Category: Inspiration

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Inspiration

The Great Paper Airplane Project

Inspired by the enthusiasm of the kids that participated in The Great Paper Airplane Fly-Off, the PIMA Air & Space Museum in Tucson, AZ constructed and launched a 45-foot long paper airplane.

After it was lifted off the ground by its nose, our giant paper airplane rose and rose until it began swaying pretty heavily in the wind (a product of our having to delay the launch until the evening instead the calmer morning). Aaron, our helicopter pilot then gave the order to cut the plane loose from the cable when it began to pull the chopper itself in a strong gust. But after it was released, for several shining moments, our huge, beautiful, silly, hubristic 45-foot paper airplane soared.

via Laughing Squid

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Inspiration

The Most Astounding Fact

Max Schlickenmeyer has put together a beautiful and inspiring video mashup that reminds us that we are all interconnected.

In 2008 Astrophysicist Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson was asked by TIME magazine a series of ten reader-submitted questions. One of the questions was “What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?”

So that when I look up at the night sky and I know that yes we are part of this universe, we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts is that the Universe is in us.

Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson

As Carl Sagan said, “We’re made of star stuff“.

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Inspiration

Mr. Happy Man

Matt Morris Films brings us this wonderful short documentary about 88-year-old Bermudian Johnny Barnes who gets up at 2am each weekday so he can spend 6 hours each morning waving and spreading joy to motorists from a traffic circle. Johnny has gotten the nicknames “Mr. Happy Man” and “Mr. Good Morning” from those in the community where he’s obviously had a great and positive impact.

There was a morning when I was traveling into the city. It was not a happy morning and I could see in the distance Johnny Barnes and I had made up my mind I was not going to look because I wanted to hold on to my unhappy moment. But I ended up looking at him and sure enough he forced me to smile and remember that I had a choice for my day: to smile and be happy or carry this heavy weight of anger with me. That’s what he reminds me of everyday; that there’s a choice in how we start our day.

Thanks to Matt Morris and everyone involved in this project for sharing Johnny with the world. And thanks to Johnny for reminding us all that we too have a choice in how we want to face our day, each and every day.

via Laughing Squid