Two Nebraska Wesleyan University communication professors — known for their blissful personalities — are about to share their happiness with Nebraska.
On Thursday, October 1, David Whitt and Karla Jensen will join 13 other speakers from across the state selected to participate in TEDxLincoln 2015. This marks the fourth TEDxLincoln, an organization aimed at providing opportunities in Nebraska for people to share ideas by holding independently organized TED events, a platform started in 1984 for ideas worth spreading.
This year’s TEDxLincoln theme is “Re:Think,” which will feature speakers who will share ideas about new ways to pursue life while demonstrating how their passion interconnects with Nebraska and the world.
Whitt and Jensen will present, “Happiness is Serious Business.” It’s not an unfamiliar topic for them.
“Karla and I were selected to be the class sponsor at the 2012 baccalaureate, and we gave a speech about following your own bliss. I talked about U2, Karla about yoga,” Whitt recalled.
A fellow communication professor suggested they turn it into a TED talk.
“We finally decided to apply in May, together with 80 other people,” said Whitt.
After submitting a video in which they introduced themselves, Jensen and Whitt were among the 15 applicants to be interviewed as the last step of the selection process. And now, four drafts later, the duo is ready.
“Every TED speaker has a coach, and ours told us we needed to be less scholarly and more conversational and personal, without losing credibility,” said Jensen. “Which I believe makes the topic less stuffy and more interesting and vital.”
If you are even vaguely familiar to Jensen and Whitt, you are aware of their glowing aura of happiness. What’s their secret?
“I found happiness in making my life simpler, eliminating all the unnecessary stress and focusing on the essential aspects,” said Whitt. “Although in my part of the speech, I talk about how I get bursts of happiness by going to U2 concerts, which is a quite unusual, not everyday activity.”
Jensen, on the contrary, will focus more on the everyday practice of happiness.
“Happiness to me is moment by moment, each day,” she said. “I’ve always been a happy person, but when I started to practice yoga I allowed myself to notice things and slow down. And I became even happier.”
She admits her happiness also coincides with the moments she spends with her husband as well as eating, dancing, and being in conversation.
“Happiness is such a personal thing,” Jensen added. “We have to reflect and ask ourselves what makes each of us happy.”
“In our talk, we bring up the notion that 40 percent of our happiness comes from activities we choose to do, from our intentionality,” explained Whitt.
While the two compliment each other, they are still perfecting their presentation. They practiced their movements on stage in such a way that they won’t limit each other. But having worked in the same department for nearly 15 years helps their teamwork and confidence.
“I’ve been at NWU since 1991. Then Karla came in 2000,” recalled Whitt. “And it was a bit of a shock for awhile, because I’m quite introverted while she’s so extroverted. We’ve always been close, but I think the baccalaureate speech in 2012 brought us even closer.”
Watch David Whitt and Karla Jensen’s TEDxLincoln presentation.