Saturday, June 2, 2012

Need Inspiration Today?



A young boy in Ohio ran one of the most inspirational races I've ever seen. He has spastic cerebral palsy, and could've sat out the race. But he didn't. If you haven't viewed this yet, and if you have a couple of minutes, I encourage you to watch this video...you won't regret it. (Read the full story here.)




Matt totally inspired me. You know who else inspired me? His classmates, who ran alongside him, cheering him on as he crossed the finish line. It reminded me that we don't have to finish first, or even finish the strongest. We need to enjoy our own journey, and cross our own finish lines the best that we can.

Need more encouragement and inspiration today? Check out these quotes:

"The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be." -- Horace Bushnell


"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened." -- Helen Keller


"Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can't be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people." -- Lee Iacocca


"Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us." -- Samuel Smiles


"When the best things are not possible, the best may be made of those that are." -- Richard Hooker


If you watched the video, did you need a tissue? And who or what has inspired you lately? Please share!

21 comments:

  1. That was a wonderful video! I think almost every kid was running with him at the end.

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  2. I cried right along with Matt's mom! Wow!

    This is exactly the kind of thing that makes me so glad I'm a teacher. I get to witness & experience kids at their absolute best. Matt & his buddies are truly inspiring. I'll be smiling the rest of the day over this! :)

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  3. That video should come with a tissue warning, I'm crying my eyes out here. That was so heart warming, and really makes you believe in the goodness of people when you see all the terrible news in the papers.
    Thank you for sharing Julie :)

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  4. I so needed this today and I am inspired like crazy now. I had to laugh when the video said it was okay to go ahead and cry. I was in tears when he took his first step which I think was about 2 seconds in!

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  5. I saw this already and then had hubby watch it. I cried halfway through the first time I saw it, the second time, I basically cried the entire time.

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  6. I watched that video a few days ago when it first came out. I cried like a baby! So inspiring. Made me want to smack myself for ever complaining about life being hard. What a heart that kid has, both to mention his spirit. We could all learn a tremendous lesson from him AND his classmates. And thanks for those quotes. I'm gonna copy them down.

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  7. Ugh, I started crying when he started the second lap. Oh man, he is awesome!! I'm so proud of him!!

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  8. I was crying long before the note on the screen said it was okay to cry, when I first saw it. Today, all it took was to see the picture on the screen and my eyes started to moisten. This is such a wonderful, inspiring video.

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  9. So wonderful Julie. Thank you for sharing this.

    My middle daughter, when young used to look over her shoulder in the pool to see who was swimming up beside her, and then they would win by a hand. She would congratulate and hug the winner. It was never about her winning.

    Then, in college at track, she would embrace the young lady who beat her at high jump. She tried hard, but failure never brought her down.

    Then, at 21, she was paralyzed and told she would never walk again. But the following year she was back on her track team. She emailed me and said, "Mom. I jogged today. It was kind of pathetic. There wasn't any air under my feet."

    A few weeks later she wrote again, "Mom, I jogged today. I got air!"

    (She was attending school out of state.)

    Did this bring tears? Oh yeah.

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  10. What a gorgeous video... so moving. Thank you so much for sharing this.

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  11. When I see videos like that I'm reminded of what passion and desire really are. It also takes the pressure off of all the silly things I worry about: writing, cleaning, etc. suddenly seem a little less important. You know? :) Thanks for sharing, J.

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  12. Wow. Wonderful. Tissues, yes. Lots of tissues. My favorite inspirational quote is from Gandalf in Lord of the Rings: "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." My heart is full with what the kids in that video chose to do with their time. Thanks, Julie.

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  13. I saw this in the news this morning and I cried my eyes out. What wonderful children.

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  14. Wow!That was inspirational.

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  15. Beautiful Julie! Thank you -- that was a wonderful way to start Monday morning.

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  16. The video of those kids affirms my belief that our future is in good hands, Julie. Thank you for it and for the inspirational words from such wonderful people. Your post is a super way to start a work week.

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  17. Fantastic quotes, and what a story. I like the idea of having our friends there cheering us on--that's very much what happens here in this writer's blogging community. Which is why we're all still here. Great stuff.

    My fave is this: "inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people." Yep! :o) <3

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  18. I saw this on the Chicago news. I cried. Thanks for sharing it again.

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  19. Like that guy "Eric the Eel" who could barely swim, but he still finished his race in the Olympics. That was one of the coolest things I've ever seen :)

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