Loud & Clear: how/why TED Talks fall on this girl's deaf ears

I want to be inspired by TED Talks SOOOO BAD.  I have tried to watch tons of them.  James Cameron's, that guy from Pixar's, Elizabeth Gilbert's - these people are dreamers and doers.  They're TOTALLY speaking my language.

Case in point, I just found this quote in a book I was reading and felt so strongly for it I was inspired to add it to the About Me section of my facebook page:

"All men dream: but not equally...the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible." -T.E. Lawrence

James Cameron, that guy from Pixar, Elizabeth Gilbert - heck even good old Sheryl Sandberg - these guys and girls are dreamers of the day if I've ever encountered any.  And this one, I just gave a watch/listen to earlier today:



I'll be damned if I didn't want her words to really soak in as I watched it since it's hailed as one of the 15 TED Talks that will totally change your life according to this compilation: http://mashable.com/2013/07/08/ted-talks-change-your-life/#lead-image

BUT

I'm not sure if it's always been a thing or if it's just in the seven years since I've been a serious student, but I cannot retain information I receive auditorially (why is that not a word, btw???).  I'm just 100% officially whatever the opposite is of an auditory learner.

Give me a 10 page transcript of one of these 20 minute lectures any day and I'll take the words to heart.  But listening to them I'm like a little kid distracted by Dora the Explorer playing on the TV when her parents are telling her to put her toys away.