#13 This Caregiver's April Watchlist: "Discovering hope within these gems"
Activists who inspire, build community, and their generosity is infectious.
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Dear Friends, I wasn’t looking for hopeful inspiration, but it found me. So, I’m passing it along to you. As the TED organisation says, these are “Ideas worth spreading”.
….And perhaps I like to ‘Pay it forward.’
What I Got Wrong About Changing the World | Malala Yousafzai | TED
Malala Yousafzai has spent her life advocating for girls' education — surviving an assassination attempt at 15, meeting with world leaders and then watching hard-won progress collapse when Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in 2021. That moment of despair forced her to completely rethink what it means to create change, and what she discovered replaced her shattered optimism with something more powerful and more honest. Hear how to keep fighting for the future you want, even when hope feels lost. (Recorded at TED2026 on April 14, 2026)
The last words of her speech have lingered with me these last few days. A recurring theme I’ve encountered this year is around the idea that hope is not wishful thinking or a goal, it’s part of the actions we do, and what we create, together, in the here and now.
“If I have learned anything, it is that progress is never guaranteed. There isn’t one speech or one story, one moment or one person that can bend the arc of history on their own. But if we start with something, work together and stay ambitious, hope stops being a thing we wait to feel and becomes something we create.” - Malala
The Granny Grommets | Award-Winning Surf Documentary | Finisterre
Summary from YouTube: A group of older surf enthusiasts proves that the ocean is for everyone, regardless of age. Discover the tight-knit community of the Granny Grommets as they share their passion for the waves and the profound support they find in one another through the challenges of life.
“A grommet, in surf lexicon, stands for a surfing newbie, usually a younger person. The Granny Grommets, however, are claiming the term for themselves, ignoring the looming threats of sharks and concerns of their worried offspring to embrace the waves, with bodyboards in tow. The group, based in the coastal town of Albany in Western Australia, was formed in 1999 and has been growing from strength to strength ever since...to date there are nearly 90 members taking to the waves every Friday morning, come rain or shine!” (April 11, 2026)
The only rules they have: be over the age of 50, take the introductory ocean awareness and bodyboarding course and have fun!
They’ve built a beautiful community group of women, who support each other through life challenges. I love that they invented the “Booby Board.”
“ She said they were obviously designed by a man. “There’s nowhere to put your boobs.” She said, “That would be a man. Typical man.…That’s how the booby board start. We do really miss Brenda.”
Radical Neighbouring – The Farm Where Nothing is for Sale By Campfire Stories (June 1, 2025)
Summary from YouTube: What happens when humans stop being consumers? How can communities feed themselves and each other without buying or selling food?
The award winning documentary "Radical Neighbouring" follows Sand River Community Farm in upstate New York, a living experiment in gift economy, sustainable agriculture, and community building. When farmer Adam Wilson was offered $500K from a community member to take this land off the market, the farm became a place where food is freely offered to neighbours and strangers alike. Welcome to the farm where nothing is for sale!
This film explores radical neighbouring, gift economy, community farming, non-commercial food systems, sustainable living, and alternative economies, showing how generosity and shared resources can reshape the way we live.
It's Time for Infectious Generosity. Here's How
By Chris Anderson1 | TED (January 9, 2024)
Summary from YouTube: What would it take to make generosity infectious?
What would happen to humanity if generosity went viral? Sharing transformative stories from around the world, head of TED Chris Anderson outlines why the time has come for the internet to realize its power to supercharge small acts of kindness, changing lives at a scale never experienced before. Learn how to cultivate a generous mindset — with or without giving money — and get inspired with tools to amplify your impact. “Be brave. Give what you can, and then be absolutely amazed at what happens next,” Anderson says.
There are many elements that make this one of my favourite TED Talks: the shoutouts and reference to the work of others, the humanity of it all, the tribute to his mother’s wisdom, the generosity of Chris Anderson to give this talk after the recent passing of his mother, and of course, the beautiful concept of making generosity infectious!
Here are a few quotes I’ve noted in my journal from the talk:
"TED’s mantra: ““Be brave. Give what you can, and then be absolutely amazed at what happens next.”
“...we human beings are wired to respond to generosity with generosity.”
3 drivers of infectiousness:
unlocking authentic human emotion
creativity, the wilder the better…spark peoples imagination as well as their hearts
courage
“If you commit to a journey of generosity, sooner or later, two amazing companions will join you on that journey. Journey mates. Their names are meaning and happiness.”
This reminded me of a film that’s always at the back of my mind…”Pay It Forward.” …and just look at that cast of actors
How acts of kindness sparked a global movement (December 15, 2023)
"We underestimate the power of our own generous actions," says Asha Curran, CEO of the global generosity movement GivingTuesday. Sharing stories of people making a difference through simple acts of kindness, she shows how generosity, even in its simplest forms, can be a transformative force — and explains why we all benefit from a world grounded in giving.
An example of infectious generosity, that’s become global
Asha describes “Radical Generosity” - where radical relates to the root or basic nature of something, such as a radical difference in opinion. So here, ‘radical generosity’ means that Generosity is at the root of our actions and behaviours.
This generosity can make us feel happy. We underestimate just how good these acts of kindness are for our wellbeing.
Small acts of service, radical generosity are not at the top of our social feeds, but they’re everywhere.
“The algorithms just don’t put them at the top of our feeds. But they’re there. And if we pay attention, then they remind us that ordinary acts of giving are actually extraordinary.
They remind us that generosity is not a burden. It’s a gift. And it’s an antidote. It’s an antidote to our fear and our anxiety, to loneliness and isolation, to outrage and indignation. And they remind us that we have this tool accessible to every single one of us every day, which is the power to change someone else’s day, or maybe even life for the better.
And when we use that tool collectively, we can build a more joyful, more equitable and more peaceful future. And that does not seem like too radical a thing to imagine.” - Asha Curran
Lastly, because I love big orchestra pieces:
Raye - Nightingale Lane (February 26, 2026)
Other ComfortZone Watchlists
What could you do to inspire generosity in others, and make it infectious?
How can we spread more hope?
Please like ‘❤️’ the article to guide others here.
After a long career in journalism and publishing, Chris Anderson became the curator of the TED Conference in 2002 and has developed it as a platform for identifying and disseminating ideas worth spreading. TED is a nonprofit devoted to sharing valuable ideas, primarily through the medium of TED Talks — short talks that are offered free online to a global audience.
It's your infectious generosity which has brought me here Victoria, you are absolutely paying it forward and it is hugely appreciated ❤️
A great list! Thanks for sharing