Look Who it Was Random video

Press pause | Stephen Deaderick | TEDxSemesterAtSea

3,410 views · Published 5 November 2014 · 10:31 · Indexed 14 October 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2014 · Nonprofits & Activism

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This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Stephen Deaderick a Summer 2014 voyage resident director and PhD candidate at Ohio State University, told the audience that for too long he was letting other people define who he was — rather than taking the time to figure it out on his own. “Nobody knows you better than yourself,” he said.

He shared four questions that helped him better figure out his sense of self: “What teaches you? How do you make meaning? What really matters to you? How do you move in the world?” Stephen encouraged listeners to “Press Pause,” stop and take the time to reflect and think about what really matters to you — not your parents, not your teachers, not your friends. He quoted Mahatma Gandhi: “There’s more to life than increasing its speed.”

Stephen Deaderick currently serves as a Resident Director for the Semester at Sea Summer 2014 voyage. He is originally from Long Beach, California, but recently moved to Columbus, Ohio. Stephen received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Educational Studies from Emory University and his Master of Education degree in Student Affairs from UCLA. He worked as a Residence Life Coordinator and Diversity Coordinator for four years at Oxford College of Emory University and will be starting a Ph.D. program in Higher Education and Student Affairs at The Ohio State University in August 2014. Stephen’s TEDx talk is about helping others find and understand their stories and themselves. He is passionate about identity development, social justice education, and interpersonal dialogue.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

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