I am a princess

This is a video for all girls.  It won't hurt the boys to watch it too.
Everyone needs to know how valuable they are.

http://video.disney.com/watch/i-am-a-princess-4ca76def1e11d579bda06054

Amazing Video

Simply re-wording a sign.....
http://vimeo.com/27372319
This is a very powerful video.

Processing:
How did people respond to the original sign?
What inspired the woman to change the sign?
Why did the new sign make a bigger difference?
How did the new sign make people feel?
How can you use positive words in your own life to help people?

The Greatest

Watch the following video:
http://www.values.com/inspirational-stories-tv-spots/99-The-Greatest

The Greatest is all about perspective. Just when you think you are failing, when things seem to be going wrong…a change of perspective shines a bright light of realization that you just might be succeeding in other ways. It is a very simple concept but the key, of course was finding the right young actor to play the part. As you have seen, he is amazing. After countless takes throwing the ball up and missing—which is harder than you might think—he never lost his zeal. The last scene was as strong as the first. “Celebration” by Kool and The Gang fittingly takes us from despair at ‘strike three” to euphoria and inspires us to embrace the value of Optimism as we face similar situations each day. After all, you might just be…The Greatest.

Brace Yourself

Watch the following video:
http://www.wimp.com/braceyourself/

Did you see that coming?
What made you think something was going to go wrong?
Do you have things that surprise you in your life?
What can you do to prepare yourself for bad things to happen?
What kind of an attitude will be important when bad things surprise you?
Who can help you when those things happen?
Fill in the blanks:  Real friends (do what?)__________________ when (what happens?) ____________________.
Do you have friends that will sometimes attack (verbally or emotionally) you?  What do you do when they attack?

Thinking about it...

Questions:
Do you have something or someone in your life that bothers you?
Can you change that part of your life?
Can you change the way you think about it/ them?
Make a list of some of the good things about them/ that situation. 

If we focus on the GOOD things then life becomes better for us.

Forgiveness

"To err is human; to forgive, divine." - Alexander Pope 

Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 – 30 May 1744) was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. Famous for his use of the heroic couplet, he is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson.^[1]

-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Pope



Perception

THE SITUATION



In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007,

this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.  During that

time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their

way to work.  After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a

musician playing.  He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he

hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later: 
 
The violinist received his first dollar.  A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping,

 continued to walk.

 
At 6 minutes:


A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.


At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly.  The kid stopped to look at the

violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole

 time.  This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced

their children to move on quickly.


At 45 minutes:

The musician played continuously.  Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while.  About 20 gave

money but continued to walk at their normal pace.  The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:
   
He finished playing and silence took over.  No one noticed and no one applauded.

  There was no recognition at all.


No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. 

 He played one of  the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.  

Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to

sit and listen to him play the same music.


This is a true story.  Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station,

 was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about

 perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

      *In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

      *If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

      *Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?


One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the

 world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the

most beautiful instruments ever made . . ..

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

 

Enjoy life NOW .. it has an expiration date

Perspective

...you are the window through which you must see the world.

-George Bernard Shaw

Irish writer and Nobel Prize Winner

Attitude

Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitudes toward life.  The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it.

-Charles R. Swindoll

If you think you can, you can.  And if you think you can't you're right.
-Mary Kay Ash

Beautiful Things

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched...but are felt in the heart."

-Helen Keller

Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.^[1][2] The story of how Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan, broke through the isolation imposed by a near complete lack of language, allowing the girl to blossom as she learned to communicate, has become widely known through the dramatic depictions of the play and film The Miracle Worker.
A prolific author, Keller was well-traveled, and was outspoken in her anti-war convictions. A member of the Socialist Party of America and the Industrial Workers of the World, she campaigned for women's suffrage, labor rights, socialism, and other radical left causes. She was inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1971.^{[3]
www.wikipedia.org}



Optimism

"There are two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as though everything is a miracle."

-Albert Einstein

Native American Proverb

"When you were born you cried and the world rejoiced.  Live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice."

7 Tips for Maintaining a Positive Attitude

1.  Learn healthy ways to manage your stress.
2.  Think of challenges as opportunities to shine.
3.  Look for the best in others- and yourself.
4.  Eat right and get plenty of rest.
5.  Focus on the joys in life and remember to laugh.
6.  Keep things in perspective.  Do what you can do, and let go of the rest.
7.  Take pride in your work and your achievements.

Perspective

If we want to be happy, we must look for the things that make us feel happy.  If we think about being sad then we WILL find the things that make us sad.  We are a product of our thoughts and beliefs.
What do you want the most out of life?
What do you want the most out of today?
Do you look for people who help you feel good about yourself and your life?

Courage

Your perspective of the situation is everything.  Life is not about only survival, it is about growth and joy.

Becca Levie

         My name is Becca Levie. I was born with five holes in my heart to an abusive drug-addicted mother. When I was eight years old, she abandoned my sisters and me in Mexico. That was thirty years ago. During that time I have come to believe that what you get out of life is completely up to you.

Today I am Mrs. Utah U.S. Continental. I have a wonderful husband, four beautiful children and two successful businesses. I strive to share what I've learned through books and motivational talks. I know that we do not become great by chance—but by choice—and that everyone is born for greatness.

powerinyou.org

Perspective

Start the class with a discussion about perspective.
What is it?  Answer: how an individual perceives life
What kinds of things determine our perspective? Answer: thought processes, upbringing, brain chemistry, life experiences

http://www.wimp.com/gamesperspective/
Show the video and discuss how this relates to real life.

How did the problem change in the video when the perspective was altered?
When we are faced with challenges in our life, how can we change our own perspective?