Pala-isip

In the face of the struggle for Philippine independence, Dr. Jose P. Rizal believed that the future of the country lies in its youth. But if he were alive today, witnessing the struggles of our children, would he still have the same conviction? In a town where a childrens beauty pageant was recently held, several girls were willing to sacrifice health and safety to win the crown. In the mountains of Montalban, Rizal, minors carry the weight of poverty upon their backs. There are more than two million cases of child labor in the Philippines today. The country, still struggling with poverty, is still a long way off to ending child labor. However, all is not lost. The perseverance of non government agencies like Dynamic Teen Company to uplift the condition of Filipino children has produced positive results. Cris, for example, used to be a scavenger. The cart he once used to carry waste materials is now loaded with blackboards, chalks, and books. At a young age, he teaches his fellow s...

A homeless 13-year-old Filipino won a very prestigious award for his commitment to improving the lives of fellow street kids. Cris "Kesz" Valdez, who lived off a trash dump and slept in an open tomb for the majority of his childhood, was awarded last year's International Children's Peace Prize in The Hague on September 19, receiving $130,000 in prize money. At the age of seven, Kesz Valdez founded "Championing Community Children," a charity that raises funds to hand out necessities to street kids in Cavite City. The Championing Community Children has handed out more than 5,000 gifts, including sandals, clothes, candy and toys, to poor children living in the slums around Manila. Kesz's message to the children of the world; "Our health is our wealth! Being healthy will enable you to play, to think clearly, to get up and go to school and love the people around you in so many ways. To everyone in the world, please remember that every day, 6,000 chil...

These 10 moments just might restore your faith in our species.

Touching video by Liberty Mutual.

The 2012 Sports Illustrated Kids SportsKids of the Year, brothers Conner and Cayden Long, were honored at a star-studded event in New York City last night. The Long brothers were part of the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year ceremony that recognized Miami Heat star LeBron James. Celebrities such as Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski were also in attendance, and everyone there was impressed by Conner's and Cayden's accomplishments. Cayden, suffers from cerebral palsy, but Conner doesn't let that stop him from playing sports with his brother. The two compete in triathlons together, with Conner towing Cayden behind in a raft during the swimming leg, towing him behind his bike during the cycling portion, and pushing him during the run. Triathlons have been a great way for the brothers to come together and have made them an inspiration to everyone that hears their story. After hearing their story at the Sportsman ceremony, Coach K said that Conner and Cay...

I read of a man who stood to speak At the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on her tombstone From the beginning...to the end. He noted that first came her date of birth And spoke the following date with tears, But he said what mattered most of all Was the dash between those years. (1934 - 1998) For that dash represents all the time That she spent alive on earth... And how only those who loved her Know what that little line is worth. For it matters not, how much we own; The cars...the house...the cash, What matters is how we live and love And how we spend our dash. So think about this long and hard... Are there things you'd like to change? For you never know how much time is left, That can still be rearranged. If we could just slow down enough To consider what's true and real, And always try to understand The way other people feel. And be less quick to anger, And show appreciation more And love the people in our lives Like we've n...

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation...you are ahead of 500 million people in the world. If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the world. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace...you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. If your parents are still alive and still married...you are very rare, even in the United States. If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful...you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not. If you ca...

This is really inspirational. Imagine if a dog can do this, how much more can you do?

For those people who complain life is hard, nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.

Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) This is an inspirational speech by Laz Buhrmann to a graduating class of 97.

Christoph Rehage decided to walk from Beijing to Germany. That's right, you heard me. Walk. No planes, trains or automobiles. He hasn't made it to Germany, he stopped at Urumqi and went back home. He may try to continue is journey later. But walking from Beijing to Urumqi is still quite an achievement. Here's a video of him. The Longest Way 1.0 - one year walk/beard grow time lapse from Christoph Rehage on Vimeo . If you are inspired by what he did, find out more from his website http://www.thelongestway.com/ For a map of his journey, go to http://www.thelongredline.com/map.htm

I love inspirational stories like these. Here's Jason McElwain who was born with austism finally got to play on the last game of the season. Don't judge a book by its cover as they say.

A deaf girl learns to play the violin.

An inspiring story. If you feel like giving up, don't. Keep trying and you will get there.