Stories By Value

Use the menu below to find stories that are about a particular value.

Achievement Ambition Appreciation Believe Believe In Yourself Caring Character Charity Class And Grace Commitment Common Ground Compassion Compliments Compromise Confidence Courage Courtesy Dedication Determination Devotion Do Your Part Drive Education Encouragement Equality Excellence Foresight Forgiveness Friendship Generosity Giving Back Good Manners Gratitude Hard Work Helping Others Honesty Honor Hope Humility Including Others Ingenuity Innovation Inspiration Integrity Justice Kindness Laughter Leadership Learning Listening Live Life Live Your Dreams Love Loyalty Making A Difference Mentoring Motivation Opportunity Optimism Overcoming Passion Patience Peace Perseverance Persistence Practice Preparation Purpose Reaching Out Respect Responsibility Right Choices Rising Above Sacrifice Sharing Smile Soul Sportsmanship Spread Your Wings Stewardship Strength Teaching By Example Team Work True Beauty Trust Unity Vision Volunteering

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Stories were sent to us in different formats—Audio, video and written. If you’d like to view stories for any of these formats, use the links below.

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Your Inspirational Stories

These stories were written by people like you. Read how their lives were changed for the better by adopting positive values. Be inspired by them.

Breathless

Hi, my name is Morgan-Paige. I am 16 years old. I'm a classical pianist and a budding pop artist. My music video 'Breathless' reflects my experiences of being bullied all through public school until I begged to be home schooled. I faced isolation, verbal abuse and physical abuse. I even felt isolated by some of my teachers because it was cooler for them to follow the popular kids. I felt alone and depressed to the point where I'd rather die than to continue living in such depression. At my lowest moment my family realized that something was going on and with support and love, they were able to pull me up and out to a place where I began to love myself again and discover myself worth. I cannot over emphasize the importance of having a strong family support. My hope for this song is that all those who have been bullied or are suffering with depression, can somehow find the beauty in themselves and reclaim their self worth; to not lose their breath, but to hold on and never give up.

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A Better Life

Since making this video, I became editor in chief of my high school yearbook which won first place in the state and went on to earn a four year supplemental scholarship to college. It is all thanks to the amazing support I had from family, friends, teachers, and school counselors. I couldn't have done it alone.

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Random Acts of Flower

Random Acts of Flowers blossomed in 2008 after a near-fatal accident. Founder Larsen Jay felt the ladder he was standing on give way during a roof repair. His story and a half fall left him hospitalized and wheelchair bound for months. During his recovery friends and family showered Jay with flowers and filled his hospital room. Overwhelmed by their generosity and encouragement, Jay made it his mission to pass on those gifts to other patients in much worse shape on his floor who hadn't had any visitors. His personal deliveries served as the inspiration for the charity. In a little more than three years’ time, Random Acts of Flowers’ volunteers now make bi-weekly deliveries to patients across Knoxville, TN and the surrounding community. Partners include seven hospitals, over thirty nursing homes/assisted living facilities and four hospice care centers in the East Tennessee area.

“As people make their New Year’s resolutions, I think it’s important to focus on what we can all do for others. I’m constantly amazed how we turn flowers left over from weddings, memorials and other special events into smiles by recycling flowers for patients in need. Every week we see first-hand the power of this simple gesture of kindness. And I know we’ve positively affected that person’s life, if only for a moment.” – Larsen Jay, Founder/Executive Director

Random Acts of Flowers is a Knoxville, TN based 501(c)(3) non-profit charity whose volunteers collect flowers from weddings, memorial services, florists, special events, grocery stores and churches – to recycle and re-purpose them into beautiful bouquets for delivery to patients in area hospitals, nursing homes and hospice care centers. The charitable service of Random Acts of Flowers supports mental health, spreads joy, and offers comfort through random, thoughtful, botanical deliveries.

Random Acts of Flowers celebrated its 10,000th delivery this month in addition to recycling over 14,000 vases. This not only marks major milestones, but also launches a year of strategic planning to expand Random Acts of Flowers into other cities around the country.

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Rachel

http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-opinion/6594902/an-unforgettable-night-unforgettable-girl

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My daughter, Rachel, was elected Homecoming Queen for school year 2010-2011. I believe her fellow students were inspired by your True Beauty video, as well as other positive examples such as the Glee character Becky who is a cheerleader with Down-syndrome. I've included links to both the ESPN story (that also contains a great video shot from the stadium stands) as well as the link to the CBS News Story that was submitted by the reporter for Emmy consideration.
http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-opinion/6594902/an-unforgettable-night-unforgettable-girl

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What About Love?

For a class called Lifeplan, we were assigned to make a PSA for one of 5 of our class's chosen values. We chose love.

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Overcoming Obstacles

My name is Richard Gaskin. In the 1980’s, I was an aspiring Disc Jockey. After sending tapes of my work, I was invited to a New York radio station called the DNA Hank Love Radio Show. In just one year from 1986 to 1987, I mixed at the station, DJ at Latin Quarters and spread tapes of my work to all who requested them. Then jealousy grew within those who I called friends and the one closest to me gave his gun to a boy to shoot me. I was instantly paralyzed from a bullet in my neck. As the years went by I experienced obstacles, felt unattractive, was embarrassed and afraid. In 2004, with the help of family and friends, we filmed my life as a quadriplegic and made a video called A City Called Heaven. While half way into production, my hero who inspired me to open up passed away. I never met him, but his name and fame reached the lives of paralyzed people everywhere. Christopher Superman Reeve. I watched the news and heard he passed and after a long stare at the ceiling with random thoughts, I wrote a song called Forever Superman. My cousin Jahid who takes care of me with my mother, filmed me doing the song in my kitchen and I edited it. I sent the video to his foundation and uploaded it to a forum. His friend, Dr. Wise Young, provides help to others paralyzed. They saw it and invited me to Washington DC to perform at a rally for the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act. Since that time, I have sit at conferences along side Senator Ted Kennedy, was invited to perform with Dr Wise Young in Hong Kong, met many famous supporters and found that I had a purpose in life. I then took all the video footage and made 30 minute shows that my local television station allowed me to share to bring awareness. I was interviewed and became known within CNN iReport for my stories and situations. My financial savings that I use to help bring awareness and help others paralyzed was becoming low. My family then helped me start a nonprofit so that we can continue working together towards delivering information to others paralyzed, create video shows they can show their talents, provide them with things they need to adapt to their different abilities, provide entertainment and give them something to help distract them from suicide. I thought this cause would bring in funding but the economy wasn’t friendly. We received a grant from the Reeve Foundation in 2009 but since then we felt the economy’s wrath and no longer had money. But I continued to stretch what was left to help a pregnant young lady born with Spinal Biffida with her needs and dreams, as well as try to keep the organization together. In my situation to work and live everyday, it’s a constant hospital-like situation. Needing a close-knit family is how my life turns but once there was no longer any income to perform purpose duties, everyone had to go their separate ways and work. Now I’m doing as much as sitting in my room and only leaving for doctor appointments and groceries. This is the situation where I wanted to save others from, being stuck inside, feeling the walls closing in, your mind undistracted only to see violence, sex and war on television leads to depression and suicidal thinking. I’m hoping my story can find the money I need to revise my work and get a television network dedicated to people like me who can finally relate to something that can save their lives. I just lost a friend to suicide because she no longer wanted this way of life. I’m hoping to bring those who understand my care back in my life and together we work as a unit.

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The Power of Small Talk

30 seconds of small talk can save your life. The remarkable story of Sandy Andersen and Annamarie Ausnes, a Starbucks barista and a regular customer who became forever linked through the power of small talk and the ultimate act of generosity.

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Feed The Hungry

I am a member of Mountain View Christian Center in Burley, Idaho. Starting last year we began to have food giveaways starting out with a donation to us of hundreds of fresh fish. This turned into a weekly thing growing to thousands of fish and continues still today with all kinds of food not just fish. One might say that being knee deep in fish sounds terrible but when your knee deep in fish that are feeding thousands, it's wonderful. I never knew how much fun it could be feeding the hungry.

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Ten Thousand Miles of Love

My daughter recently raised funds in effort to join a team headed to rural Kenya. There is an orphanage/school there called Tumaini Miles of Smiles. Psalm 72:12-14 is posted on their website and I discovered it as I went searching for information on what my daughter was up to. Seeing the pictures and reading that Psalm, touched my soul. Those who will do what it takes to go Ten Thousand Miles to touch the faces of those who receive so little touch, care, and worth. In response to understanding that my daughter would be one of those hearing the call caused me to write a song from that Psalm. I then took her pictures and made a video hoping that others will follow.

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The Dream Machine

We are five young Irish dreamers driving around the U.S.A and asking everyone we meet one question. "What is your dream?" Lets make reaching our dreams the norm and not the exception.
Dream it. Believe it. Do it!
This is the first installment of The Dream Machine! Watch our adventure in real time over the next six weeks and follow us! Meet us when we come to your town and tell the world your dream!

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Treasure Hunters

Every child is a treasure....every child is capable of success - without exceptions! In order for our kids to believe in themselves and become Kids at Hope, they need us, adults, all adults to be Treasure Hunters - searching for, seeking, a relentlesss pursuit of all the skills, passions, talents that exist in all children! Kids at Hope say "I believe in me because you first believed in me!" This is the story of the South Kitsap School District and entire community - success for all takes us all...all kids...all treasure hunters!

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Who Said It Couldn't Be Done?

One woman’s journey ~ involving poverty,incest,drug addiction, and incarceration ~ to Sobriety, spiritual redemption and inner peace.
“Deep insecurity and inferiority, drug addiction
and role confusion tormented me for many years.
Often I wondered if I were a boy or a girl; if I
were human or an animal.
Who am I? What am I? Why am I? In spite of all these obstacles, Denise grabbed hold to a seed of hope.

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African Wild Child Returns Home

In 2003 Tekola Gizaw was born in a small rural village in the Sidamo region of southern Ethiopia. His biological parents died when he was just 3 years old and he was adopted by Carol and Steve from Denver, Colorado. Living in America has provided Tekola with many opportunities that he would not have had in Ethiopia. He brings this perspective into everything he does and does not take anything for granted. Watch as Tekola returns to his native Ethiopia and remembers what it is like to live in one of the most rural parts of the world.

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The Bracelet

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A United World Social Network

A United World is the global social network comprised of people and organizations all collaborating together to help create a better world. This social network appeals to 100% of the people, so if it doesn't completely appeal to you, then do not be part of it. See old website.

This collaborative does not discuss issues, as any issue discussed will not appeal to 100% of people. We are a collective group of volunteers that are mentoring online to help others achieve their goals. Everything involved in this social network is FREE. It's about "People Helping People".
"Learning your purpose is your energy source to promote kindness and pass your love forward"

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My Name is Misty Blue

Inspirational story about Misty Blue Foster's life, from being born with a major birth defects, to losing her mother at a young age, and growing up in foster care, to adulthood, getting married and her life in the nursing field.

“You can’t always control what you are given in life,
but you can control what you do with it,”
- Misty Blue Foster 2009

"My Name is Misty Blue" - The Misty Blue Foster Story

Part 1 of 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abA1ZPK03vc

Part 2 of 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoLuht4QbzI

Part 3 of 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLEjPHghp5Q

Part 4 of 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Srmr75syEXU

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12 Hours With Isaiah Wilson

My adopted son who was only given 12 hours to live when I got him. He lived 16 months and 26 days by the grace of God. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but I wouldn't change it for anything. In memory of Isaiah Wilson.

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Taking Revenge to a Whole New Level

In April of 2008, my home was burglarized. I knew that my next door neighbors had been behind the burglary, but the police wouldn't do anything. When I realized that I was going to have to do something, I joined our Block Watch, becoming the President in months. I joined and became the VP of the Laveen Citizens for Responsible Development. I became the Civilian Coordinator for the Phoenix Neighborhood Patrol and the Secretary for the Phoenix Block Watch Advisory Board. I took revenge to a whole new level and now I serve the community. The neighbors moved out.

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Forever Young

Everyday we get caught up in all the things that life throws at us. After a hard day of work, I picked my daughter up from daycare and I was feeling pretty bad about how things were going.It was a really bad day where nothing seemed to go right. Picking her up was the best part of my day, so I made this video. Every time I look at her it makes me want to work hard to be her hero and every time she tells me she loves me, I know I am.

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Our Ability

Our Ability was founded by John Robinson, a congenital amputee. His goal in starting Our Ability was to create a web portal for young people to mentor, view, listen to, read and interact with successful People with Disabilities in the education and business world. When John was a young person he had no role model to look towards for his path to success. He attended Syracuse University aspiring to be a broadcaster like Bob Costas, not creating or running a business. Robinson sees this web portal as a means for giving young People with Disabilities the opportunity to make connections with the leaders of today and tomorrow, something that was not available to him. Young people today look to the internet and video stories to formulate their opinion. Our Ability will provide great success stories about People with Disabilities forging a new path in the business world. At its core, Our Ability is a story telling community on the web.

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