The Superpower We've Been Taught To Hide | TeeJ Mercer | TEDxBuckheadAve

Quick Overview

TeeJ Mercer reveals that the supposed weakness of needing help is actually a superpower, proven by her success in founding a nonprofit that provides housing and support to foster youth transitioning out of the system, leading to significant financial success and personal fulfillment.

Key Points: The speaker identifies the superpower society teaches people to hide as 'needing' or neediness, asserting it is proof of human experience, not a flaw. The speaker's cousin, who was nearly killed by her abusive husband in 2009, was supported by the speaker who moved to Atlanta to help her. The speaker founded a nonprofit that provided housing and support to foster youth aging out of the system, helping 98 graduates attend HBCUs and generating over $1 million in cash and prizes within four years. The speaker realized her neediness was actually a superpower when she stopped faking perfection and started asking for help. The five discoveries to activate one's superpower include: speaking vision out loud, hollering when not okay, accepting human experience, moving on info held, and embracing how one is wired. The speaker explicitly states that the biggest obstacle to activating this superpower is the fear of being perceived as broken or needy, often whispering 'I need help' instead of hollering it.

Context: TeeJ Mercer delivers a TEDx talk titled "The Superpower We've Been Taught To Hide," focusing on the societal conditioning to conceal personal needs and how embracing vulnerability—specifically neediness—is actually a source of strength. She shares a personal story involving her cousin's escape from domestic violence and her subsequent decision to create a nonprofit supporting foster youth, which ultimately became a massive success, validating her personal revelation.

Detailed Analysis

TeeJ Mercer argues that the 'superpower we've been taught to hide' is neediness, which she redefines as proof of one's humanity, not a weakness. She recounts a pivotal moment in 2009 when her cousin fled an abusive husband, prompting Mercer to move from LA to Atlanta to support her while she was working in TV production. This experience led Mercer to found a nonprofit dedicated to supporting foster youth aging out of the system. She emphasizes that this organization achieved massive success, raising over $1 million in cash and prizes within four years and helping 98 students attend HBCUs like Paul Quinn College. Mercer attributes this success to finally embracing her own neediness, concluding that neediness is a superpower. She outlines five discoveries to activate this power: speaking vision out loud, hollering when not okay, accepting human experience, moving on information held, and embracing how one is wired. She stresses that shame tells people they are broken if they need help, but accepting this need is crucial for growth and success.