happiness in your life, it’s time to focus on what will bring you true and lasting joy – fulfillment. Gregory Scott Brown, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist, author, and educator. A nationally-recognized leader in mental health advocacy, Dr. Brown writes and speaks about mental health in a way that is informative, relatable, and fun. His first book, The Self-Healing Mind: An Essential Five-Step Practice for Overcoming Anxiety and Depression, and Revitalizing Your Life, outlines evidence-based self-care strategies for reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. For five years, Dr. Brown co-hosted the popular Instagram Live series, Friday Sessions, that welcomed over one hundred prominent guests who are changing the way we think about and talk about mental health. Dr. Brown is a committed educator and he serves as a faculty member at the University of Houston College of Medicine where he teaches psychiatry courses to medical students. His work has been featured in several major media outlets including the Washington Post, the PBS News Hour, and NPR. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Space travel is becoming a reality for ordinary people, but will it spark a utopian future or fall prey to greed and exploitation? One thing’s certain: humanity’s next frontier could include the first baby born beyond Earth. Chris Impey is a University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona. He has over 450 publications on education, observational cosmology, galaxies, and quasars, and his research has been supported by $20 million in NASA and NSF grants. He has won eleven teaching awards and has taught four online classes with over 420,000 enrolled and 8 million minutes of video lectures watched. Chris Impey is a past Vice President of the American Astronomical Society, and he has won its career Education Prize. He’s also been NSF Distinguished Teaching Scholar, Carnegie Council’s Arizona Professor of the Year, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. He has written 120 popular articles on cosmology, astrobiology and education, two textbooks, a novel called Shadow World, and eleven popular science books. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

If the vast majority of us will become a caregiver to someone we love with cancer, realizing how we can help is imperative. Driven by his sister’s death to brain cancer, Josh Bedingfield details what he realized during and after his sister’s death; that drugs and chemotherapy aren’t the only thing that can fight cancer. Through moments with brain cancer, tensions in family, and cycling across the continent, “I Need You Right Now” show’s how social support can fight cancer, and how cancer patients truly need us now. Cancer Advocate & Public Relations Specialist Josh is deeply passionate about bettering cancer patients and family outcomes, inspired by his late sister’s journey with Midline Diffuse Glioma, an aggressive and rare form of brain cancer. Josh has worked to improve cancer outcomes through advocacy, fundraising, digital media, and cycling. He is currently a senior public relations undergraduate at UT Austin from Reading, MA.Josh fundraised $60,000 to cycle 4,000 miles from Austin, TX to Anchorage, AK for cancer research and support services with Texas 4000 for Cancer. During his time with Texas 4000, he created and implemented a new community engagement program, which inspired patients, caregivers, and families to tell their stories with cancer; enabling stronger adaptation of cancer prevention and better adjustment to cancer change in the Cancer Belt, Southeast, Midwest, Northern Rockies, and Alaska. His work and story have been featured in media outlets across North America, including the Austin American-Statesman, Axios, WhiteCourt Star, KPLC, and Moody College. Josh also has conducted cancer history research as a Normandy Scholar, documented his Texas 4000 journey with 38 videos on social media, and is a member of the Friar Society. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

NOTE FROM TED: While some viewers may find this helpful as a complementary approach, please do not look to this talk as a substitute for mental health advice. This talk only represents the speaker's personal views and understanding of personal growth and healing. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdfKat's talk is a moving exploration of how a single photo became a gateway into healing and self‑discovery. She shares how a selfie she took opened a door to her inner world and helped her reconnect with parts of herself that had been buried under grief, stress, or disconnection. Kat is a portrait and self-portrait photographer, curator, mentor, author, and speaker based near London. Through therapeutic photography and her Felt Sense methodologies, she creates safe, embodied spaces for people to connect more deeply with themselves.She’s trained in the Look Again mindful photography method, qualified in Therapeutic Photography at Robert Gordon University, and is currently studying with the British Focusing Association.Her work includes person-centred photography (Face to Face® and Freedom Shoots), Feltful Photography (her mindful approach), and Felt Photographic—an online gallery guided by the Felt Sense. She also mentors and delivers corporate workshops, using the Felt Sense to enhance leadership qualities like intuition, emotional intelligence, and creativity.After healing from long-term depression through a self-portrait in 2018, Kat now helps others access their Felt Sense for mental wellbeing.A regular speaker at The Photography Show and contributor to the RPS Women in Photography, she was praised by Judy Weiser as "amazing and pioneering" and interviewed by Rankin for her innovative use of photography for good. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

What if the key to solving burnout, anxiety, and disconnection isn't found in more therapy, but in something we abandoned in childhood? This deeply personal and research-backed talk reveals how a simple fort-building session with a 6-year-old nephew led to a radical discovery about healing. Bhavna challenges our cultural belief that "serious problems require serious solutions" by exploring the science behind play as resourcing and resilience building. Through vulnerable storytelling and groundbreaking research from play scientist Dr. Stuart Brown, she demonstrates how adults who rediscover play show significantly lower stress levels, stronger relationships, and enhanced resilience.Want to apply the research from my TEDx talk? Sign up for my 7-day play challenge here (https://mailchi.mp/b059664e9b99/7-day-play-challenge), 5 minutes a day, easy, actionable prompts, and a fun, new, low-maintenance but high-impact way to think about healing. Bhavna is a registered mental health counsellor and naturotherapist who specializes in supporting Third Culture Kids, neurodivergent individuals, and 2SLGBTQ+ clients through culturally responsive, trauma-informed care. She holds an MA in Counselling (accredited by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy), a Certificate in Somatic Attachment Therapy, and is a member of the Canadian Professional Counselling Association. After a decade of traditional practice, Bhavna discovered an unconventional truth: our most serious problems often require our least serious solutions - a revelation that began when her 6-year-old nephew interrupted her workday to build a fort. This playful interruption sparked the breakthrough that revolutionized her approach to healing and human resilience. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

In this practical and reflective talk, the speaker explores how greatness often comes from leaning into the very things that make us different, our unfair advantages. Through personal stories, he shares how a subject he once disliked became his strength, simply because he chose to apply himself. Blending ideas from economics and physics, he unpacks the principle of leverage, showing how you can use what you already have to gain momentum and become the best version of yourself. The real limitation? Telling yourself you’re not enough. Timi Joel is a bold voice in youth empowerment and social impact. As a Growth Associate at Cowrywise, he leads growth engineering efforts and drives strategic campaigns, including expanding the Cowrywise Ambassadors’ Community from 60 to over 460 schools across Nigeria.Passionate about access and personal transformation, Timi creates initiatives that help young Nigerians launch meaningful careers and pursue global opportunities. Under his leadership, the Ambassadors' Community has become a springboard for students now working with top organizations.With a vision to build a world-class, low-cost university in Africa, Timi is committed to shaping a future where every young person can thrive. Known for his ambition and belief in possibility, he advocates for personal growth, career development, and unlocking youth potential. In his downtime, he enjoys football, tennis, and skating. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx