20 Things We Should Say More Often
What do you think we should say more often? Soul Pancake’s Kid President has some great ideas—twenty to be exact.
Posts tagged with “video”
The Empty Pickle Jar: A Lesson on Life
I almost stopped watching this video because of what seems like elevator music, but I’m glad I watched the whole thing, because there’s an inspiring, thought-provoking message in here. Watch it and ask yourself: Have you made enough room for the golf balls? Can you let some of that sand slip through your fingers?
Make Your Soul Grow: A Letter from Kurt Vonnegut
In 2006, a group of high school students in New York wrote to their favorite authors and asked them to visit their school, as part of an assignment. Only one author responded, offering his wisdom in the form of a letter.
Dogtooth Films made this short film with a group of students in the UK. It offers a powerful message: create, not for what it can get you, but for who you will become through the process. Make your soul grow.
5 Things That Make Summer Awesome (And a Great Cause)
Summertime is awesome, just like the adorable Kid President says, but not for everyone. More than twenty-one million kids receive free or reduced-price lunch when they’re in school. During the summer, the vast majority of them have no or limited access to food.
Soul Pancake teamed up with ConAgra Foods to raise awareness for child hunger. For every view, like, or share of this cute little video, they’ll donate the equivalent of one meal to Feeding America.
To learn about more ways to fight hunger in your own community, visit ChildHungerEndsHere.com.
It’s a Great Day to Make a Mistake
Why are we so terrified of making mistakes? Why are we killing our creativity and curiosity with our desire for efficiency and conformity?
Today is a great day to make a mistake—and here’s why that’s a good thing.
Grandma Betty: Inspiring 81-Year-Old Instagram Celebrity
She’s a “simple southern girl” who exudes joy, positivity, and hope, in spite of her lung cancer diagnosis—and in spite of having lost both her husband and daughter to cancer.
Grandma Betty has inspired more than half-a-million followers on Instagram with her infectious energy and smile. And now perhaps she’ll inspire you. She’s certainly inspired me.
When asked why she’s so happy, Grandma Betty responded, “I’m happy cause I’m living. And I’m taking one breath at a time. I don’t take no more. I take one breath and one step at a time.”
It’s a message we all need to …
Anything Is Possible (Hey Richard, It’s Mikey)
Even though Mikey Oliveri has muscular dystrophy, he’s decided to make the most of the time he has on this earth. He’s a world traveler, advocate for disability rights, motivational speaker, world record holder, an advocate for alternative medicine, a friend and an inspiration to many.
And he now he’s set a new goal for himself: he wants to be the first disabled man to go to space.
A Flash Mob of Love for a Terminal Cancer Patient
In 2012, Amy was diagnosed with stage 3C metastatic cancer. After surgery and months of chemo, her family thought she was in the clear.
Recently, the family learned the cancer returned, and this time it would be terminal.
On the day before Amy’s fifty-sixth birthday, fifty of her closest family members and friends gathered together to show her—flash mob-style—that she’s surrounded by love.
If you’re anything like me, this video may put tears in your eyes and a smile on your face!
To This Day: An Inspiring Video About Pain, Loneliness, and Beauty
If you’ve ever been bullied, if you’ve ever felt ugly, if you’ve ever felt lonely, or unworthy, or unlovable, then you and I can relate. We are graduating members from the class of “we made it.” And like me, you may find this video powerful, moving, and beautiful.
Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen
This one’s an oldie—which feels bizarre to write in reference to the nineties, since I graduated from high school then—but it’s a good one, nonetheless.
The words come from an essay written by Mary Schmich, a columnist with the Chicago Tribune, who believes that “inside every adult lurks a graduation speaker dying to get out.”
If, like me, you’re seeing this for the first time, you may also appreciate the powerful nuggets of wisdom in here—even if, like me, you feel it’s been forever since you tossed your cap into the air.
Nothing Is Impossible: Amazing Ping Pong Player with No Arms
Growing up, I always admired my grandfather, who lost both of his legs to an infection and yet still maintained a positive outlook and a sense of possibility.
He taught me, and many others, that a defeatist attitude is a far worse disability than any physical handicap, and that there’s very little we can’t accomplish if we believe in ourselves and work hard.
Ibrahim Hamato, also a double amputee, is living proof. In this short video, he shares a little about his passion for ping pong, which he’s managed to play—and play exceptionally well—without hands or arms.
Feel Like You Should Have Accomplished More by Now?
If you’ve ever felt a sense of pressure to hurry up and do something you can feel proud of, or if you’ve ever considered that maybe it’s too late, you will appreciate the message in this inspiring video, titled “Nothing Changes.”
What Do Strangers Think of You?
We all hone in on our “imperfections.” Most of us are harsher toward ourselves than other people would ever be. But what if those imperfections are actually things others might find beautiful? And what if other people see us for so much more than just our skin and body type?
BuzzFeed asked people to look in a mirror and describe what they saw. What they didn’t know was that there were strangers on the other side of the mirror, giving their first impressions.
Look Up
This powerful spoken word film has already been viewed eighteen million times, but I just saw it for the first time tonight. If you’ve ever felt alone, despite being connected to hundreds online, you need to take five minutes to watch this.
Shine Bright: A Short Film About Using Your Gifts
When David from We Do This (Glasgow) reached out to me about his new short film, I was beyond flattered to learn that he wanted to use my words, from the blog post Let Your Light Shine Bright.
And now I’m honored to share it with you. It offers a tiny but powerful reminder to let go of self-doubt and share your gifts.
We all have it. A little a voice inside that tries to hold us back. Are you ready to stop listening to yours and let your light shine bright?
Imagine a World Without Hate
Imagine a world without bigotry. Imagine a world where inspiring individuals like Martin Luther King Jr., Anne Frank, and Harvey Milk, all victims of hate crimes, lived on to contribute even more to society.
Man Teaches Amputees in South Sudan to Make Arms
“When you look at a picture of a boy with bandaged stump arms, what do you do? Do you just, ‘Aw that’s too bad,” and close the computer and go to bed?”
Not Mick Ebeling. What an amazing man. What an inspiring mission. What a powerful reminder of what we can do when we care.
Pause for a Cause with Mindful in May
Today’s video is more than a cute cartoon (though I find it adorable!)–it’s an introduction to a global meditation campaign for social good.
Mindful in May is a one month online meditation campaign delivered to your inbox daily in May, to motivate you to bring a new healthy habit into your life, while raising money to help nearly one billion people on the planet who struggle daily without access to clean, safe drinking water.
Starting on May 1st, participants will commit to regular meditation through a mindfulness program delivered by daily e-newsletters. This will include weekly guided meditation downloads, cutting …
The Pay As You Feel Cafe
Chef Adam Smith serves perfectly good food that would otherwise go to waste, on a pay-as-you-feel basis. As for why he decided to do this in Leeds, in the UK, Adam says, “You can’t change the world unless you change your hometown first.”
What a beautiful mission! Follow the Pay As You Feel Cafe on Facebook here.
Kid President’s Letter to a Person on Their First Day Being Alive
It’s hard to be a person sometimes. That’s where Soul Pancake’s Kid President comes in. In this short video, he lays it all out–everything we need to know to be an awesome person. No matter how far is from your first day on Earth, this is one worth watching!
Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine. 