yesterday morning i watched a TED talk by eddie obeng (smart failure for a fast-changing world), had no idea who the guy was so i googled him and the following youtube video came up!
the video is less than 3 minutes. we often do things because it is what others tell us we should do. we often do things because it is the way it has always been done.
society has taught us to follow “the rules” and most of them are illogical and restricting. but what if we break away from the way it has always been done? imagine what you could do with your life! imagine what you could create.
so it’s that season of the year, graduation time for many. i am a sucker for good commencement speeches and thanks to the internet many are at my fingertips.
last night on youtube i watched the commencement speech by michael lewis given at princeton university. right now it has under 20,000 views, but i believe that number will skyrocket.
Michael Lewis, a member of Princeton’s Class of 1982 and author of such books as “Liar’s Poker” and “Moneyball,” speaks at the 2012 Baccalaureate in a speech called “Don’t Eat Fortune’s Cookie.”
michael lewis argues that luck is a big part of one’s success. for example, we don’t choose our parents but parents can play a critical role in one’s success in life. we don’t choose the country we are born in but a person’s place of origin can be a contributing factor to success. so how much is success linked to luck/accidents?
at the end he shares a story that warns against entitlement that is worth watching the whole video for!
a beautiful piece by violinist lindsey stirling and ventribe, profiling her trip to kenya with a nice twist on rihanna’s “we found love” song. in one scene lindsey stirling mentions how it was their first time hearing a violin in person. she’s amazing, and an amazing example of sharing one’s gift with the world.
happy monday! i hope you had a good weekend and that you are ready to take on the week. it’s brand new. it’s full of possibilities. below is a video full of motivation for you!
today is dr. suess’ birthday. my all time favorite dr. suess book is oh, the places you’ll go! it was his last book before his death. when my friends have babies i give this book, and it’s perfect for graduation. it affirms that you can be yourself, life isn’t perfect, but it’s full of possibilities.
this is a fantastic video of the book performed at burning man 2011.
of course we are celebrating his birthday at school! with the idea from one of my team members my kindergarteners created thing 1 thing 2 wigs/hats. thankful for my assistant for helping the kids create the wigs/hats yesterday.
i love typography, and this is an amazing typography video of the popular baz luhrmann song of “everybody’s free (to wear sunscreen)” from the chicago tribune column by mary schmich in 1997 titled “advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young”. if you’ve never heard this or read it before please play the video. in life you have things and people who make an impression on you and this piece throughout the years has made an huge impression on my life (i believe i’ve blogged about it before!). it has shaped part of my thought process. i’ve been reading self help books since i was a kid (yep, i was weird) and this has been a standout advice piece in all the self help things i’ve come across. it’s not abstract, the advice is very specific.
as i’ve mentioned before, i love spotify. it’s like one of the best things i’ve discovered this year. right now i am listening to tegan and sara’s live album “get along” and it’s all right in all the right ways. almost every song is a song i would use soundhound on my iphone to capture if i heard it while i was out and about. i would want to know who it was so i could play it again and again.
happy monday! i have the whole week off and i am basking in the idea that i can wake up and possibly go back to bed. awesomeness. unfortunately my huge to do list is preventing me from doing that. but just the thought. the thought makes me happy. i pray my students are being fed physically, emotionally, and academically during this week off.
okay, now on to something that you can perhaps use in your life this week. a few weeks ago i tweeted about the “this is your life” holstee manifesto and it’s just this incredible piece on how this is your life and you should basically make the most of it. last week i was at kirkland’s because i had a gift card that someone gave me at my housewarming party and for a moment i was overjoyed because i thought i found the poster in store. it was black and white and started off the same with “this is your life” but i googled it and i was extremely disappointed because it was an imitation. a rip off. oh the letdown.
my challenge to you is to create your own personal statement / mission statement / manifesto. whatever you want to call it. in 2003 i created a personal statement and framed it. it sits on my desk. anyone that comes into my office sees it. maybe i will type it up and share it at some point on my blog. but it’s a high standard i’ve set for myself. a point of accountability. when i want to slack off i refer to it. it keeps me focused.
enjoy the following video featuring the holstee manifesto:
so i am a little addicted to the TED talks. below are my recent views of TED talks. but here is the problem, when i watch them i feel torn between sitting and watching them and getting up and doing something productive with my time/life. niel pasricha from made the statement during his talk that within 100 years everyone you know will be dead, and i thought it was a really profound thought to put things into perspective. we are all on earth for only a moment in time. use your time wisely!
Neil Pasricha: The 3 A’s of awesome
Deb Roy: The birth of a word (all i can say in response to this talk is “wow!” and watch the end to find out why)
Caroline Casey: Looking past limits (incredible!)
Jason Fried: Why work doesn’t happen at work (every manager should watch this talk)
Terry Moore: How to tie your shoes (you’ve probably been doing it wrong! this talk is short, about 3 minutes. worth the watch)
i’ve mentioned them before but their album finally came out! i’ve been waiting forever for this album to come out! greatest hits by nikki & rich. i’ve followed nikki leonti since she was a teen, and she has this amazing voice. effortlessly awesome. she teamed up with this artist named rich velonskis and together they are nikki & rich. their style is r&b, and a little retro.
so many great songs on the album but if i had to pick “everything” is up there at the top.
today is my sister devon’s birthday. i am hanging out at my parent’s house with her watching soul surfer. the movie about the surfer bethany hamilton who was attacked by a shark and lived to tell the tale. it’s a good movie so far, it focuses a great deal on faith.
here is bethany hamilton’s i am second video:
it’s a new week! a new opportunity to live in God’s will.
keep
the
faith.
hello! i'm GLO! and i'm so happy you're here! read my blogggg or one of my books!!! i absolutely love JESUS and i absolutely love encouraging people to live their dreams! read, subscribe, and connect with me! :)
