Inspiration from the World Wide Web
Inspiration can be found all around us. The Literary Arts Magazine staff decided to look towards videos we could find on YouTube to find beauty on the world wide web.
We wanted to connect to others, and in turn, help you connect to what we discovered. |
"Make A Difference"
A Speech by Denzel Washington
by Gabrielle Alli, Grade 6
In this video, Denzel Washington talks to group of graduating college students about his experience throughout life and what he’s learned. He talks about his failing college GPA, his thoughts about joining the army, and the astonishing words a woman said to him in his mother’s beauty parlor. She says that Denzel will travel the world and speak to millions of people in the future; despite the immense doubt Denzel had of this, it happened. Denzel grew to be a very successful actor and had an amazing opportunity to talk to people around the world. What he realized was that failure is not so much the opposite of success, but one of the steps taken to achieve this. Denzel also realized that we should not only strive to make a decent living for ourselves, but to create a lasting difference on this Earth. That we should all have goals throughout life instead of stopping and saying, “I guess this is good for now.”
When first watching this video, I was confused by Denzel’s point. What did he even mean with his GPA that flunked him and a crazy woman with a prophecy? But then I slowly understood; he rose up from failure and his original idea of thinking that he was going to amount to nothing. He worked hard and was able to create a fruitful career. Most of all, aside from his acting career and traveling the world, he’s become a motivational speaker who inspires others. He realizes that he needs to create goals throughout his life in order to make a difference. I found that I have been questioning things in my life, things I’ve wanted to change for a while. This video inspires me to try and make a difference everyday, in my own small way. And maybe one day, I can stand up for an issue to create a long lasting difference.
Our community is full of people with potential, and this video could inspire these people to create a beautiful difference in order to improve society. If one person with a cause was to join another person with a cause, they create a small group that can make a change for the better. And even though small, they can succeed. And if they fail, it’s just another step to succeeding.
In this video, Denzel Washington talks to group of graduating college students about his experience throughout life and what he’s learned. He talks about his failing college GPA, his thoughts about joining the army, and the astonishing words a woman said to him in his mother’s beauty parlor. She says that Denzel will travel the world and speak to millions of people in the future; despite the immense doubt Denzel had of this, it happened. Denzel grew to be a very successful actor and had an amazing opportunity to talk to people around the world. What he realized was that failure is not so much the opposite of success, but one of the steps taken to achieve this. Denzel also realized that we should not only strive to make a decent living for ourselves, but to create a lasting difference on this Earth. That we should all have goals throughout life instead of stopping and saying, “I guess this is good for now.”
When first watching this video, I was confused by Denzel’s point. What did he even mean with his GPA that flunked him and a crazy woman with a prophecy? But then I slowly understood; he rose up from failure and his original idea of thinking that he was going to amount to nothing. He worked hard and was able to create a fruitful career. Most of all, aside from his acting career and traveling the world, he’s become a motivational speaker who inspires others. He realizes that he needs to create goals throughout his life in order to make a difference. I found that I have been questioning things in my life, things I’ve wanted to change for a while. This video inspires me to try and make a difference everyday, in my own small way. And maybe one day, I can stand up for an issue to create a long lasting difference.
Our community is full of people with potential, and this video could inspire these people to create a beautiful difference in order to improve society. If one person with a cause was to join another person with a cause, they create a small group that can make a change for the better. And even though small, they can succeed. And if they fail, it’s just another step to succeeding.
"Go HUNT Your Dream"
by Lindsey Figueroa, Grade 8
The video is about hunting for your dreams and trying to achieve them,and not giving up on your dream and not being able to reach your dream because you just gave up on it. Are you willing to achieve your dream? Or do you want to not achieve anything and not be as successful are you could have been if you had reached out for that dream until it became yours?
The video is also showing you that you shouldn’t be like the other people that just give up on their goals and don’t try to achieve any part of their dream. What the video showed me is that things will try blocking your way of reaching your dream,but that shouldn’t stop you from achieving any goal you would like to reach in life. And if life gets you down when reaching for your goal, you shouldn’t let it keep you on the ground. You should get up no matter what and do whatever it takes to achieve the dream or the goal you want to achieve in your life. It takes a lot of courage, confidence, and a strong mindset to face whatever is in your path.
Ultimately, this video could inspire people within our community by showing us that we need to get back up even when nobody else believes in us, and that we should fight for our dreams because in the end, all that hard work and all those challenges we face just to achieve our dreams will be worth it.
The video is about hunting for your dreams and trying to achieve them,and not giving up on your dream and not being able to reach your dream because you just gave up on it. Are you willing to achieve your dream? Or do you want to not achieve anything and not be as successful are you could have been if you had reached out for that dream until it became yours?
The video is also showing you that you shouldn’t be like the other people that just give up on their goals and don’t try to achieve any part of their dream. What the video showed me is that things will try blocking your way of reaching your dream,but that shouldn’t stop you from achieving any goal you would like to reach in life. And if life gets you down when reaching for your goal, you shouldn’t let it keep you on the ground. You should get up no matter what and do whatever it takes to achieve the dream or the goal you want to achieve in your life. It takes a lot of courage, confidence, and a strong mindset to face whatever is in your path.
Ultimately, this video could inspire people within our community by showing us that we need to get back up even when nobody else believes in us, and that we should fight for our dreams because in the end, all that hard work and all those challenges we face just to achieve our dreams will be worth it.
"Burger King | Bullying Junior"
by Fatima Konate, Grade 8
This PSA is similar to one of those “What Would You Do?” videos, to see how people would react in a given situation. In this video, Burger King does an experiment. Who are customers more likely to report, a bullied teenager, OR, a “bullied” burger? It turns out, everyone reported a “bullied” burger, but hardly anyone helped the bullied child.
In this world, people are getting bullied for their hair, their skin color, their religion, or for just anything “unusual” about them. Everyone says how they think bullying is bad, and they’ll all say this on camera, but off the camera, people become bystanders. This video shows how only a very few sum of people help victims. This video can send a message to people that our priorities are all wrong. We care about minor problems rather than really big ones - our society getting emotionally hurt by bullies. We have to fight harder and help victims, rather than only help ourselves. We have to stand together, because one day, we could be the next target.
This PSA is similar to one of those “What Would You Do?” videos, to see how people would react in a given situation. In this video, Burger King does an experiment. Who are customers more likely to report, a bullied teenager, OR, a “bullied” burger? It turns out, everyone reported a “bullied” burger, but hardly anyone helped the bullied child.
In this world, people are getting bullied for their hair, their skin color, their religion, or for just anything “unusual” about them. Everyone says how they think bullying is bad, and they’ll all say this on camera, but off the camera, people become bystanders. This video shows how only a very few sum of people help victims. This video can send a message to people that our priorities are all wrong. We care about minor problems rather than really big ones - our society getting emotionally hurt by bullies. We have to fight harder and help victims, rather than only help ourselves. We have to stand together, because one day, we could be the next target.
"World Best Motivational Videos for Students"
by Madison Weg, Grade 6
After watching, “World Best Motivational Videos for Students,” I noticed how the video makes viewers feel by the end. You realize how the main character does a lot of things for other people, but does it for the looks on their faces after, not for any money or pride. When seeing a sick dog in the street, he gave him food; when a young girl could not afford education, he gave her $100. These are just two deeds among others that we just don’t see people do any more. I think this is a heartwarming video of a young man who cares about others more than himself. If every person tries to be a little more like him, the world can be a little better of a place.
After watching, “World Best Motivational Videos for Students,” I noticed how the video makes viewers feel by the end. You realize how the main character does a lot of things for other people, but does it for the looks on their faces after, not for any money or pride. When seeing a sick dog in the street, he gave him food; when a young girl could not afford education, he gave her $100. These are just two deeds among others that we just don’t see people do any more. I think this is a heartwarming video of a young man who cares about others more than himself. If every person tries to be a little more like him, the world can be a little better of a place.
"Can We Auto-correct Humanity?"
by Isabel Lindsay, Grade 8
Prince EA is known for his speeches about the issues in our generation that need to be overcome in order for humanity to come together once and for all. In this speech, he targets the obsessiveness in which our generation uses our mobile devices and electronics. “The average human spends four years staring down at his cell phone,” he says in the video. Prince EA also talked about how technology has made us think only of ourselves and not of others and the time we spend with people face-to-face, and how it lowers our esteem to measure our self-worth by the amount of likes we get on our posts.
This video really opened my eyes to the amount of time and effort we put into looking good online so people will believe we have a perfect life. It’s really sad, when you think about it, how we would rather spend time alone than together, but of course, it inspired me to spend more time with my family and friends rather than on my phone. This video can inspire our community, especially the newer generation, to make sure we put down our electronics just long enough to recognize the world we are living in.
Prince EA is known for his speeches about the issues in our generation that need to be overcome in order for humanity to come together once and for all. In this speech, he targets the obsessiveness in which our generation uses our mobile devices and electronics. “The average human spends four years staring down at his cell phone,” he says in the video. Prince EA also talked about how technology has made us think only of ourselves and not of others and the time we spend with people face-to-face, and how it lowers our esteem to measure our self-worth by the amount of likes we get on our posts.
This video really opened my eyes to the amount of time and effort we put into looking good online so people will believe we have a perfect life. It’s really sad, when you think about it, how we would rather spend time alone than together, but of course, it inspired me to spend more time with my family and friends rather than on my phone. This video can inspire our community, especially the newer generation, to make sure we put down our electronics just long enough to recognize the world we are living in.
"Fighting Cancer With Dance"
by Shravani Vedagiri, Grade 6
Ananda Shankar Jayant is a well-renowned Indian classical dancer who has perfected the art of Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi. She is inspirational because she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and she beat it and quickly recovered while using dance to rebuild her body strength. She is also a speaker, writer, the first lady railway officer, breast cancer conqueror, and an artist of the performing arts. She has toured the world giving speeches and telling people about her journey through life. She has written inspirational stories and her story is one of a kind. If we listen to it, we may think that this is fiction, but that is her true story. She has experienced and lived through cancer, and to do that is one great achievement.
I am a Kuchipudi dancer, and personally I feel her dance is simply amazing. In this video, she draws a picture of a lion with her feet. That is truly spectacular, and is an art-form that not many people can do. She has no fear and is a woman who can stand up to any obstacle or challenge she faces.
Ananda Shankar Jayant is a well-renowned Indian classical dancer who has perfected the art of Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi. She is inspirational because she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and she beat it and quickly recovered while using dance to rebuild her body strength. She is also a speaker, writer, the first lady railway officer, breast cancer conqueror, and an artist of the performing arts. She has toured the world giving speeches and telling people about her journey through life. She has written inspirational stories and her story is one of a kind. If we listen to it, we may think that this is fiction, but that is her true story. She has experienced and lived through cancer, and to do that is one great achievement.
I am a Kuchipudi dancer, and personally I feel her dance is simply amazing. In this video, she draws a picture of a lion with her feet. That is truly spectacular, and is an art-form that not many people can do. She has no fear and is a woman who can stand up to any obstacle or challenge she faces.
"Perfection is the Wrong Direction"
by Gabrielle Alli, Grade 6
In this video, young YouTuber Isabella Fons talk about her struggle with perfectionism. As a freshman in high school, Isabella loved running cross-country and had big dreams about being successful in it. She strived to be a part of the Nike Cross Nationals Cross-Country Championship that only 200 girls qualify for annually. Isabella practiced without end, running and training every day, non-stop. What influenced her more was Instagram posts, podcasts, and shoe store posters that said things like, “Perfect practice makes perfect,” and “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” Isabella would end up breaking down from anxiety at the start line, crying because she was afraid to fail. She kept saying to herself before every race, “This is going to be the day!” and imagining herself at Nike Nationals. Still, she always ended up anxious, overworked, and crying.
What I think viewers should learn from this TED Talk is to be patient, and to make progress little by little. Rushing yourself through life can be tiring, and can make achieving success miserable. We can’t master something overnight. It does take hard work to reach goals, but true hard work is not rushed. Hard work takes tons of patience in order to get to the point where one can say, “I’m proud of what I’ve done. I think it’s really good.” Although cliché, slow and steady can win the race. This TED Talk helps me to understand that to be very good in my studies, I have to put effort in. But still, I have to make time to relax a little in order not to overwhelm myself. This is challenging at times, but with a little hard work (again pushing that idea into your head for the millionth time), I can condition myself.
Isabella did create her TED Talk based mostly on emotion. Her talk wasn’t based on pure fact, but she did make her point by telling the audience about her own experience. This made me relate more to Isabella and connect to her on a personal level because of the story she shared. Isabella’s experience also seemed genuine. Her pictures showing her transition from overworked to being happy made her point clear. Practicing too much made her tired and made her fall behind in team workouts. When she paced herself and made slow progress, she was able to do well and even get a few medals. I do agree with Isabella’s point in her talk. She is conveying a positive message that everyone should understand, and presents herself in a friendly way.
Overall, Isabella did a wonderful job of telling her story and giving advice to others through her TED Talk. I admire her way of speaking, and think that her message is important. We should all try to follow Isabella’s message: make progress while not tiring ourselves out.
In this video, young YouTuber Isabella Fons talk about her struggle with perfectionism. As a freshman in high school, Isabella loved running cross-country and had big dreams about being successful in it. She strived to be a part of the Nike Cross Nationals Cross-Country Championship that only 200 girls qualify for annually. Isabella practiced without end, running and training every day, non-stop. What influenced her more was Instagram posts, podcasts, and shoe store posters that said things like, “Perfect practice makes perfect,” and “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” Isabella would end up breaking down from anxiety at the start line, crying because she was afraid to fail. She kept saying to herself before every race, “This is going to be the day!” and imagining herself at Nike Nationals. Still, she always ended up anxious, overworked, and crying.
What I think viewers should learn from this TED Talk is to be patient, and to make progress little by little. Rushing yourself through life can be tiring, and can make achieving success miserable. We can’t master something overnight. It does take hard work to reach goals, but true hard work is not rushed. Hard work takes tons of patience in order to get to the point where one can say, “I’m proud of what I’ve done. I think it’s really good.” Although cliché, slow and steady can win the race. This TED Talk helps me to understand that to be very good in my studies, I have to put effort in. But still, I have to make time to relax a little in order not to overwhelm myself. This is challenging at times, but with a little hard work (again pushing that idea into your head for the millionth time), I can condition myself.
Isabella did create her TED Talk based mostly on emotion. Her talk wasn’t based on pure fact, but she did make her point by telling the audience about her own experience. This made me relate more to Isabella and connect to her on a personal level because of the story she shared. Isabella’s experience also seemed genuine. Her pictures showing her transition from overworked to being happy made her point clear. Practicing too much made her tired and made her fall behind in team workouts. When she paced herself and made slow progress, she was able to do well and even get a few medals. I do agree with Isabella’s point in her talk. She is conveying a positive message that everyone should understand, and presents herself in a friendly way.
Overall, Isabella did a wonderful job of telling her story and giving advice to others through her TED Talk. I admire her way of speaking, and think that her message is important. We should all try to follow Isabella’s message: make progress while not tiring ourselves out.