Inspiring video wpegg!

RULES UPDATE: There haven't been many entries. I'm opening this up to non-original content. So people don't have to create their own stuff. It's nicer if people do... you know from their heart to ours and all that. But it's not easy I see. So be free to garner what you will from the world wide web!



The following video from TED Talks moves me. William Kamkwamba was 14 years old. Severe drought was killing his people. He had to drop out of school but still had access to a library. But he couldn't read english. So he looked at diagrams and taught himself how to build a windmill. This windmill eventually pumped water to irrigate his communities crops.

If you watch this video... this is Williams first time away from his village and his first exposure inside a modern society. There is power in his humility. And he says something very important which I think is powerful lesson to all...

"I went to library and I read a book (...?) using energy and I get information about doing the mill. And I try and I made it!"

http://www.ted.com/talks/william_kamkwamba_on_building_a_windmill.html

As someone with a disability, it's not really easy for me to interacting with people. It's very challenging, especially when I'm in cosplay community and I have to frequent the gatherings and cons. When I look at the community that I used to be in, I realized that it is better for me to evolve and explore other avenues so I can gain more experiences that will be always precious to me.

I would rather explore and exhaust all of the avenues than just run 'what ifs' scenarios for my whole life. I never know if my time is up soon so it's better for me to try everything at once so I can say that I have tried it.

For example, I tried out karate. Got black belt in it. Tried out Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Has year of experience in it. Racing? Check. Going out of town just because of hell of it? Check. Hitting up film festival? Check. Play Starcraft tournament? Done that at con. Tell many girls that they are beautiful? Check. Help out those in need? Check. Making out with couple of gorgeous girls in one go? Check. Yes!

So yeah, I like to try many different things as possible because I don't want to stagnant.

So I do my best to stay positive and focus on what new stuff that I want to try. Sure, I may get bit depressing every now and then but there's always adventures that are awaiting me and I am genuinely excited about hitting those up.

I don't let my disability hold me back because I do not want to be define by my disability. I want to be define by me and my actions only.

All this within 2 years after my ex brutally dumped me. So yeah, I have learn how to be mentally positive whole time and explore various avenues. It's better to try everything so I can have good memories of it, no matter what. :D

That`s fricking beautiful. You live in a very beautiful country (wouldn't be surprised if it were beautifully expensive too) and you should live in your summer cabin all year long.

I think you should pick one of the original entries, even if there aren't many. Take my entry into account only if many people post unoriginal things, if not, I'd feel too unfair. But I like the idea of sharing positive things, so here's a very uplifting song (with the translation) I discovered a while ago -Celia Cruz - La vida es un carnaval. If you don't like salsa, turn the music off and just read the subs.

Two very dear quotes of mine

"If you confront the universe with good intent in your heart, it will reflect that and reward your intent. Usually. It just doesn't always do it in the way you expect it." (from Babylon 5)

(a sidenote by me, usually the worst things that happen to you end up being the most useful things that happened to you. usually. it just doesn't become apparent until a lot of time has passed.)

"Don't miss the greater happiness by being misled by minor sufferings" (from Xenogears)

and 2 quotes that most people know but are too cool not to be mentioned

"It's the heart afraid of dying, that never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking, that never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken, who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying, that never learns to live."

or in different words

"To laugh is to risk appearing the fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental,
To reach out for another is to risk involvement,
To expose feelings is to risk exposing true self,
To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss,
To love is to risk not being loved in return,
To live is to risk dying,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk failure,
But risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave, he has forfeited freedom.
Only a person who risks - is free."

loved your poem. i think it's pretty much every woman's dream to get a poem from her bf/husband. especially if it's an original one. proposing with that is...almost surreal :) nice to know such guys exist :)

edit: almost forgot, another uplifting song - Nina Simone - Ain't Got No...I've Got Life

How about cute fuzzy ducklings?

Didn't know about this until today. Congratulation, good sir! :-D

Here's a link to a collection of mostly optimistic and always from the heart poetry: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/17024 and with the coupon code SSWSF at checkout it is free. If you enjoy it you're encouraged to buy the original collection linked on the same page, Visions of a Schizophrenic for a modest $1.16 USD with coupon code SSW25

Either way get the free book. If you like it the coupon for the free book is good until 7/31/11, so feel free to spread the word.

I don't want the GOG for my prize (If i win), but if you enjoy my poems please if you have some extra change buy a copy of Visions and support a homebrew artist. I'm a self taught poet and while my style isn't compatible with everyone, every poem was written from the heart.

Also, the free book includes some poems not in Visions to compensate for the smaller word count.
-Cym

I wonder had we a contest for best insult if the results would have been better lol!?!

I'm very surprised to have had so few entries. I leave it to the participants to vote on the winner. Have hope that post-contest we might find new contributions.

I agree. It is disappointing.

+1 for HomerSimpson.

I'm trying to get something written up-- maybe a poem or small piece of prose fiction. I'm not very good at writing either (I'm especially bad at poetry), and I don't know if I'll actually get the positivity your aiming for, but I figure I'll try it out. If it's bad, well, at least I tried. Right?

Anyways, I'll try it out tomorrow when I have more time.

The contest is already closed right? I did not participate 'cause I do not have something original to post. Now that the contest is over, let me share this song that I really like and feel touched every time I listen to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS8tq6uVZ4M

This is something that I hope, really hope that one day, many years from now, I will have a chance to listen to it during my beloved daughter's wedding.

Oh, and my vote goes to CymTyr. I know he does not want any GOG but I still vote for him.

Bump. Anyone else care to vote? I'll wait another 24 hours
then select the winner based on your votes.



All of life is a journey; which paths we take, what we look back on, and what we look forward to is up to us. We determine our destination, what kind of road we will take to get there, and how happy we are when we get there. ~ unknown author

Only two votes have been cast (for CymTyr and HomerSimpson). CymTyr wanted to particpate but not be eligible for a prize. So HomerSimpson it is! Congrats! I'll PM the winner the good news.

Thanks to all who participated. Special congrats to Stoic and his future wife! Thanks for sharing! And kudos to all who've overcome challenge. Thanks everyone for participating. Good luck in all your endeavors. May you spread joy to those around you while experiencing some yourself.

LOL, so, the winner had 1 vote? And most of the rest of us had zero?

Somehow that sort of amuses me. Perhaps next time when fewer than 5 people vote the rules ought to be changed for a random draw.