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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.
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
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
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
Saturday, April 25, 2009
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.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
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
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