One of the messages that I want to get better about conveying to my students is that of being an everyday hero.  It seems that we spend a lot of time these days trying to inspire children to “change the world for the better.”  But we forget to mention that you don’t have to do this in a dramatic fashion that becomes headline news.

Yesterday’s post on Kid President’s new television show featured a quote from Kevin Costner that speaks to the heroes we often miss – the ones who quietly live their lives making selfless choices every day. One of the videos that I’ve mentioned several times on this blog, which features Mark Bezos, is another video that I like that reminds us that small actions can make a huge impact.

Recently, I found “The King of the Island” on the Kuriositas blog, and was charmed by the short animation’s special way of portraying a father who is a hero.  When a young boy’s father disappears at sea, and he cannot remember him, he conjures up his own version of the man he lost.  But when the man returns, the boy is disappointed that his father does not live up to the superhero he pictured. However, the son slowly learns that the real man is far better than his imagined version.

I saw this quote from Josh Whedon yesterday on Mental Floss, and I think it’s applicable, “You are going to change the world, because that is actually what the world is. You do not pass through this life, it passes through you. You experience it, you interpret it, you act, and then it is different. That happens constantly. You are changing the world. You always have been.”

We are all changing the world with every choice we make.  Whether we change it for the better or not depends on our many small actions each and every day.

For more Inspirational Videos for Students, check out my Pinterest Board here.