Global Language of Inspiration

It seems the ratio of good to bad news stories is quite uneven these days. With endless tales of negativity taking center stage I say we create a page of human inspiration. We all know stories like this fall thru the cracks on a daily basis so lets defy the odds and celebrate people doing unique things that serve to show this world still has good at the core. With an international forum we can find these little tales of adventure and courage that would otherwise go unnoticed and shed a positive light on the world in a way others may not easily know.

Skateboard Trip to Afghanistan
My first tale is one of a professional skateboarder Jamie Thomas. Defying all odds and still skateboarding at 39 yrs of age is one thing, but to have the gumption to say "I'm going to Afghanistan and showing people what skateboarding is all about" is another. Well, that's exactly what he did. He said he was certainly nervous and unsure of what his reception would be like for obvious reasons. Finding spots to skateboard at would be difficult but he went and his tale is inspiring. People greeted him with respect and obvious interest and excitement.

http://instagram.com/p/om7fGovP1S/
http://instagram.com/p/oq6z_3vP-z/
http://instagram.com/p/oo8WW9PP-T/

Upon visiting a local skate spot which appears to be a couple of stairs of a war torn and crumbling building he met a guy who has no use of his legs and still finds the courage to beat insane odds and became a skateboarder in the land of the Taliban. Watch this clip as a woman pushes him to go fast enough to make the leap of faith.

http://instagram.com/p/or5v4SPP6W/

Jamie simply wrote "skateboarding knows no boundaries"

In the end we are all searching for the same thing and making our way in a world that seems to be working against us. Jamie's Instagram signature says it all

"Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts"-W.Churchill

http://instagram.com/p/oodQIkvP7L/

His comments here are priceless.
http://instagram.com/p/opdfdJvPxH/

There must be more unique stories of this nature to be told and I look forward to any that people should feel compelled to share.

I don't have a story to share (yet), but I love the idea of this thread!

Agreed. It's great to have a place to showcase people who put something positive out there. It's amazing how many people a committed person can reach, and amazing the myriad of ways in which it can be done. In many inner-city schools in the U.S., kids are taught competitive chess and gain a sense of purpose and all sorts of useful skills. As unlikely as it seems, one professional violinist, Midori, reached out with classical music to kids who you would swear would care only about rap. Venezuela has founded youth orchestras to give kids a view into a better world, and the players become so good that, for example, Gustavo Dudamel has been able to conduct the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar at many international venues.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/384846730627690888/

Sometimes a project that doesn't seem that unusual or interesting turns out so splendidly that it is inspiring

Ladybird Johnson, the wife of President Johnson, had a project to save the gorgeous wildflowers of Texas. Wildflowers were planted along many roads, and a state wildflower farm was created. Today, when you fly into Austin in late March, the ground looks bright blue from the air, because of the masses of bluebonnets in bloom. A truly amazing, and yes, inspiring sight. Do check out the photo.

What a striking photo! It's true about Ladybird Johnson. It didn't seem like much at the time; in old-fashioned language that was even then passing from use, is was called something like the Highway Beautification Project. So dainty and Junior League...except that it really was a forerunner of the current environmental movement. The idea that native plants are better for the ecology than plants introduced from outside, and realization that making highways look like one long advertisement was despoiling the landscape, are now valued. Mrs. Johnson was a pioneering naturalist, and that is uplifting, isn't it. It's also nice that she lived long enough to see her goals realized.

Yes, exactly.

People used to even joke about "beautification," AFAIR.

One of the biggest innovations was having a wildflower farm to furnish the seeds for the roadside planting. It is the world's largest wildflower farm, called Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg, TX.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...iews-Wildseed_Farms-Fredericksburg_Texas.html

The municipal park in Fredericksburg is named for Ladybird.

We visited Wildseed Farms on our last trip to Texas. It is a great place.

Thanks Doris!! Love that story.

Here is something much more subtle. Sarah Lee is a muscician who seems to specialize in taking well known popular songs and putting a different edge on it. Here she takes a furious dance anthem that has swept the nation since Outkast first released it. It's called "Hey Ya" and I myself have found myself victim of its infectious grove. The thing is Sarah is able to break the music down to its simplest and most harmonic values creating a song that inspires me to push the boundaries of my own instruments. I hope you enjoy.

http://youtu.be/vRCZbB8dIDQ

S-S, what a brilliant idea for a thread! Inspiration sure seems to be in short supply these days.

Here's an amazing story about an orchestra whose members play instruments made entirely of recycled garbage. When watching it on "60 Minutes" a few months ago, I started weeping and couldn't stop. Am welling up again even as I type this.

Music has been a profound influence in my life and a source of incredible joy and satisfaction. But the thought of these kids and their leader loving it so much that to be able to play it, they're willing to build their own instruments out of landfill material -- landfill, for heaven's sake! Well, words fail me.

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/the-recyclers-from-trash-comes-triumph-2/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkTQQ0m8Ys8

Great story

Thx for sharing :yes:

Skatedreamer, when I first saw that report some time ago, I too was completely overwhelmed with the beauty of it.

"We stopped dreaming big!" This video fills me up with inspiration just knowing that there are people out there who want to change our culture in a positive way. Sure some don't agree with the idea of space travel and even science to an extent but his level of outspokenness and leadership are amazing and hopefully contagious. Neil deGrasse Tyson

http://youtu.be/CbIZU8cQWXc

Found this video on a certain young skater's VK page and thought it belonged here in this thread.

http://youtu.be/TzBInt4zljQ

NFL player whose daughter is diagnosed with cancer has a very inspirational tale that breaks your heart and also fills it with inspiration.

While the media goes off the rails focusing almost soley on the negative tales to come from the NFL I offer this story of heartbreak and hope. Devon Still plays for the Cincinnati Bengals and found out that his 4 year old daughter has cancer. He was nearly cut from his team but the Bengals kept him on the practice roster in order for him to be able to pay the bills for his daughters treatment.

http://media2.wcpo.com/photo/2014/0...Leah_1401905649321_5942107_ver1.0_640_480.jpg

Leah Still has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and is in a dire situation. Devon had been struggling just to remain on the roster due to injury and low performance issues likely at least partially attributed to his daughter's condition. He was cut from the main team in August. It was a blessing that the Bengals kept him on even the practice squad in order to keep paying him and its clear that they did just to help him in his heartbreaking situation. Well....just this week he was promoted to the main team and with it comes an extra $300,000 of much needed money. The Bengals announced that all proceeds from his Jersey sales will go to a charity for pediatric cancer.

http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/blogs/devon-still-jersey09092014.jpg

The New Orleans Saints coach bought 100 of them and the Bengals say his jersey sales are amongst the highest they've had.

My deepest sympathies and prayers for strength go out to the Still family and all who know Leah. I also want to congratulate the Bengals for acting downright heroic I was not a Bengals fan until today and will soon be the owner of my first NFL jersey with a beautiful #75 on it.

These are the type of stories I wish the media would become obsessed with.
Here is a link to the story.
http://mashable.com/2014/09/11/nfl-devon-still-jerseys/

And now his jersey sales have raised nearly $400,000 in about one weeks time for Cincinnati area pediatric cancer clinics

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/...ise-400k-for-pediatric-cancer-research-091314

This thread is great!!
Here is something I saw today. Beautiful artwork from a man with Cerebral Palsy.
Since his hands lack coordination, he uses a typewriter to create beautiful and amazing images.
I will never look at the hash mark the same again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svzPm8lT36o

Newbiespectator said:

This thread is great!!
Here is something I saw today. Beautiful artwork from a man with Cerebral Palsy.
Since his hands lack coordination, he uses a typewriter to create beautiful and amazing images.
I will never look at the hash mark the same again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svzPm8lT36o

Click to expand...

What an amazing story!! Thank you for sharing although it is a bit of a tear jerker for a softy like me