Inspirational Stories / Motivational Stories

Putting Down Your Phone

By Charlie B on January 17, 2015 / 5,817 views

Simple story with a big impact - for me at least. I was checking out of a local grocery store. I was on the phone with my Mother with a cart full of groceries. I enjoy talking to my Mom. I enjoy the time I spend with her on the phone for whatever reason - even if it's about nothing. When I "pulled up" to the check out line I said, "Mom, I'm checking out. Let me call you back." I hung up and the cashier...

MIRACLE ON 91ST STREET: Surviving The Impossible

By JOSEPH PARENTI on January 17, 2015 / 4,456 views

By JOSEPH PARENTI on January 17, 2015 / 4,456 views

Imagine waking up from a coma in a hospital bed and realizing that your connected to three life support machines, unable to eat or speak and the entire left side of your body is paralyzed. This was the situation I found myself in after my car was broadsided by a stolen vehicle traveling at 80 mph. I suffered a traumatic brain injury, three heart attacks and whiplash so severe my head and neck were twisted to...

Brighten Someone's Day!

By Kay on January 16, 2015 / 4,598 views

Brighten Someone's Day It doesn't take much to brighten another person's day. I was on my way to Ohio when I stopped at a rest area to use the bathroom. As I walked in the bathroom I notice two women who were keeping the bathrooms and the area cleaned. I smiled and greeted them as I walked in. As I was about to get in the car I thought about the cookies I was taking to Dover. I walked back in the...

Common Humanity, Shared Responsibility & Collective Action

By Mitesh Sheth on January 16, 2015 / 3,259 views

Last week my wife and I left our children with their grandparents and travelled to Rajasthan, India, with a group of 86 Brits, 600 Americans and a handful from the rest of the world, to join more than 45,000 Indians in a very unique project. We were tasked with going from person to person, from house to house, to meet, build bonds and establish a sense of common humanity with the people of Udaipur (the 5th...

The 'Growth Mindset' Will Change Your Life

By Vicki on January 14, 2015 / 2,329 views

There is one thing that can be easily learned in five minutes (literally the time you spend reading this answer) that can have a profound impact on your life, and the lives of your children or students. It's called the "Growth Mindset" and it's simple, powerful, and backed by a vast body of scientific research. In a series of experiments, Stanford researcher, Carol Dweck, divided students into two groups and gave...

The Windshield To Life

By Chris on January 14, 2015 / 2,614 views

By Chris on January 14, 2015 / 2,614 views

The windshield to life is big and the rear view is small. Using the rear view mirror once in a while will help you not to engage in future accidents, but focusing on it will make you smash into whatever is in front of you. Don't focus on the past, you'll miss what's right in front of you....

Derek Made My Day

By Jack on January 14, 2015 / 3,615 views

By Jack on January 14, 2015 / 3,615 views

Derek made my day. I lost these yesterday and thought I'd never see them again....

The Garbage Truck Principle

By Coach Muller on January 13, 2015 / 6,083 views

By Coach Muller on January 13, 2015 / 6,083 views

There are many kinds of people that we come in contact with each day. Some people have encouraging, positive, and happy personalities, some have quiet and soothing behaviors, while still others, have just plain mean, nasty, and miserable people. Personally, I am the kind of person that enjoys helping, encouraging, and uplifting others. Nothing “makes my day” more than making someone smile or going out of my...

The Most Exciting Adventure Of All

By Joseph J. Mazzella on January 12, 2015 / 7,264 views

One year when I was in college my friend and I decided to skip the crowds going to the beaches for Spring break and instead go skiing at a local resort. It sounded like an exciting adventure to both of us. There was only one flaw in our plan, however. Neither one of us knew how to ski. We spent the first day there then falling over and over, trying to gain our balance and learn how to ski on the children's slopes....

Bondage

By Theeagletts on January 12, 2015 / 3,968 views

A plant in the house is in confinement (bondage). It will never grow bigger then the inside of the house. Therefore it can never reach it's potential....but let it find a hole or a crack and it will shoot forth a branch or vine, outside, in real sunshine (the true light). Now watch what it does! That vine will grow and praise God, and wave it's leaves in the wind and be happy and grow bigger and bigger. The vine...

Lunch Money Well Spent

By Joy on January 11, 2015 / 4,250 views

Everyday, I pack my lunch, but there are days when I just don't feel like eating it. Ever have one of those days? This week I had one of those days when I just wanted to splurge and eat out. I even thought about the type of food I wanted to eat. As I rode the elevator down to the lobby of my building, I thought - hold a sec, what am I doing here? I have a perfectly good lunch in my bag. Why was I going to waste...

Best Day Of My Life Ever

By Kay on January 10, 2015 / 4,784 views

Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever! There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today... but I did! And because I did I'm going to celebrate! Today, I'm going to celebrate what a great life I have had so far; the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, even the hardships, because they have served to make me stronger. I will go through this day...

The Forgotten Wish

By Reliza Halili on January 08, 2015 / 6,312 views

By Reliza Halili on January 08, 2015 / 6,312 views

Have you ever made a silent wish, but deep down you knew it was impossible to come true and you knew it was more like just a wishful thinking, and then later forgot all about it? Years have passed and one day you have no idea your wish is about to come true. The Universe gives you a foretaste of what is to come, perhaps sends signs in disguise as coincidences to get your attention, but you are clueless until the...

You'll Need To Take Him

By Kay Heitsch on January 08, 2015 / 2,109 views

You'll Need To Take Him The phone rang, it was the school calling. "Would you please come and pick up Brandon? He seems to be sick." What could be wrong, I wondered? I drove right over to the school and picked him up. We drove home and he went upstairs to lie down. Brandon slept for a long time, but woke up very sick. It was now quite late and nothing was open; I wasn't sure what I should do. I called Bill and...

Letter To Myself

By Wonderwall16 on January 07, 2015 / 3,970 views

Dear Me, I know what you're going through. I understand the depth of your pain. It was a mistake and all you can do is apologize. Been crying for hours helplessly. It's happened and now it can't change. So what's the next step? To give up and cry or mend the broken and join the pieces together. It's entirely your decision. Sometimes you've got to keep things to yourself. No matter how close you are,...

Don't Wait For Money To Be Happy, Be Happy Now!

By Millenium Girl on January 07, 2015 / 5,959 views

When I was growing up, money was always an issue. I saw my parents toiling away at their jobs for decades trying to make enough to pay for the mortgage and feed three kids. My parents never complained and seemed happy even though we didn't have a lot. I'm now the age my parents were when they started out. Unlike them, I don't have any mouths to feed, I don't have a mortgage to pay, and I fortunately have a job...

Reunion Of The Power Of Three.

By Sahra on January 07, 2015 / 3,853 views

The beginning of this year was actually quite depressing. A family member attempted suicide, another family member needed surgery, but this past weekend, some quite amazing things happened. Thursday, I was online, when one of my closer friends IMed me. Now, before I go any further, I'm going to go backward, and explain a few things. Years ago, I had two twins. I am the youngest in a set of triplets. The other two...