The days have often seemed dark to me of late. But one bright moment I have to look forward to each week is Brad Montague’s newsletter, “The Enthusiast.” For those of you who don’t know, Brad was one of the brilliant minds behind the successful “Kid President” series, and continues to spread creative happiness with all manner of artistic projects, including the publication of his brilliant picture book, The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination.
Goodness is Not Powerless
The most recent edition of Brad’s newsletter had the above title, with the subheading, “How to change the world without being a billionaire.” So much of this issue resonated with me, particularly these sentences, “I’ve been feeling my messages of compassion being challenged on all sides. The world feels like it’s being bought and sold, and only the loudest voices in the room are heard.”
Exactly.
Ordinary People Make the Real, Lasting Difference
Brad continues by reflecting on the acts of kindness and service performed by millions of people every day, the ones who don’t have fame or wealth or power that we fear. It’s important to remember that these consistently selfless humans are the ones who understand that we can work collectively to make this a better world. As was once said in a Kid President television episode, “If you want to be awesome, treat people awesome.”
How Can We Remind Our Children To Be Awesome?
As a teacher of gifted students, I was often confronted by children and parents who had extremely high expectations and were crushed if they didn’t reach them. High expectations are good, but pinning everything on making a name for yourself or making money is bound to leave you unhappy and unfulfilled. As adults, we can be mindful of this and make is a point to emphasize the people who are helping others rather than the “stars” who demonstrate their only goals are to help themselves. There is no better video to relate this simple message than the animated video I recommended years ago, “The King of the Island.” I adore the way this 16 minute video portrays the perspective of a young boy whose father was thought to be lost at sea. He is crushed when his father returns and is not the man the boy idealized and imagined for so long. But slowly, the son realizes this quiet, kind man is an even better person than he dreamed.
More Inspirational Videos
If you read my post on “The King Of the Island,” you’ll see some links to other videos that support this theme of being an everyday hero. This post also includes some of my all-time favorites. And, there’s always my Pinterest Board of Inspirational Videos for Students.
One More Thought on Heroism
Helen Keller may be considered a hero by many because of her triumph over her physical challenges, but even she recognized that this was not her true legacy. “I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.”
