TED Talk Tuesday: Stephen Ritz Grows Green in the Bronx

Stephen Ritz might be one of the most energetic people out there. I'm posting this TED talk today because he embodies what I feel like when I get home from a conference.

I spent the weekend with lovely Richmond writers.

With George Tisdale, who insists that I switch over to Scrivener. I think I shall. :) Thanks, George, for being awesome.

With Vernon Wildy, who is super friendly, kind and all kinds of interesting.

With Rosemary Rawlins, who I admire so much for her grace in putting herself and her work out there. (She speaks about support for care-givers--I would recommend her highly, if anyone is looking for a presenter.)

With Kelsie, who is not from Virginia, but from Seattle. And sweet and cheerful and awesomely funny.

I also heard Tom Robbins speak (appropriately lewd and frank :)), followed Colleen Lindsay to all her workshops (she really has her finger on the pulse of the publishing industry), and pitched to Molly Jaffa (she is truly delightful, intelligent, graceful and kind. Unexpectedly, I was overcome by anxiousness and had some difficulty making words come out of my mouth, but I think it went okay. I had thought I was past the putting-agents-on-the-pedestal thing, but speaking about my Project always makes me wig out a bit. I'm going to have to practice that.)

And, I got to hang out with Erica Orloff, one of my favorite people on the planet. Serious. Favorite. :)

Why do I go to this conference in Richmond? Well, my husband gave me the birthday present of going to see Erica last year, and Erica gave me the birthday present of suggesting I come down during the conference. :)

I love the James River Writer's Conference. Everyone is so friendly. It's a conference with a small town feel. People are gracious and kind, and come from all walks of writing. It's been such a gift for me to attend the last few years.

And, now I feel like this (I dare you to not be inspired!):

Can't see the video? Here's the link. 

All of this talk is amazing. But I love that Stephen says that he is not a farmer, and yet, look what he did.

Green graffiti! Zero miles to plate. Kids pollinating plants instead of each other. Intellectual viagra! Everything to gain and nothing to lose.

What could we accomplish, if we attacked it with this kind of zeal and energy while staying open to opportunity?

Let us all be as crazy as Stephen Ritz.

TED Talk Tuesday: Nigel Marsh with Work-Life Balance

First let me say thank you to everyone who celebrated Natalie's book birthday with us on Friday--what fun that was!

Second, when your child tells you that he put the ice cream away in the refrigerator, don't just assume he meant freezer. Check.

Okay, now that we have the business end of things out of the way, let me introduce today's TED talk.

Work-life balance, says Nigel Marsh, is too important to be left in the hands of your employer. Marsh lays out an ideal day balanced between family time, personal time and productivity -- and offers some stirring encouragement to make it happen.

I love this:

If you don't design your own life, someone else will....

And this:

We need to elongate the time frame upon which we judge the balance in our life. 

And his conclusion--his example of being present in his own life and how small investments are the key.


Can't see the TED talk? Watch it at TED.com

How do you balance work and life? Do you have routines or trade secrets which allow you to invest your energy in the areas where you will get the most valuable results? Does where you spend your time align with your values and goals?

Is ice cream okay after twenty-four hours in the fridge?