A few years ago I used to post inspirational and uplifting videos once in a while here on the site.
Today I’d like to post 7 of my own favorites from then and more recent times. Maybe you have seen a few of them before, but I hadn’t in quite a while so if was good to revisit them.
I hope you’ll find something here to lift your day and inspire you.
Note: If you are reading this via email or RSS then the embedded videos might not show up. Click here to watch them.
1. Tony Robbins at TEDtalk
22 short minutes of a, as usual, pumped up and enthusiastic Tony Robbins. In the video he talks about the six human needs while having a bit of fun with Al Gore who’s in the audience.
[googlevideo]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5625548517080716077[/googlevideo]
2. Team Hoyt
Team Hoyt, father and son from Massachusetts, has competed in 66 marathons, in 229 triathlons, climbed mountains and trekked across America.
One really inspiring story.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wS9NyMl_k8[/youtube]
3. Matt does happy dance across the world
In 2003 Matt Harding started traveling around the world. Some months into the trip he got the idea to dance in every country and record it on camera. In 2005 he got sponsorship from a chewing gum manufacturer and went on another trip through 39 countries.
This awesomely uplifting video with Matt happy-dancing across the globe is the compiled result. You can’t help but smiling while watching it.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNF_P281Uu4[/youtube]
Bonus: More recently Matt did another trip and now he got people to dance with him. 
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY[/youtube]
4. Steve Jobs – Stanford commencement speech
Perhaps the most watched and popular video on this list. It’s a moving and inspiring commencement speech that Steve Jobs gave to the graduating students of Stanford University in 2005.
He spends his 14 and a half minutes at the podium talking about his own experience in school, about being fired from Apple and about life and death.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA[/youtube]
5. Why you are supposed to sing or dance while your music is being played
A quick 2 minutes and 21 seconds of goodness. A short South Park-like video put together with a recording of philosopher Alan Watts.
In the video he makes a great point about life. Something to keep in mind so you don’t wind up bitter and feeling like life is just empty and pointless. Or get stuck in always wanting to get to the future.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERbvKrH-GC4[/youtube]
6. Look me in the eyes – Michael Jordan & Nike
Many of the Nike commercials that Michael Jordan have done together with Nike are really inspiring short films. Here is one of my personal favorites.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BirIEDYrw0Y[/youtube]
7. Trust me on the sunscreen
Back in 1999 director Baz Luhrman (the guy that made Moulin Rouge and the Claire Danes-version of Romeo & Juliet) made a popular spoken word-song called Everybody’s free (to wear sunscreen).
They played it over and over on the radio and on MTV for what must have been months. I even bought and still have the now dust-covered single somewhere in my bookcase. It’s still kinda awesome in it’s own insightful way.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI[/youtube]
What is your favorite inspirational and uplifting video?
If you enjoyed this article, please share it on Stumbleupon and Twitter. Thank you very much! =)
| |TweetIf you enjoyed this article, then get email updates (it's free)
Join over 55,138 awesome subscribers today and get practical advice in your inbox.
I’m Henrik Edberg and I live on the west coast of Sweden.
{ 23 comments }
Two nights ago, I watched “We Are Marshall” for the third time. One of the most inspirational stories I’ve ever heard.
Hi,
Which one is We are Marshall? Didn’t see that one there.
Thanks,
Nancy
LOVE IT!!
You missed one of my favorites – Randy Pausch (spelling???) “Last Lecture”
YouTube has grown to be quite a large collection of video vignettes. The hard part is finding meaningful content such as on the topic of inspirational and positive messages. Thanks for sharing your favorites. My favorite is the “Dancing Matt” video – one can’t help but to crack a smile when watching him dancing around the world!
It is good idea to watch these useful videos again and again
Two of my all-time-favorites:
Eckhart Tolle on Drama vs. the Now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmUiQHti9VE
Eckhart Tolle on Suffering
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HyZNKH54Ms
Great collection of inspiring videos!
For me, Benjamin Zanders Talk at TED on music and passion (http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html) is also definitely worth viewing.
This whole link did not come through…would you mind sending it to me?
Thanks!
Great selection of videos!
Tony Robbins talk is brilliant. The audience wasn’t totally behind him at the beginning, but he wins them around. The guy is an amazing public speaker.
The South Park guys (Matt Parker and Trey Stone) did make the Alan Watts clip. One of their dads was a huge fan of Watts and so he listened to him a lot growing up.
Tony Robbins and Steve Jobs video’s I think defantly show how following your heart can bring fufilment in your life.
Two video’s that I will defantly be watching in the future if I ever have a lack of passion for something in my life.
Great Henrik , spicing our blog alot
im definitely adding those videos to my list and indeed “the last lecture” should be included with it
thax for sharing
Great selection!
For me, one more missing – Inches speech by Al Pacino (Any Given Sunday movie).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO4tIrjBDkk
Great videos. Much appreciated!
Thank you so much!
Awesome!
Jen
Great stuff. I want to add a music video aswell. Especially the lyrics are awesome and true http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPKQKX5JWqY
Nice videos..
Does anyone knows a Winter Olympic advertisement.. but i forgot what year it was.. but basically the words uses animal strength and tell us all this useless if we dont have strong heart (will, determination etc)..
One of the most uplifting song’s and video’s i’ve came across recently was a song by michael jackson called keep the faith. Everytime i listin to it i instantly am filled with joy, happiness and etc.
Great post as well. I’ve seen a few of those videos already. The michael Jordan one was amazing
Thank you for adding all those favorite videos, I haven’t had the time time to look through them all yet. But I like the Tolle videos and the Pacino speech.
Sunscreen is timeless, never gets old.
I gathered my top-5 in a blog post called “Five Videos That Changed My Life” (http://www.howtolivewow.com/2009/08/31/five-videos-that-changed-my-life/). Great to see we have a match, both having Tony Robbins’ talk in our lists. Also checked out the Eckhart Tolle videos… I can’t help imagining him being from another planet, just being undercover here
Hi, thanks for the great videos. Here is another good one that is not one your list. It was a YouTube Video of the Year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4
{ 3 trackbacks }