FORCE BEHIND HER WORK.
LETS WATCH.
♪ >>> FROM AN EARLY AGE MAYA
>>> FROM AN EARLY AGE MAYA
SEEMED DESTINED FOR A CAREER AS
A CONCERT VIEOLINIST.
EVEN TRAINED UNDER FAMED
MUSICIAN ITSACH PEARLMAN.
GOD GAVE US A GIFT.
YOU ACTUALLY HAD THAT GIFT IN
YOUR HAND.
>> OH, MY GOSH, IT WAS
EVERYTHING.
THE KIDS.
BUT THEN WHEN I WAS 15 I HAD
THIS INJURY THAT BASICALLY ENDED
MY DREAMS OF BECOMING A CONCERT
VIOLINIST OVERNIGHT.
I REALIZED, OH, MY GOSH, THIS
VIOLIN THING IS MY IDENTITY.
BEING FORCED TO EMBRACE THAT MY
IDENTITY HAD TO BE MORE
MALLEABLE FROM THE TIME THAT I
WAS 15 HAS GIVEN ME A KIND OF
MIND-SET THATS HELPED ME MAV
GATE THE TWISTS AND TURNS THAT
FOLLOWED THAT EPISODE.
>> AS PART OF THAT NEW IDENTITY
AND INSPIRED BY HER OWN
EXPERIENCE, MAYA WENT ON TO
STUDY COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR AND
SERVED AS CHAIR OF THE WHITE
HOUSE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE TEAM.
TODAY, 20 YEARS AFTER HER OWN
LIFE PIVOTED, MAYA IS
SPOTLIGHTING THE WAY CHANGE
IMPACTS OTHERS IN HER NEW
PODCAST "A SLIGHT CHANGE OF
PLANS."
>> BY AND LARGE MY GUESTS HAVE
BEEN GRATEFUL THAT THEY HAVE
GONE THROUGH A CHANGE.
EVEN WHEN ITS AN UNWANTED
CHANGE.
AND THATS BECAUSE ITS TAUGHT
THEM SOMETHING REALLY VALUABLE
ABOUT THEMSELVES, THAT THEY
COULD THEN USE IN THEIR
LIFETIME.
>> ONE SUCH CONVERSATION WAS
WITH COMEDIAN AND ACTRESS
TIFFANY HADDISH WHO GREW UP IN
THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM.
>> I COULD SEE GLIMPSES OF MY
MOM POST -- PRE-ACCIDENT.
>> SHE HAD A PROFOUNDLY
TRAUMATIC CHILDHOOD THAT WAS
FILLED WITH STARTLING UNWANTED
CHANGE.
IT WAS IN NAVIGATING THOSE
CHANGES THAT SHE REALIZED SHE
HAD A SUPER POWER, AND THAT
POWER WAS TO MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH.
AND SO SHE ENDED UP USING THIS
SKILL OVER AND OVER AND OVER
AGAIN IN THE COURSE OF HER LIFE
TO GET OUT OF DANGEROUS
SITUATIONS AND HELP HER GET WHAT
SHE WANTED.
SHE NOW ACTUALLY EMBRACES CHANGE
BECAUSE SHE KNOWS THAT SHE HAS
THIS INCREDIBLE GIFT THAT SHE
CAN USE AT EVERY TURN.
>> MAYA ALSO FOUND WE AS
INDIVIDUALS ARE OFTEN INACCURATE
PREDICTING HOW CHANGE WILL
IMPACT US.
>> WHEN WE EXPERIENCE A SPECIFIC
CHANGE IN OUR LIVES, IT CAN HAVE
SPILLOVER EFFECTS.
IT CAN INFLUENCE PARTS OF OUR
LIVES IN WAYS WE CANT PREDICT.
>> LIKE ELNA BAKER WHOSE
LIFELONG DREAM WAS TO BECOME
THIN.
>> AND SHE DID IT.
FOR A WHILE SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS
LIVING HER DREAM LIFE.
BUT THEN SLOWLY SHE STARTED TO
REALIZE THAT SHE WAS MORE
SELF-CONSCIOUS, SHE WAS MORE
SUPERFICIAL.
SHE WASNT A NICE TO PEOPLE.
THAT IT WAS AN EXAMPLE OF
SOMEONE WHO WILLED WHAT SHE
THOUGHT WOULD BE A POSITIVE
CHANGE.
BUT IT TURNED OUT TO HAVE ALL OF
THESE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE.
>> MAYA HAS ALSO SPOKEN WITH
FOLKS WITH ADVERSITY, THE
RESEARCHER WHO GOT SICK HIMSELF.
>> AT AGE 32 TO GET TO STAGE 4
CANCER, HE HAD TO AMPUTATE HIS
LEG, HIS WORST NIGHTMARE CAME
TRUE.
WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THAT
CONVERSATION, IM TALKING TO HIM
PROBABLY SIX MONTHS IN HIS
TREATMENT.
HES SITTING IN HIS BACK PATIO
DRINKING A CUP OF COFFEE AND HE
GOES, I ACTUALLY FEEL MORE OR
LESS AS HAPPY AS I DID BEFORE
THE DIAGNOSIS AND I FEEL LIKE
IM A BETTER PERSON AS A RESULT.
WE NEVER KNOW ALL THE WAYS IN
WHICH A SPECIFIC EVENT MIGHT
AFFECT US ON A PERSONAL LEVEL.
>> THAT MAKE ME WANT TO WEEP FOR
AN HOUR.
THATS AN INCREDIBLE STORY.
>> YOU DONT ALWAYS END UP
HAPPIER AFTER A CHANGE, BUT
YOULL GROW AND LEARN SOMETHING
ABOUT YOURSELF.
>> I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHEN I
WAS WORKING AT "DATELINE" AND I
GOT SICK WITH BREAST CANCER.
A JOB OPPORTUNITY CAME OPEN AT
NBC WHILE I WAS RECOVERING.
IT WAS FOR THIS NEW HOUR OF
TODAY, THIS 4th HOUR.
NO ONE HAD PUT ME IN THAT
CATEGORY.
I HAD DONE HARD NEWS WITH
"DATELINE."
AND I REMEMBER AFTER CANCER, I
FELT SO UNBELIEVABLY EMPOWERED.
NOTHING COULD SCARE ME.
IM LIKE, I WANT THAT JOB.
YOU CANT SCARE ME.
AND I ENDED UP GETTING THE JOB
WITH THE HELP OF OBVIOUSLY OTHER
PEOPLE ROOTING FOR ME.
I WAS THINKING IF I DIDNT GET
SICK, I WOULDNT HAVE HAD
COURAGE.
BUT IT REALLY IS AN EMPOWERING
MOMENT.
FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING THROUGH
CHANGE NOW, MAYBE ON THE FRONT
END, THEY DONT SEE WHAT COMES
LATER, WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE
FOR THEM?
>> WHAURLZT YOU REALIZE AS YOU G
THROUGH LIFE, YOU DIDNT KNOW
EVERY PART OF YOURSELF.
SO WHEN YOU GO THROUGH A CHANGE,
IT CAN UNLOCK THESE HIDDEN PARTS
OF YOURSELF THAT YOU ACTUALLY
REALLY TREASURE OR PRIZE.
I WOULD JUST REMIND PEOPLE THAT
IF THEY CAN HAVE THAT KIND OF
HUMILITY AND ALSO AN OPENNESS TO
THEMSELVES, WHAT THEYRE CAPABLE
OF, HOPEFULLY THEY CAN FEEL MORE
EMPOWERED AND ASSURE AS THEY GO
THROUGH CHANGE.
>> SHE IS AN AMAZING HUMAN
BEING.
SHE HAD THAT DREAM AND NOW SHE
IS LIVING A NEW DREAM, AND SHE
MADE THAT -- THAT WAS LIKE A
CONSCIOUS CHOICE FOR HER.
>> I MEAN --
>> NOW LOOK AT HER.
>> I LOVED IT WHEN SHE SAID SHE
KNEW THAT THIS DREAM, THE TALENT
THAT WAS GOD GIVEN, IT WAS HERS.
>> IT WAS HERS.
>> WAS TAKEN AWAY AND SHE HAD
TWO CHOICES.
>> THAT WAS IT AND SHE JUST
DECIDED.
IMAGINE.
SHES INCREDIBLE.
IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO A
SLIGHT CHANGE OF PLANS, ITS
STARTING TODAY ON APPLE PODCAST.
I HEART RADIO OR WHEREVER YOU