Public Speaking
From a journey across the Arctic ice so bold that I was one of the Top Ten National Geographic athletes of the year, to that moment when I stood naked, balanced on one leg in front of Moolynaut, a Koryak shaman: Deep Wild opens doorways into mindfulness, where we find contentment in our hearts and DNA, and where we find the energy to strive for a sustainable existence on Planet Earth.
I have given a TED-X talk, performed as a storyteller with a Modern Dance Company in Boston, spoken for Outdoor Adventurers, Environmentalists, and Spiritual Groups, for rough and tumble Railroad Workers in Montana, and staid project managers in Silicon Valley. I have presented at Lincoln Center in New York City, Mountain Film in Telluride, the Omega Center, The Banff Film and Book Festival, Yale University, The Harvard Travelers Club, and the corporate boardrooms of Montana Rail Link and Move.com.
Joyful Communication with Nature
Throughout my lifetime, from my boyhood wandering through the Connecticut woodlands to extreme, remote expeditions in the Polar ice, I have learned that we can find peace, harmony, and mindful presence in this internet-crazed, oil-soaked, consumer-oriented, politically disruptive world, if we only take a moment to stop, breathe deeply, ignore all the chaos flying around us, and communicate with all the plants, animals, water, air, rocks, and soil around us. Embrace the wonder in Nature.
The narrative thread I use to captivate my audiences and carry this message varies with the needs and emphasis of each unique audience but all of my talks, to all of my disparate audiences, focus on nurturing this deep, compassionate, reciprocal relationship with Nature.
Tracking Lions, Myth, and Wilderness in Samburu
Deep in our Paleolithic past, art, music, dance, ceremony, and cooperation gave our Stone Age ancestors the cutting edge to survive — before advanced tools and weaponry. But then, when people congregated into cities with a hierarchal system of rulers and priests, despots hijacked the ancient tribal cooperation into mass movements that launched repression, racism, and war.
It may be a crazy world out there, but Nature provides peace, sanity, and presence.
More Basic Ideas I Explore in My Talks
What do harsh and dangerous expeditions in remote landscapes teach us about our place as humans in this modern world? I invite you to meet Moolynaut, one of the last of the ancient Siberian healers born in a skin tent; track a lost camel across the African savannah; camp with a curious polar bear lurking outside the tent; and ride bikes across the Tibetan plateau to the birthplace of the Dalai Lama. These stories springboard the discussion into the “Consciousness Revolution” that must underlie humanity’s greater journey into the 21st century – with any reasonable hope of creating a peaceful, equitable, healthy, and sustainable world.
In kindergarten we learned, "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going." And that was the motto of expedition adventure athletes for many decades. But as athletes have pushed limits to new, previously un-imagined heights, suddenly the old adage is not powerful or effective enough. When your life is on the line, in the most extreme expeditions, or when society is facing the cataclysmic consequences of climate change, we cannot overcome the barriers through dogged toughness. The only realistic way forward draws strength from acceptance, manifest through Flow, Zen, Fun. Wondrous presence in the NOW.
Media
Praise for Jon Turk's Speaking
“Your show in 2012 was one of the best I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen 1000+1 of these things, really. A deep spiritual, almost shamanic experience.”
“It’s been a week and the whole team is still talking about your visit. The following day was a full day of technical training. Hearing your talk first, on the cultural imperatives of high performing teams, set the expectation for how to apply the technical tools and processes that came next. Hearing the team using adventure metaphors during the technical training was proof of that: “There’s a wolf outside your tent.” “Check the snow pack.” “You need 5000 calories a day or you freeze to death, period.” The technical training wouldn’t have nearly the same comprehension without your talk first. Thanks again!”
“All I have received are rave reviews of your talk at the event and everyone loved the workshop that attended.”
“The whole weekend was worth this one talk - thanks much! Nice to have the balance between magic and logic at Canoecopia.”
“I will always come for Jon. interesting guy; profound messages; great storyteller; very unique speaker. Balance of magic vs. logic is what life is all about. AWESOME. Can’t wait to buy his new book.”
“Astounding content and a terrific delivery style. I loved the pauses and all the surprises. The uncertainty principle is very very large. I’m certain that everyone in that room was both awed and inspired and very very glad to be there last evening.”
“Your presentation was one of the best, most entertaining and inspiring presentations I have ever seen. Your standing ovation was well deserved. ”
“One of your fans told me that your presentation today was the best that they had ever heard in 13 years of attending Canoecopia events and presentations. ”
“Jon Turk is an amazing and gifted storytelling who helps audiences understand magic through his fascinating experiences, that lie outside of our linear models. Jon made magic a presentable idea in a university setting. ”
“Jon’s energetic storytelling captures the audience, bringing them along on a wild ride through landscapes that many of us can only imagine. Everyone walks away from his stories with more insight into the world we all live in, the people we interact with, and the unseen gifts that we are given in challenging moments throughout our lives. I was honored to have Jon as a speaker in our lecture series. He inspired my students to go out there into the wild world, find their own stories, and create their own adventures.”
“Not only was your presentation dynamic and inspiring, we are still talking about your incredible journey and cannot wait to have you both back! As Patagonia ambassadors, you represent adventure, environmental concern and pushing your own boundaries, and I can’t think of two people better suited for the job!”
“I saw you speak in Fort Bragg last week end and greeted you full of tears. I wish I could have been more articulate at that moment, but was so struck by your presentation, and presence, I think the most Real thing I could do was just say hello, and express my gratitude. I want to thank you for being so open and real about your adventures up north, and your realizations throughout that journey. It was your ease and fearlessness in conveying what you experienced that moved me so deeply, and struck a familiar chord in my own life. Somehow you simply stating what you know to be true, makes my existence valid.
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