Reggie Watts: I promise by the end of this you're all going to be besties. It's just so exciting. Everything in my life has led me to this moment. I feel really nervous for them. They're a mirror into the deep inequality shaping our world.

Reggie Watts: My name is Reggie Watts and my life changed forever when I got the opportunity to speak at TED. Now TED is searching the globe for ideas that could change everything. Nine TEDx events around the world, giving a global voice to the unknown. Six minutes that can inspire, motivate, and change their lives forever.

Reggie Watts: But that's not all. Coached by an expert panel, one lucky speaker will be surprised with the opportunity of a lifetime. A chance to speak on the TED Main stage and have their voices heard by millions. This is the TED Idea search. Jordan, a land shaped by ancient civilizations and vast deserts. And at its heart, Aman, where modern ideas meet deep history. Today it's home to our final group of TED hopefuls ready to share their ideas with the TED team.

Dina Halles: My name is Dina Halles. I'm from Jordan. I've been a brain trainer for some time and I've seen brain training change so many lives. I've seen kids struggle. Parents cry in front of me just worried about their kids, not sure what to do with them.

Dina Halles: No one thinks you're born an athlete. No one thinks you're perfect doing sports. But somehow when it comes to math, it's either you're good or you're bad. No one actually thinks about training that skill. So I wanted to make sure to get my idea across to as many people as I can that something can be done and their brains can actually change.

TED Panel: With 24 hours until the speakers take the stage, they have the opportunity to get invaluable feedback from the panel to help them perfect their talks. We're going to have everybody run through their talks, give a little last minute feedback. You're in good shape now. You were selected for a reason. You're going to be amazing up there.

Dina Halles: It was interesting. It was hard cuz I thought I would remember everything, obviously brain trainer, I'm good at memory. But then standing there having everyone look at you it's completely different. This is the most important part if I want anything out of this talk is for you to remember these three facts. Number one, your brain can be trained. I was nervous because it's not like practicing at your own home or when you're practicing in front of family.

Nelly Attar: My name is Nali and I'm from Lebanon. The big idea I want to share with the world is only by taking risks can you find out how far you can go. This idea is so important to me because it's my dad's favorite quote and my dad's no longer here today.

Nelly Attar: Climbing K2 was one of my favorite moments. Standing on top of that summit, making history for the Arab region, making history as a woman in a male dominant sport. I wouldn't be here today if I didn't take risks over and over and over and over again. Everyone tries to shy away from discomfort, but I think this is where the best things in my life have happened. Once you see that there's great things on the other side of fear, you never want to go back. Move is not just a dance studio. It was a national movement that Saudi needed.

Reema Das: These paradoxes are not just noise. They're a mirror into the deep inequality shaping our world. Every headline news a brutal reminder of that one family returning veteran hero is another civilian tragedy somewhere in the global south. My name is Rema Das. I think everybody in our region is going through the same this guilt of being able to have a meal and think big in the corporate world when really the next door people are dying of hunger and there's nothing we can do about it.

Reema Das: That paradox of our daily lives is eating us up. The minute you start losing empathy, that becomes the biggest danger that we have. And that is the root cause of all injustices from the beginning of time. I just want people to dig deep beyond the headlines and redefine success to the impact you've done to the world. When I teach resiliency in corporate settings, this is the first image that comes to my mind. Feeling burnt out. It's okay. Resiliency will help you get back on track. Psychological safety in the workplace. Promoting an environment where people feel safe to speak up and be seen.

Tala Alud: Words that we use about mental health don't describe reality, they shape it. When you use words of dignity, you give people voices and you make them feel they are heard. My name is Tala Alud and I'm from Alman, Jordan. My main idea here is that mental health is not really a foreign idea. It's not a western idea. Taking care of our mental well-being and mental health is rooted in our own culture, our faith, and our own poetry.

Tala Alud: I've personally worked in mental health for over 20 years and I've seen the impact of mental health as a field growing in Jordan. I'd like to have people start their discussions and start talking about mental health and I really felt like mental health has to take stage on a big platform like this especially in our region and our area. It's really a universal language. I'd sit in meetings where the people discuss bold ideas, strong voices. But when you mention mental health, voice drops, eyes dropped, and the shame sweeps in.

Reggie Watts: It's show day in Aman. In this epic 6,000 seat amphitheater, composure will matter just as much as content. In this 2,000 year old theater, it's a little tricky because the audience is kind of far from the stage and it's just grand.

Reema Das: Imagine you've ever been stressed out and someone came up to you and said, "It's okay. It's about resiliency." Now, imagine hearing that standing underneath an F-16 firing jet dropping bombs over your head. I guess what I'm trying to say is we need to fix the systems that imprison us before we fix ourselves. And the only way we can do that is in service of others and speaking the truth.

Tala Alud: Think of the last time someone asked you, "How are you?" What did you say? "I'm fine. Alhamdulillah." But if you're really honest, you would say, "I'm tired." We don't know how to talk about our mental well-being. Although our culture is packed with words of care and resilience. Think about Al-Mutanabbi where he said wounds to the spirit can be heavier than wounds to the flesh.

Nelly Attar: In 2019, I found myself standing at 8,848 m above sea level. That's Everest. Little did I know what was to come. November 2020, my father passed away. From top of the world in 2019 to the deepest darkest rock bottom in 2020. How am I going to go through life again? How am I going to move forward? What would my dad want for me? Only those who risk going far can find out how far they can go.

Dina Halles: We live in the world of AI. Our small devices in our pockets can get any information in a matter of seconds. But we were never taught how to use that information, how to be creative with it, how to analyze it, how to remember it, and how to focus. I'm just going to share a story of one of my students. His name was Sami. He was only nine and he had so many learning difficulties. When he first came to me, the first word he said was, "I'm stupid. I can't do this." We trained every day and towards the end that "I'm stupid" turned into "I'm a genius." Make sure that you treat your brain like a muscle.

The Panel: You guys killed it today. You did something absolutely incredible that you should be so proud of and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. One of you here will go on to take the stage in Vancouver. The winner is Nelly.

Nelly Attar: I'm in shock. Really feels like a dream. So many emotions came out because I was talking about my dad and this around this time 5 years ago is when he passed. I was just like just try to pull through the day and whatever happens, Allah chooses what happens. I really can't believe that I've been selected. It's surreal.

Reggie Watts: The TED Ideas Search draws to a close. From ancient ruins to modern mega cities, it's a journey that took us across the world. Different places, different stories, united by ideas. Ideas shaped by culture, experience, and change. Because ideas left alone change nothing. But ideas shared, they have the power to move the world.