Girl Up: The Secrets to an Extraordinary Life | Courtney Ferrell | TEDxRVA

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the
TED Conferences. It was filmed and edited by Tijo Media at the Carpenter
Theatre at Richmond CenterStage in Richmond, VA.

As a creativity consultant and international speaker,. Courtney Ferrell can be found standing at the busy intersection of ideas, energy, and people. Her latest idea, Girl Up, empowers young women to take full advantage of their gifts, their independence, and their possibilities in order to create an extraordinary life for themselves. In the past decade, she has worked intimately with thousands of young women as a speaker, teacher, coach, dorm mother, and mentor. Her mission is to provide girls with actions and language that will help them put common (and uncommon) sense into practice and become a sought-after person without compromising who they are.

[elenaguzman]

I cried... Not even my parents talked to me this way. Very important. I love her.

[hi-gdml]

She talked so fast, she left right after she stopped talking.. it feels like she's not from this world or this age and she needs to quickly give the message and then travel somewhere else. She's like a heroine, like some angel saving the world. It just felt like it because i feel something has awaken inside of me right now.

[ronniec]

lessons to take from this talk:
1. self confidence is knowing you'll become bigger and stronger than you are right now.
2. perfection is not a human quality - let go of it.
3. be authentic. if it's not your thing, don't do it.
4. trust your gut.
5. if someone doesn't value you, cut them from your life right away.
6. Tess rhymes with Mess.

[naimanura]

"Perfection is not a human quality" a quote i will remember forever

[aspyatkova]

If I were that girl I would have cried through the whole talk and gave that incredible woman the biggest hug! We need more women like that all over the world to uplift the girls because the world does nothing but make us more confused about life and our self worth. She has an incredible energy and passion!

[MaiohMaiya]

wow. her kids are lucky to have been blessed with her!

[victoriaaabigail]

As a 19 year old girl whose mother passed away at the age of 5, I must say.. this video is something that I’ve needed to hear my entire life. No one has told me these things before and now I have a better understanding of what I should be asking out of life. Thank you

[rachelpriest]

So you're my mother now. I never got anything like this growing up and have struggled with alot of mental health issues because I didn't have the mentoring and wisdom at the times I needed them most. This is what I will share with my children. Thank you.

[LornaBlakeEmpower]

This Tedtalk brought tears to my eyes! The beauty of a woman empowering young women!! This one ought to have millions of views.

[gerihenry]

I'm 43 and I cried at the end hearing her say "you're not an acorn, you're an oak tree"... because how often does this society make us feel so small and less JUST because we are women? Too often. And I get so tired of trying to prove myself to everyone and even myself sometimes... I just want to be the beautiful me that I know that I am. And I just love this lady for reminding us of how beautiful we ALL truly are... no matter our scars and the ages we carry. Thank you Ted Talks for sharing her with us!

[beautyroses]

" you have to remember that your physical decisions are inexplicably tied to your emotional well being."

[livshezza]

I am a 46 year old woman from Australia and I can tell you she is 100% spot on in everything she is saying. I take my hat off to you, that was brilliant!

[millsmarie]

I am so happy and grateful to have seen this now as a 16 year old.

[sravaniputta]

This is one spectacular speech I’ve ever heard..
“Every men you meet wants to sleep with you and it’s not a compliment “ great saying. 🙏🏻

[krisianthony]

Sobbing my eyeballs out. EVERY great person in history has had at least one mentor. If you have the ability to mentor, do it. Every. Chance. You. Get.

[BeBeautifullyYou]

I think she gave one of the best Ted talks I have ever seen!

[jessicalynn]

She basically summed up what has taken me 30 years to learn... lol. Simply amazing. And absolutely hysterical. Thank you to the speaker 💜

[jshi]

My dad told me when I was 9 or 10 something similar: U r my daughter and you're meant to make a difference and be someone bigger. It has changed everything prob, my life couldn't be so smooth and good without his words.

[moiths]

I really wanna hear Tess now, it's been 5 years since this video got uploaded. I wanna hear this incident, this Ted talk from her perspective. How she felt then and now it helped her become someone bigger now.
This is really incredible.

[Sparklytank]

This woman is incredible!  THIS is what girls need.  The whole community thing, too...YES..Sooo needed right now.  I also very much agree with mentorship and self-esteem building for young men,  but that should be and probably is another TedX talk!For a very very long time in human history,   girls have been completely brainwashed to only keep aiming for a nebulous (and,  no one tells them),   impossible 'perfection' -i.e...the ability to nurture ALL others and give until exhausted, depleted, while unassisted,  no less, and inside they are sad.  This is all while ignoring and berating the self, and of course trying to be the society's standard of beautiful, just to be acceptable as female, and always hearing 'get used to accepting less', (as so many are STILL being told) in so many arenas... these are just three common examples of what is reality for women.  Society needs awareness of this reality, and needs to encourage what this woman calls, 'girling up'.  There is so much greatness,  and, there will be, finally,  balance, in this world, when these encouraged, equalized and loved women grow up!!! Thank you to this incredible woman for this Ted-X talk!