The Question I Almost Didn't Ask And How It Changed My Life | Rita Wilson | TEDxNashvilleWomen

Thanks for watching everyone. I hope you’ll be inspired to do the thing you love. It’s never too late.

I just viewed your TED talk. You said sometimes the universe conspires to make things happen in you life. For the last 30 years I have been involved in community theater as an actor and director. Six years ago while visiting my daughter in central Florida, we paid a visit on this newly remodeled theater in town. I mentioned to the then manager what a wonderful place for live theater. NEVER! Was his response this is a movie theater. Fast forward six years. The city, owners of the theater, were looking for ideas for more activity in the theater. I presented them a plan and am now the Artistic Director of the Valerie Players in Inverness, Florida. We have a full performance schedule for 2021 and 2022 and have been blessed with an amazing pool of talented people. At a young 73 I’m doing what I really want.

I want to be loved and accepted. I want to heal my trauma and meet a healthy and caring partner. I want to become a mom. I want to paint seascapes and live in a beautiful home, and above all I want a life of peace..!

I have no idea what i want. Except not to live in fear and anxiety.

"Success to them was living without fear, was living in a free country." How insightful. And much we take for granted everyday.

No other celebrity could have created the same empathy that Rita did. Life is too short to be unhappy.

“I know what it is that I want.” –Oprah This hit me so hard. I needed to hear this. As a constantly indecisive person who likes to consider all of the possibilities and keep their options open, I realize that not ever choosing to truly go after something, all I’m doing is spending my life dreaming, and playing around experimenting here and there, but never fully committing to to what it is my heart calls me to do, because what it it doesn’t turn out the way I dream? Then what will my dream be? But what if it’s exactly as amazing as I imagine, or even better? I’ll only know if I try. Here goes everything..

What a blessing to have a husband and daughter like that. So many take that for granted.

I’ve been there, thinking I didn’t have the right to ask myself what I wanted because life had been pretty good to me. It seemed selfish. Then as life continued to unfold I realized how mediocre my life had become. So I started asking for more and allowing myself to want more. It amazes me that someone like Rita had similar thoughts. It feels very validating.

Wow, Rita…. This wasn’t what I THOUGHT your TED Talk would be about! Im a Disney Artist, always looking for INSPIRATION while I paint, and this was such a deep, personal, powerful, well spoken, masterpiece of a presentation. Thank you for sharing it with us all…… 🙏

I just now asked myself that question and now I’m crying. What I want? I want to sing and write songs at my age and get paid for it. Wonderful Ted Talk.

Tom Hanks and family are some of the luckiest people in the world. Rita is an American treasure.

I really admire you, Rita! Thank you for the encouragement to ask, I am a jazz singer. During my childhood days I took voice lessons then pursued operatic music in college and after college switched to Jazz! The stories told in jazz tunes with interesting chords captured my attention. I married and gained 2 stepchildren. My jazz aspirations were set aside to tend to family life and pay bills. I kept up my training and had a summer gig at a restaurant with a guitarist. Fast forward to age 62, and my voice has been silent. I want to make a jazz album. This is what I am doing. I wrestle with my emotions such as am I good enough, will folks want to hear what I want to stay, is this a waste of hard owned money? I'm doing it anyway. This is important work for me. The process of doing this project has so much to teach me. Singing brings me great joy!!! The universe brought me to this talk as an encouragement to press on!!! Thank you.

What I have realized what I want is not to live life ego based. To live a centered, spiritual life where whenever I am "triggered" or upset, I ask myself what is upsetting you about this situation. All the problems I have are centered in me. Instead of reacting, I say Bless you, change me. When you practice acceptance, you don't feel resentment. When you identify with others, you don't feel resentment. When you tackle a problem one day at a time, you don't get overwhelmed. When you become solution based, every problem becomes a lesson. And living in today, a daily blessing. Everyone of us has the seed of God (which for me is a spiritual energy) and when I turn inward and connect with love and acceptance of myself, I spread love and kindness, and I attract so much beauty into my life. I speak from experience because ever since I let go of my egotistical behavior my life has changed. I want peace, serenity and love. I can overcome anything with my connection to the world living around me. I become part of it.

Wow! Stumbled across this while trolling YouTube. I know what I want. I’m 62 and have wanted it since I was 5. Thanks for the push I needed to go for it.

As I read the comments, most are very positive, and then some are not. I think as a woman and I am the same age as Tom Hanks, (62) I was raised to live my life as a housewife like my mother. I was taught to darn socks and I do beautiful flower arranging as well as I am a great gardener. I am a delicious cook and I keep a beautiful home as well I was taught to always look great when my husband came home and to cater to him. I remember in school being asked what I wanted to do at 15 yrs old. I wanted to be a teacher. Well because Viet Nam had produced so many teachers, there was a glut on the market. So I went into the health field like my big sister. I did ultrasounds. I was a great wife but 16 years into it he left. I am retired but feel an emptiness inside me. But I asked myself this very question about a year ago. I am going to start some art classes soon. I do not expect to be a Da Vinci but I do expect to feel free and joyous to be doing something for me. I think that is the message. To find your passion and follow it and love it. To be willing to take a choice and go with it with no expectations except to enjoy myself. I have never taken a class for fun in my life and I taught clinical ultrasound in conjunction with UCLA at a Los Angeles County Hospital for many years. I am educated but my entire life I have spent raising a family, taking care of others, and I never thought about what I wantedjust for me. If asked I would have said to be a loving mother and wife and a great technologist. It is wonderful that Rita was given such great opportunities but I think her message is about letting yourself open up and finding something that excites you and allowing yourself to just go with it. It's not about how successful you will be. The success is in the joy of finding yourself. And if you do find you are sucessful by money or fame, it is because you asked yourself this question and went with it! But don't go into it expecting anything except self satisfaction and growth in yourself. Everybody is unique so comparisons shouldn't be made. And the thought of singing on Broadway would terrify me!!! Wouldn't it you?? Thank you Rita and I get it. To just ask the question is not an easy thing but until you ask you may never have a dream to follow. Best wishes to you and Tom and may you both heal and come home real soon!

Listen to the feelings that cast doubt on your need to suffer.... May you realize dreams greater than those you've dared to have.

Just wrote on my whiteboard, " what do I want?". Thanks Rita!

With so many struggling families this is an answered prayer! You're so talented wishing you all the best! Hugs from Texas!❤ Btw my brother committed suicide when i was 11 .

Wow - great stories. I've been a songwriter my whole life - but didn't have the courage to face an audience with my songs until my mid-forties. It's been a frightening, joyful, invigorating journey.