40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes
I have a confession. I am tired of the negative news lately. I won’t even rehash the stuff I’ve heard on the news over the last week, but suffice it to say – it’s depressing. From the economy to crime stories to accidents, the drumbeat of negative news never seems to stop. That’s why I have declared this edition of the weekly roundup a “positive news” edition.
I kicked things off with an upbeat movie clip above. Movie buffs will appreciate the cinematic references (saw many of my inspirational favorites in there – Rudy, Rocky, Braveheart, 300, Hoosiers, etc.). I enjoyed remembering how inspired I felt after watching some of those classics. I wish there was a way to condense all those feelings into a portable format so I could quickly get fired up any time I want. That YouTube clip was the closest thing I’ve seen so far!
I hope you find the links below as refreshing to read as they were for me to collect. Sometimes we just need a break from the negative reality around us. Enjoy!
The (Positive) Roundup
- The Happy Minimum. I don’t share Trent’s enthusiasm for reducing my requisite squares of toilet paper, but I do share his zeal for finding contentment with less. (@The Simple Dollar)
- How I Paid Over $120,000 in Debt in 52 Months. An inspiring “recipe” for getting out debt, from someone who has taken the monster head on, and won! (@The Wisdom Journal)
- How to Build Confidence and Destroy Fear. J.D. shares his thoughts on tackling your fears by boosting your confidence. He even used these very strategies to overcome one his greatest fears. (@Get Rich Slowly)
- Simplicity 101: Slow Down. When I need to “slow down” I like to just head out the front door and walk the neighborhood. I don’t do it often enough, admittedly, but when I do I always feel restored. I especially enjoy doing this early in the morning, just before the sun comes up, and the birds are just beginning to chirp. Such a peaceful time of day. (@Remodeling This Life)
- How to Create Space When You’re Always in a Rush. Here lately I’ve felt like I have zero space in my schedule, and in my life. I’m still looking for the “gaps,” but after reading this I have a much better idea where to look for them! (@Zen Habits)
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Miami Banker Gives $60 Million of His Own to Employees. Proof that not every bank is run by greedy rich guys. (@Miami Herald)
Quick Hits
- Thanks to The Daily Texan for working in a mention to Frugal Dad. I agree with the author that the frugal college student is an under-served market when it comes to blogging, and I plan to write a couple college-themed articles in the coming weeks. After all, it hasn’t been THAT long since I was a college student!
- Yesterday’s guest post from Carlos of WeSeed.com was a popular one. Unfortunately, WeSeed was in the process of adding a groups feature around the time I released the post, and their site was experiencing some downtime. To make it up to me WeSeed created a “Frugal Dad” group where we can invest as a team and compare our results against other groups. In case the direct link doesn’t take you there, here’s how to find our group. Click on the WeSocial tab. Then select “Groups” from the left sidebar menu. Frugal Dad is currently listed on page two of the group listing.
Thanks for the link, FD.
Loved this roundup, Thank You! I think it is so important to counterbalance the negative media input with positive life-affirming realities as well. My favorite source is Ode Magazine? Have you heard of it? Worth checking out! Cheers!
Timely post for me. I am overwhelmed with my life and everything on my plate, plus all the negative happening with our country’s financial status, as well as the state in which I live. Thanks for this post.
Thanks for your positive roundup. It was a nice break from my day.
Great roundup and introducing me to a few new sites!
Recently we cut out a lot of news sources as everything that was reported was just so negative. The weather was too cold…negative. Then it warms up, should be positive right? Nope. Now it’s melting and everything’s dirty and messy. We can’t win. Cutting out a lot of the news has made us a lot happier actually.
So thanks for all of this positivity going into the weekend! It’s refreshing.
Good and timely post. Enjoyed the clip.
Hadn’t seen the YouTube clip. (Was surprised that they did not have Slumdog Millionaire ending song…but it hasn’t been released on DVD yet.)
I think the key is not burying one’s head in the sand, but, instead, focusing on what can be done.
Tuning out the news doesn’t make it less real (perhaps just less depressing).
I can’t remember the exact words but I always get inspired by a line from an old Star Wars movie.
It’s a scene in the Millenium Falcon and things are not looking good for Han Solo and pals. C-3PO: Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1.
Han Solo: Never tell me the odds.
So here’s the thing. The “odds” may exist, but who cares? So do possibilities.
You gotta keep doing what you can. And that may be as simple as making time for a good word or deed to someone who needs it. Every little bit helps.
If everyone let the “odds” determine whether they acted or not, nothing would have been discovered, created, or improved.
So, yea, things suck. BUT, things can CHANGE.
In the meantime, we don’t need to be Pollyannas to counter the abundance of upsetting news.
Avoid the news if it helps you maintain your energy and faith and hope. We will all have to do what we can so that we can ACT to create the needed changes.
And keep our personal and societal fears at bay, and in perspective.
I completely agree with what you are saying! Negativity is all that seems to be portrayed by just about any mainstream news outlet. Why can’t they have positive news segments as well! It’s not for lack of good news out there somewhere. You know, if maybe all mainstream news outlets would deliver more and more good news, then many people may become more optimistic. Sounds like a worthy experiment to me!
I totally agree about the news. I sometimes wonder if if the news wasn’t so negative that maybe people might just get a little more optimistic and the economy would perk up a little. Perhaps it is just wishful thinking on my part.
Anyway, I am looking forward to this week’s posts.
Hi! I found you through a search for Not Negative News, and I’m very glad to see that other people agree with us. Thanks so much for those links too, I love reading happy sites.
Not to spam you or anything, but our site is basically a positive news section.