Intention and direction. Two words that remained vivid in my mind after witnessing the Tedx show in Forlì on February 3rd, sponsored by Prati as a Premium Partner. I also brought home an image of an Aikido practice exercise: an arm pointing forward, which gains more strength when we have a direction to strive towards.
Perhaps I start with this exercise because it reminded me of when, during a difficult moment in my life, I decided to practice this martial art, fascinated by the philosophy behind it: a „way“ that leads to harmony with the vital energy and spirit of the Universe. Every „attack“ on the tatami mat generates a „transformative“ response accompanied by fluid, circular movements inspired by the principles of nature.
And from the stage of the Diego Fabbri Theater, Terenzio Traisci (work psychologist) made us do a bit of „practice.“ Try it yourself, with a partner: stand up, extend your arm, and have the other person try to push it down. Then bring your arm back to the same position, but this time express the intention to go forward. You will notice that the opponent will have a harder time lowering your arm because you have gained more strength thanks to the desire to move towards a goal.
And how do we manage stress? The burdens we carry in our „backpack“ – Traisci points out – make us hunch our shoulders and, with our gaze lowered, we perceive a limited view of reality. That’s why it’s important to „strengthen“ ourselves to stand up so that we can activate a positive intelligence that allows us to see our „burden“ in a broader landscape. How do we do that? By following a few steps…
- Expand our perception and knowledge.
- Change our limiting beliefs.
- Modify our habits (one step at a time, we can do it!).
And in doing this work on ourselves, it’s crucial to ask the right questions! Traisci suggested asking ourselves, „What SIMPLE thing can I do to improve the situation?“ And I emphasize, don’t leave out the word „simple“ because it serves to give a positive input to the brain. We are telling it that the solution is simple, and we promote the activation of „connections“ that open the way to new perspectives.
Paolo Stella (writer and creative director), speaking about the „grammar of desire,“ invited us to observe ourselves better and ask: Is this really my desire, or someone else’s? What price am I willing to pay for my desire? Do I think I deserve to be happy? And then to utter that magical word (which, perhaps, was forbidden to many of us as children because it only existed in the king’s garden): I, I WANT, I WANT EVERYTHING… (add your own desire)!
Staying on the topic of will, needs, and hunger, Iader Fabbri (nutritionist) believes that in nutrition, we shouldn’t suffer from hunger, but in life, sometimes we should! In this regard, with a touch of emotion, he recounted how the „no“ he received from his father helped him push beyond his limits to achieve what he truly wanted and contributed to making him the man he is today.
Regarding nutrition, we should all learn to respect our circadian rhythms more in order to find balance because how, what, and when we eat is more important than how much we eat.
Chiara Blasi (non-profit professional) wanted to share her experience of change by offering various points of reflection, convinced that in order to find ourselves, we often have to leave something behind. First and foremost, the obsession with productivity and the fear of change. We live, in fact, trapped in cages we have built ourselves, convincing ourselves that we don’t have the ability to remedy the situation. But it is only from a space of „emptiness“ that we can understand what we truly desire for ourselves.
Speaking of overcoming one’s limits, Silvia Camporesi (bioethicist) spoke about the astonishing results achieved by para-athletes with assistive technology, including Markus Rehm, Blake Leeper, or Oscar Pistorius. The greatest difficulties experienced by each of them were not caused by their disabilities but derived from having to prove – even in courtrooms – that their prosthetics did not give them an „advantage“ over able-bodied athlete. Different life stories, yet these athletes are united in their „diversity“ by a single desire: to compete with the best in the world at the Olympics.
Giovanni Scifoni (actor, author, and director), taking inspiration from the concept of the „disenchantment of the world“ introduced by Max Weber, hilariously explained the factors that are leading us towards a „sexual recession.“ These include the excessive use of digital technology, the media bombardment with sexual connotations, and social tools that, in addition to complicating courtship, often prevent real and authentic encounters.
Monica Fantini (founder of the Festival of Good Living) believes that individual well-being is connected to collective well-being. She moved the audience by recounting how she helped a young African boy fulfill his greatest desire: to see snow. This wish became a reality through his serious illness, which led him, with Monica’s assistance, to embark on a journey to Italy and experience the whiteness of snow, knowing that the happiness from that sight would not be erased even by death.
That’s why Monica „always keeps a handful of snow in her pocket, with the shared commitment to never let it melt“ and encouraged everyone to always carry a desire in their pocket and take care of it! She has had many experiences that have taught her, as Italo Calvino writes in „Invisible Cities“, to seek and recognize who and what, in the midst of hell, is not hell, and to make it last and give it space.
I conclude this account by sharing my own desire: I wrote this text because I wanted to convey (though filtered through my eyes) the emotions experienced during the show and share them with those who were not there but would have loved to participate. Who knows, maybe it will happen next year.
In the meantime, take note: the next edition is scheduled for February 1, 2025, in Forlì.
Daniela Binario
