Nick Vujicic - Get Back Up

Who has never fallen down before? Who has never felt bad and just want to avoid everything? Who has never been hurt and felt like the most unfortunate and undeserving person in the whole wide world?

Winners always go back up again no matter how tough and hard it is. Because they have strong belief in their mind that they deserve and they will.

This video is truly AMAZING!

You are What You think

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Which came first, the depression or the pessimistic thoughts? I can't answer the first question, but the answer to the latter may surprise you.

In many cases, depression actually is the result of habitual negative thoughts. When bad things happen, we begin chastising ourselves with thoughts such as: I'm no good, I'm a total failure or Nothing ever goes my way. Our feelings follow what we are thinking, and negative thoughts like these can send us spiraling down into depression.

This concept is the guiding principle behind cognitive therapy, a type of psychotherapy developed by psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s. If we think something often enough, we begin to believe it's true and our feelings match what we are thinking about ourselves. To conquer depression, we must stop those automatic negative thoughts and replace them with more positive, truthful ones. By nipping these thoughts in the bud, we can halt depression before it even starts.

Cognitive therapy is directed at 10 common cognitive distortions, or faulty thought patterns, that send us into depression. See if you recognize yourself in any of these.

- All-or-Nothing Thinking: John recently applied for a promotion in his firm. The job went to another employee with more experience. John wanted this job badly and now feels that he will never be promoted. He feels that he is a total failure in his career.
- Overgeneralization: Linda is lonely and often spends most of her time at home. Her friends sometimes ask her to come out for dinner and meet new people. Linda feels that that is it useless to try to meet people. No one really could like her. People are all mean and superficial anyway.
- Mental Filter: Mary is having a bad day. As she drives home, a kind gentleman waves her to go ahead of him as she merges into traffic. Later in her trip, another driver cuts her off. She grumbles to herself that there are nothing but rude and insensitive people in her city.
- Disqualifying the Positive: Rhonda just had her portrait made. Her friend tells her how beautiful she looks. Rhonda brushes aside the compliment by saying that the photographer must have touched up the picture. She never looks that good in real life, she thinks.
- Jumping to Conclusions: Chuck is waiting for his date at a restaurant. She's now 20 minutes late. Chuck laments to himself that he must have done something wrong and now she has stood him up. Meanwhile, across town, his date is stuck in traffic.
- Magnification and Minimization: Scott is playing football. He bungles a play that he's been practicing for weeks. He later scores the winning touchdown. His teammates compliment him. He tells them he should have played better; the touchdown was just dumb luck.
- Emotional Reasoning: Laura looks around her untidy house and feels overwhelmed by the prospect of cleaning. She feels that it's hopeless to even try to clean.
- Should Statements: David is sitting in his doctor's waiting room. His doctor is running late. David sits stewing, thinking, "With how much I'm paying him, he should be on time. He ought to have more consideration." He ends up feeling bitter and resentful.
- Labeling and Mislabeling: Donna just cheated on her diet. I'm a fat, lazy pig, she thinks.
- Personalization: Jean's son is doing poorly in school. She feels that she must be a bad mother. She feels that it's all her fault that he isn't studying.

If you recognize any of these behaviors in yourself, then you're halfway there. Here's a homework assignment for you: Over the next few weeks, monitor the self-defeating ways in which you respond to situations. Practice recognizing your automatic responses. Now, we will take each of the above cognitive distortions and discuss some powerful coping strategies that will help you dispel the blues before they even start.

All-or-Nothing Thinking:
John recently applied for a promotion in his firm. The job went to another employee with more experience. John wanted this job very badly and now feels that he will never be promoted. He feels that he is a total failure in his career.

This type of thinking is characterized by absolute terms like always, never, and forever. Few situations are ever this absolute. There are generally gray areas. Eliminate these absolute terms from your vocabulary except for the cases where they truly apply. Look for a more accurate description of the situation. Here's an example of self-talk that John could have used to cope with not getting that promotion:

"I wanted this job a lot, but it went to someone with more experience. This is disappointing to me, but it doesn't mean I'm not a good employee. Other opportunities will be available in the future. I'll keep working on my skills so that I'll be ready for them when they arrive. This one setback does not mean my career is over. Overall, I have excelled in my work."

Overgeneralization:
Linda is lonely and often spends most of her time at home. Her friends sometimes ask her to come out for dinner and meet new people. Linda feels that that is it useless to try to meet people. No one really could like her. People are all mean and superficial anyway.

When one overgeneralizes, one takes an isolated case or cases and assumes that all others are the same. Are people really all mean and superficial and could never like her? What about her friends who are trying to get her to go out? Obviously she does have someone who cares about her. The next time you catch yourself overgeneralizing, remind yourself that even though a group of people may share something in common, they are also separate and unique individuals. No two people are exactly the same. There may be mean and superficial people in this world. There may even be people who dislike you. But, not every person will fit this description. By assuming that everyone doesn't like you, you are building a wall that will prevent you from having what you crave the most -- friendship.

Mental Filter:
Mary is having a bad day. As she drives home, another driver cuts her off. She grumbles to herself that there are nothing but rude and insensitive people in her town. Later, a kind gentleman waves her go ahead of him. She continues on her way still angry at how rude all the people in her city are.

When a person falls victim to mental filters they are mentally singling out only the bad events in their lives and overlooking the positive. Learn to look for that silver lining in every cloud. It's all about how you choose to let events effect you. Mary could have turned her whole day around if she had paid attention to that nice man who went out of his way to help her.

Disqualifying the Positive:
Rhonda just had her portrait made. Her friend tells her how beautiful she looks. Rhonda brushes aside the compliment by saying that the photographer must have touched up the picture. She says she never looks that good in real life.

We depressives are masters at taking the good in a situation and turning it into a negative. Part of this comes from a tendency to have low self-esteem. We feel like we just don't deserve it. How to turn this around is simple. The next time someone compliments you, resist the little voice inside that says you don't deserve it. Just say "thank you" and smile. The more you do this, the easier it will become.

Jumping to Conclusions:
Chuck is waiting for his date at a restaurant. She's now 20 minutes late. Chuck laments to himself that he must have done something wrong and now she has stood him up. Meanwhile, across town, his date is stuck in traffic.

Once again, we fall victim to our own insecurities. We expect the worst and begin preparing early for the disappointment. By the time we find out that all our fears were unfounded, we've worked ourselves into a frenzy and for what? Next time do this: Give the person the benefit of the doubt. You'll save yourself a lot of unnecessary worry. If your fears have some basis in reality, however, drop that person from your life like a hot potato.

Magnification and Minimization:
Scott is playing football. He bungles a play that he's been practicing for weeks. He later scores the winning touchdown. His teammates compliment him. He tells them he should have played better; the touchdown was just dumb luck.

Ever looked through a telescope from the wrong direction? Everything looks tinier than it really is. When you look through the other end, everything looks larger. People who fall into the magnification/minimization trap look at all their successes through the wrong end of the telescope and their failures through the other end.

What can you do to stay away from this error? Remember the old saying, "He can't see the forest for the trees?" When one mistake bogs us down, we forget to look at the overall picture. Step back and look at the forest now and then. Overall, Scott played a good game. So what if he made a mistake?

Emotional Reasoning:
Laura looks around her untidy house and feels overwhelmed by the prospect of cleaning. She feels that it's hopeless to even try to clean.

Laura has based her assessment of the situation on how it makes her feel not how it really is. It may make her feel bad to think of the large task ahead of her, but is it really hopeless? In reality, cleaning her house is a doable task. She just doesn't feel up to it. She has reached the conclusion that it is useless to try based on the fact that it overwhelms her.

When a situation feels overwhelming, try this: Break down the task down into smaller ones. Then prioritize what is most important to you. Now, do the first task on your list. Believe it or not, you will begin to feel better and ready for more. The important thing is to just do something towards your goal. No matter how small, it's a start and will break you out of feeling helpless.

Should Statements:
David is sitting in his doctor's waiting room. His doctor is running late. David sits stewing, thinking, "With how much I'm paying him, he should be on time. He ought to have more consideration." He ends up feeling bitter and resentful.

We all think things should be a certain way, but let's face it, they aren't. Concentrate on what you can change and if you can't change it, accept it as part of life and go on. Your mental health is more important than "the way things should be."

Labeling and Mislabeling:
Donna just cheated on her diet. I'm a fat, lazy pig she thinks.

What Donna has done is label herself as lazy and hopeless. She most likely will reason that since she can't lose weight, she may as well eat. She has now effectively trapped herself by living up to the label she placed on herself. When we label ourselves, we set ourselves up to become whatever that label entails. This can just as easily work to our advantage.

Here's what Donna could have done to make labeling work in her favor. She could have considered the fact that up until now she has been strong. She could then forgive herself for only being human and acknowledge that she has been working hard to lose weight and has been succeeding. This is a temporary setback that she can overcome. Overall, she is a strong person and has proven it by her successful weight loss. With this type of positive thinking, Donna will feel better and be back to work on her weight loss goals in no time.

Personalization:
Jean's son is doing poorly in school. She feels that she must be a bad mother. It's all her fault that he isn't studying.

Jean is taking all the responsibility for how her son is doing in school. She is failing to take into consideration that her son is an individual who is ultimately responsible for himself. She can do her best to guide him, but in the end he controls his actions. Next time you find yourself doing this, ask yourself, "Would I take credit if this person were doing something praiseworthy? Chances are you'd say, "No, he accomplished that by himself." So why blame yourself when he does something not-so praiseworthy? Beating yourself up is not going to change his behavior. Only he can do that.

The solutions I've presented here are some of the common situations we find ourselves in. Take these as examples and create your own positive solutions to your negative thoughts. Recognizing that you do it is the first step. Then play devil's advocate and challenge yourself to find the positive. Turn your thoughts around and your moods will follow suit. Remember, you are what you think!

Pursuit of Happiness - The movie

I watched this movie last week and it was awesome. Many messages hidden behind the seemingly boring title. Will Smith performed very well as usual. This is a movie about a relentless single parent who tries and gives everything he can to succeed and be able to provide for his kid. He has his dream fixed in his mind and focus on it. NEVER LET OTHERS SAY YOU CAN'T. FOCUS AND KEEP ON FIGHTING LIKE A WOUNDED TIGER AND GET YOUR DREAM!.

Here is the best part of the movie.

Mahatma Gandhi - life story

If you’ve assumed that Mahatma Gandhi was one of the brightest students in class or one of the most outstanding student leaders in his youth, then you may be in for a surprise.

Not only was he a mediocre student, he was a very quiet and shy teenager too. But did that stop him from becoming India’s “Father of the Nation”?

No.

It’s a great piece of news for us! Because, if you’ve been through a similar situation, all is not lost yet! You’re still able to create your own story of victory… just like Gandhi.

A Family Disappointment

Born into a mid-ranking caste family, Mohandas K. or Mahatama (“Great-Souled”) Gandhi had a low self esteem when he was young. Because of that, he seldom stayed back after school to interact with other classmates for fear of being ridiculed at. That was also part of the reason for his early unhappiness in his marriage (when he was 13 years old) as his young bride had difficulty accommodating to his impatient, jealous and demanding outbursts.

He didn’t do well in school either. After struggling to graduate from high school, he moved on to study medicine in a local university only to fail badly and subsequently, forced to quit. At that time, he had only attended that university for only 5 months.

In their desperate bid to help the young man, his family decided to send him to England to study law, a course that they believed he would be able to cope. They pooled all the financial resources that they could get and finally sent the excited Gandhi off to London to embark on a fresh new start.



Life In London

A stranger in a foreign land, Gandhi had difficulty adjusting to the seasonal weather in London and would often be teased for his inappropriate seasonal attire and his poor command of the English language. To make up for all those, he worked very hard, trying to excel in both his studies and other curricular activities such as French, dancing, violin and elocution. He also tried to improve on his dressing by buying more suits.

Those proved to be short lived as he found himself running out of money gradually.

To cut costs, he gave up his hotel for a small room and walked instead of traveling on buses. He also changed his diet, switching English meals for simple vegetarian fare. Interestingly, those newly adopted lifestyle habits formed the basis of his lessons on health and simple living subsequently.

His Debut in the Court

During those times in London, Gandhi couldn’t wait to return home. The day after he passed his exams and was appointed to the bar, he made his trip back, only to be notified that his beloved mother had passed away while he was still traveling.

He then decided to leave for Bombay where he would not be reminded of his grief, to practice law. Sadly, life struck back again. Due to his inadequate knowledge about the Indian law, he had difficulty getting a case. Even when he finally secured one, he had stage fright at the last moment and abandon the courtroom abruptly, leaving his colleague to conduct the cross examination. It was a disgraceful debut.

Turning Point

His inability to succeed as a lawyer drove Gandhi back home again. With the help of his brother, Gandhi decided to go South Africa and take up a clerical position, at the expense of leaving his wife and 2 sons behind after barely 2 years back home.

But it wasn’t all that smooth sailing in South Africa either. Instead of landing on a clerical position, he realized that he was engaged for a civil suit that required strong accounting knowledge and detailed legal analysis. The realities of the life and the harsh discrimination against Indians in the country cornered Gandhi into making a decision whether he should pack his bags and leave South Africa or stay on to fight the case, until one day something happened.

While riding on the first class carriage on the train to another town, he was ordered to move to the freight compartment. When he refused, he was unceremoniously driven off the carriage. As he waited in the station for the next available coach, thoughts of his present circumstances flooded his mind. It suddenly dawned on him that despite changing his environment each time, he was still unable to avoid the challenging issues ahead. He realized that it was cowardice of him to shun away from his fears instead of helping the people to fight for the rights they deserve!

A Lawyer, A Human Rights Campaigner

Gandhi then started working hard on the case, drilling into the details zestfully. With his diligence and perseverance, he learned a lot about the case and counteracted against the punitive nature of the lawsuit by persuading his client and the other party to settle on an amicable reconciliation out of court.

His apt handling of the suit earned the respect of the Indian community so much so that he was asked to delay his departure back home to help them on another case to fight for the rights of Indian settlers in the country. That catalyzed his involvement into politics.

He would propose political negotiations with British leaders whom he regarded as his equal, work with people from different castes, religions and nationalities to achieve harmony in coexistence, fight for his country’s independence and set the highest standards for his people. All his work for civil rights, India’s Independence and active propagation of love and peace wouldn’t have been possible if not for his firm conviction that all people possess the innate capability to change from within, in the pursuit of what’s right.

What Did we Learn From This Story?

That the person you see in the mirror everyday while brushing your teeth, combing your hair etc is the person responsible for your life. Yes. That, is none other than yourself.
(1) Your Innate Potential Can Be Unlocked By Yourself

Who would have imagined that the shy and introverted boy who refused to stay back after school to interact with his classmates for fear of being laughed at, to be able to speak with such eloquence and persuasion, winning over the whole nation in his pursuit for India’s independence? Who would have expected the young timid lawyer who scrammed the courtrooms at the slightest tinge of fear to be able to stand up against tyranny and injustice?

It would be after the fact irony to say that someone probably did. That Gandhi had the good fortune to meet a good mentor who was able to see the potential in him that others didn’t. But the truth was, there was no such person in his life at that time.

But Gandhi didn’t wait.

He chose to be the miner and let the bolt of realization at the train station’s waiting area guide him in unearthing and polishing the gem hidden in a tad of dirty mud. Himself.

What about you? Did you choose to wait and see if there’s opportunities for you to develop yourself or actively seek to find such opportunities?

(2) Stop Blaming & Take Accountability

We live in a blame society.

We blame the fast food chains for producing junk food that makes people obese. But we ignored the fact that people willingly subject themselves to eating such food. We blame the Internet for being a source of violence and pornography for the kids but we forget that it’s the responsibility of parents to monitor and teach their children the right values in interpreting such information. We argue that our current predicament is a result of a lack of certain resources, overlooking the fact that those resources are not necessary to improve our situation in the first place!

In the midst of this blaming culture, it’s easy to possess a distorted view of the issue and fail to notice the essence of the problem, isn’t it? The problem never gets resolved. It just gets bigger.

This is where I think we can learn from Gandhi. Even though he was involved in the blame game in the earlier part of his life, he subsequently took accountability for it. His enlightenment started from the realization that no matter how his environment changed, if his mentality, attitude and internal mettle were still the same, he would never be able to breakthrough the chain.

And when he stopped blaming, the piece of filth clogging his visibility removed itself, allowing him to see the crux of his problem. Himself again.

by Ellesse Chow

Thomas Alva Edison - life story

Does anyone know that Thomas Alva Edison created more than eight hundred light globes before he made one that finally worked? By a small carbonized filament and an improved vacuum inside the globe, he was finally able to produce a reliable, long-lasting source of light on lower current electricity.

When Edison was seven years old, he has already developed a fascination for anything involve mechanically and chemical experiments. At the local schoolhouse, after enduring his persistent questioning and self-centered behavior, his short-tempered teacher eventually declared that his brains were either addled or scrambled.

His furious mother quickly took him home and began to tutor him herself. She was convinced that her son unusual demeanor and hyperactive behavior were just signs of his remarkable intelligence.



Although Edison had only three months of formal schooling, it did not deter him from finding ways via independent self-instruction to appease his ever huge appetite for knowledge in contemporary mathematics, physics and engineering.

Before he began his career as an inventor, he sold newspaper and candy on trains running from station to station. He became a skillful telegrapher after being trained for only three months. Telegraphy related inventions were some of his earliest master pieces.

Armed with an immeasurable patience and a kaleidoscopic mind teamed with photographic memory, his highly individualistic style of acquiring knowledge led him to scores of experiments and eventually his own related theories.

By the turn of the 20th century, Thomas Alva Edison is considered one of the most prolific inventors in history. He had developed hundreds of devices and gadgets that improved lives around the world. In addition, he was often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory which was build in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

Among Edison's most famous inventions is the first practical and long-lasting light bulb. He also refined and developed other gadgets such as the phonograph, typewriter and the motion picture projector/ camera.

All these happened despite being partially deaf. In fact, his handicap did not hinder him from pursuing his dreams to invent. Instead, his deafness allegedly aided him because it blocked out noises that disturbed him and his work. He turned his limitations to strength to achieve success that most people would have lost hope for.

How often are we faced with difficulties and problems in our daily life? And how often did they slow us down in our progress? Did we treat them as challenges and play them to our advantage like the way Edison has done? Or did we stop what we are doing and give up trying?

by Eric Chay

Rocky VI - A talk with his son

This is a excerpt of the movie Rocky VI where Rocky Balboa gave his son inspiring words. Life is tough but we should never let life beat us up. We will take the hit. The question is how hard we can take the hit and keep moving forward. Don't blame anybody or anything else for your miserable life. Only cowards do that. The answer is within us.

Two frogs story

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead.

The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the
entire time.



This story teaches two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them.

Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words... it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

www.scribd.com

Are You Inspired In Your Work

By CD Mohatta

Why do we all work? If it is for money, then does it mean that those who earn enough to last a life time or those who inherit, should do no work? Try to find out around with your friends about why they work and surely few of them will answer - for money. If someone who has enough money decides to do no work, will it make that person happy and contented? We derive satisfaction in life by doing things that we feel are worth while. If we are sure that we have done good work, we feel peace in the heart. It gives us the approval of our ability. Let us find out if we are inspired in and with our work.

How to know if we are inspired in what we do? The first question should be - are we made for that work? Does that work fit our abilities and mental makeup? If yes, the first barrier to inspiration in work is broken. For example a person with weak physique will find the work of a sailor very unsuitable. What about enjoyment? Do you enjoy doing your work? Are you happy at the end of the day or tired and irritated? If you enjoy doing your work, no amount of hard work will tire you out totally. Otherwise your inner frustration of doing something that you don't like doing will tire you out with anger in no time.

Do you feel that your work makes other lives better? If some how you can begin getting that feeling, your inspiration in work will rise without any other help. Think of a person, who made a bed especially for a sick person. During a visit to the sick person, the maker is told that the bed has made life much better and how much the patient loves the bed and thanks the maker for that. The person who made that bed will feel extremely satisfied with his/her work after this session. Unfortunately, most of the customer interaction are handled by the marketing department now a days and the people who work to make the product, don't come in touch with the users. We all feel very satisfied if we feel that our work has made someone feel better. If the marketing person who makes good sales is thanked by the shareholders of the company for multiplying their investment, he/she will be equally happy. the point is - we feel satisfied and inspired if we give joy to other with our work.

The last test to find out if you are inspired in your work would be to find out if you show creativity in your work? Those who are inspired show creativity in some area of of their work, because they want to improve the work efficiency. Uninspired souls will only wait for the day to get over while inspired ones always feel good and creative doing their work. If you have found a work that inspires you, you are very lucky, otherwise it is time to find your true vocation and get satisfaction.

CD Mohatta writes for messages in screen-savers, desktop wallpapers, and egreetings. He writes on living, inspiration, romance, business management, etc. You can download screen-savers or send greetings at these websites with his writings: screensavers, free greetings and fun quiz cards.

What is the difference between Motivate and Inspire ?

These two words have been mentioned million of times in talks, workshop, speech, and discussion, but nobody ever asked the difference between the two. Two different words mean two different things. Let us dissect this further. Heh..Heh..Heh.

Motivating :

In dictionary, motivate means to provide with a motive, to impel. To motivate people is the same with to bribe people to do something that benefit us as well as them. You can motivate people with anything from money, lust to salvation.

Inspiring :

Inspire means to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspiration. Inspire people means to let people be guided by something divine or Godly spirit. It's from latin word, spirare, which means to breath.



Now, the best thing is what will happen if we merge them together? You'll get the best outcome ever imagined. Motivation driven by inspiration is the same like combining heaven and earth.

Reason to success
Where do you get inspiration? Inspiration comes when the divine power communicates with you. There have to be a two-way communication with the divine power. We have to trust our Divine Power whatever you want to call Him : God, Allah, Yahwe, etc. I called Him, God. The most important thing is to realize that He is important to you and you are important to Him as well.

God bless us and let us choose our own life. He did not give you life for nothing. He wants you to do something BIG. Therefore He will always be with you. If you have God with you, will you still think of failing? Not a chance. He wants to help you. Let Him help and guide you.

To your inspired life,
Raxsie

Music - Inspiration to Help Get Through Challenging Times

Living in the moment has never been more true than today. As we're bombarded with daily reports of failing industries and job losses, many are now facing the very real effects of life changing challenges coming at them from all angles. It's not just something we read about anymore -- we're living it. With recent statistics placing the unemployment rate at 8.1%, can anyone working today say they're basking in the content glow of security? There is uncertainty and unrest for the working individual that still holds a job as much as for the person who has recently lost theirs.

It's during seemingly unbeatable odds and times of need that we consciously or subconsciously look for inspiration -- something that offers encouragement while living in a situation we can't easily remove ourselves from, and helps us deal with problems we can't readily solve.

People have turned to music as a source of inspiration during some of the harshest periods in the country's history. Immersing our thoughts and troubles into our favorite songs for even a brief period can inspire us beyond the moment of what is and where we are, to where we can be because of who we are. Music can effect our outlook and attitudes. Music can help us cope with our struggles, taking on value far beyond something on the radio that just helps us pass the time.

Even in times of economic and social crisis, people have continued embracing their love of entertainment. From the popularity of matinees during the years of the Depression, to the familiarity of televisions delivering images of an ideal home life into living rooms during the social uprisings of the 60's, we've come to rely on entertainment's ability to transport us to a time or place far removed from the realities of our lives. Entertainment helps us briefly escape from stressful situations, allowing a break from the source of our concerns.

Music is even more powerful in it's capability to do so much all at once. The sound of a lulling string section can set the tone, create suspense, and with a final sway of bows, signal the final scene of a romantic film. The right combination of music and words can promote a sense of purpose. Adding music to a 19th century poem by Francis Scott Key helped generations of the American public commit to memory the story about a battle and a flag that was still there. The Star Spangled Banner eventually became as symbolic as the American flag, and in 1931 was bestowed the title of National Anthem.

Is there a song that cheers you up, or has taken you out of a dark mood? Discovering the inspiring quality of a song is like realizing what a particular painting means to you -- what makes it special. Make mental use of a song that is special to you. Songs are artful lessons that can motivate self-love and hope like Michael Masser's and Linda Creed's 'Greatest Love of All' performed by Whitney Houston, or help someone identify with a reluctant hero trying to figure things out such as Tom Petty's 'Learning To Fly,' or empower through the affirmations of a woman betrayed as Beyonce performs in the song 'Irreplaceable,' by Ne-Yo. When we identify with a song's lyrics, or are moved to tears while listening to a sweeping Beethoven Symphony, we've emotionally, sometimes spiritually connected ourselves to music because it reaches the core of who we are in a very intimate way. Music can help us feel resolve where there was once confusion and anger, or help unify people under a common belief where there was once division.

Just as Enya's 'Only Time' captured the essence of the country's grief in 2001, John Rich's song 'Shuttin' Down Detroit' expresses the current anger and disappointment of the nation and also tells our story as individuals, inspiring us to join together to resolve the crisis we face, inspiring us along the way by reminding us that we're so much more than where we happen to be right now.

Music by independent artist Wistful Sound Gazers has been a presence in the digital media world since the early 00's with the release of 'Bliss' by singer/songwriter Ron Christopher. WSG's most downloaded song, 'Push,' continues to be a favorite of reviewers and fans alike, expounding on life and adversity through inspiration and self-determination.

By Ron Christopher - www.ezinearticles.com

Michael Jordan on Motivation

Who doesn't know about Michael Jordan? Well, except for those undead in the local cemetery, practically almost everybody breathing heard about Jordan. I love Jordan for many reasons. Some of them are because, in my opinion, he's humble and willing to share. This is despite his superstar credibility.

This video below is not really good in resolution but the most important thing is the message is clear. Enjoy and get motivated!

Florence Nightingale - life story

Florence Nightingale - Nurse.



Was born to wealthy English parents in 1820, she was educated at home by her father and had a strict upbringing. Florence rejected marriage because she felt she would become entrapped by domestic responsibilities. She always felt she had a calling to serve, and in a time when respectable young ladies were expected to marry well, she refused and was not supported by her parents, who felt such a profession was beneath their status.

In 1853 the Crimera war broke out, it was a bloody war for both sides. This war received extensive press reporting and the stories from the battles shocked a whole nation, it was then that the legendary status of Florence Nightingale began. Florence went to the Crimera in 1855 and was asked to organise a group of nurses, initially cleaning the hospital though this would change when the hospital became overwhelmed by the number of casualties.



Florence soon blended her unique passion for cleanliness with her compassion for the injured and dying. Stories reached the English press of how comforting she was to the injured soldiers and her name became synonymous with caring. Florence Nightingale returned to England after the war and opened a school for Nursing at St Thomas's hospital London.

Florence Nightingale is not famous because she became a Nurse, she became famous because she thought outside of the box, did something she was not supposed to do, disobeyed her parents and followed her dream to help people and make a difference. It is easy to follow a path that is already marked out, but making a new path takes courage and determination, how easily she could have failed to achieve her goal, thankfully she succeeded, she has a place in history because she was motivated and determined.

Motivation and Determination are not Human Givens, they need to be learned.

by Paul Parkin

Bill Gates speech in Harvard - 2007

This is Bill Gates during commencement day in Harvard University, the school where he dropped out from, become a billionaire and came back to get his doctorate.

This is an inspiring and motivational speech from the richest person on earth who have made a lot of impact to many people life from his philantrophy vehicle, Gates Foundation, which he founded together with his wife, Melinda.

He is an inspiration to many young IT entrepreneurs, some of who started doing their business right after graduation. I imagine, to be beside him and look at him working, I think, is already an inspiration by itself. My hat off for him.

There are 5 parts of it down here. Watch them and get inspired.

Steve Jobs speech in Stanford - 2005

This is Steve Jobs appearance during commencement day in Stanford University. As many people know, Steve Jobs is the ingenious CEO of Apple Computer, which product iMac, iPod and MacBook have taken the world by storm year after year. He has inspired many people in many ways through his achievement and principles of life.

I like this speech. It is a very inspiring speech as he talked about his journey of life towards becoming the top person in his industry. He also talked about his brush with death when diagnosed with a cancer and also the ups and downs of his career.

Inspiration in steroid. Here we come!

Four ways Inspirational quotes can change your life

Inspirational quotes have been one of the main reasons for the success of many people. Reading motivational and inspiring quotes on a daily basis has been reported time and again to boost a person's motivation, and help them to take action towards what they want.

Overall, reading inspirational quotes on a regular basis can help a person become more successful, and lead a happier, more fulfilling life. There are literally thousands of great quotes to choose from, providing people with a never-ending supply of free motivation.

Read ahead to learn the four main ways that reading inspirational quotes on a daily basis can help to improve your life, and bring you more success. Read them all, there are some great points here!



1) A quick boost of motivation:

Reading inspirational quotes can help to improve your life by giving you a great pick-me-up immediately after reading them. You will instantly feel happier, more motivated, and inspired after reading the right quote. This, in turn, will help give you the energy that you need to get going and work towards your goals.

2) Quotes help pick you up from a depression:

If you are feeling down or depressed, almost nothing will cure it better than reading an inspirational quote or two. Reading lots of inspiring quotes on a daily basis is almost certain to help you feel better and help you kick the blues away. Also, quotes are free! Reading motivational quotes is the easiest and quickest way to cure depression, and it's cheaper than a psychologist!

3) Quotes help cure procrastination:

Procrastination is one of the toughest things that most people deal with. It is very difficult to beat procrastination, but reading a few inspiring quotes when you are having trouble getting motivated is the quickest and best way to beat procrastination instantly. Almost nothing works better for curing a bad case of procrastination than reading inspirational quotes!

4) There are an almost unlimited number of quotes!

There are hundreds of thousands of quotes out there, with new ones being created each day. The best part is that they are free! This means that you can never run out of original, inspiring quotes that will help give you the great feelings and inspiration to improve your life.

In short, reading daily inspirational quotes and motivational quotes is one of the easiest, cheapest, fastest, and best ways to create a better life for yourself. They will motivate you, help you beat procrastination, and provide lots of other benefits as well. They are even good for a laugh! Reading inspirational quotes can change your life.

Taken from DailyInspirationalQuotes.net.