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Going Silent For 17 Years

Posted: 4 03 2010 8:47:00 CET

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The story
For almost three decades, John Francis has been a planetwalker, traveling the globe by foot and sail with a message of environmental respect and responsibility. For 17 of those years without speaking.

Why this story inspired me
It shows what the actions of one man can lead to if he chooses to follow his instincts. Not knowing where his journey will take him but being interested in the journey.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people become aware of their own potential to really make a difference.

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Je Bent Mooi

Posted: 12 02 2010 15:36:00 CET

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The story
In november 2009 I gave a presentation about creativity at the Kansdenkdag event in Maarssen (Holland). At the end of the presentation I gave the audience an assignment in which I asked them to place stickers with (personal) inspiring quotes on objects in the place where they live. Then I asked them to make a picture of the result and mail those pictures to me. I promised I would let these pictures inspire me to make a new creation. Since the quote ‘Je bent mooi’ (which is Dutch for ‘You are beautiful’) turned up in several of the received pictures, I decided to use that line to write a song. After that I asked a friend of mine to help me record it by playing piano as I would sing it and play guitar.

Since I wanted to put ‘embrace your mistakes’ into practice, we only played the song 3 times together and picked recording number 2 to be the final version. And yes, there are mistakes in it. But that’s also what the song is about. Everything and everyone being beautiful in their own way. The video was shot in Amsterdam and Tilburg. Another friend of mine helped me out shooting it. Meeting all the people in the video was a great experience. Should you want to understand the lyrics of the song then you can read the translation at the bottom of this post.

Why this story inspired me
Simply filming random people that you meet as you wander through a town shows that the lyrics are right: You are beautiful. All people are.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people will start to focus on the beauty that’s everywhere around them instead of comparing themselves or others with the models on TV, billboards and in magazines.

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Still Bill

Posted: 31 01 2010 12:51:00 CET

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The story
Still Bill is an intimate portrait of soul legend Bill Withers, best known for his classics “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean On Me,” “Lovely Day,” “Grandma’s Hands,” and “Just the Two of Us.” With his soulful delivery and warm, heartfelt sincerity, Withers has written the songs that have - and always will - resonate deeply within the fabric of our times.

Why this story inspired me
The trailer shows that Bill Withers’ main strength is to not become distracted by what other people want. He’s not looking for people to like him, he’s not looking for more money, he’s looking for ways to know how it feels for his “desperation to get louder”.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people will find the strength to do whatever it is that they want to do. This means: being true to yourself.

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Seth Godin - Stay Curious

Posted: 25 01 2010 13:30:00 CET

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The story
Seth Godin shares his view on the importance of staying curious. A lot of people stop being curious because the schoolsystems are not focused on keeping people curious. The opposite seems to be more true. But if you are able to persist your curiosity will become an easy habit that can help a lot of people.

Why this story inspired me
A lot of insights that I believe are true are shared in this conversation with Seth. It’s hard to stay curious when the world around you seems to keep telling you to go with ‘certainty’ instead of living a ‘risky’ life. But I believe that, in the end, a risky life is what living is about. It’s about exploring. It’s not about knowing what the future will be like. It’s knowing that you don’t know what’s ahead of you and looking forward to what’s going to come. Whatever that may be.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that people who have chosen to be curious will get extra strength from this story and continue to focus on what it is that they want to discover. Stay curious.

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Seth Godin - Stay Curious

Posted: 25 01 2010 13:30:00 CET

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The story
Seth Godin shares his view on the importance of staying curious. A lot of people stop being curious because the schoolsystems are not focused on keeping people curious. But if you are able to persist your curiosity will become an easy habit that can help a lot of people.

Why this story inspired me
A lot of insights that I believe are true are shared in this conversation with Seth. It’s hard to stay curious when the world around you seems to keep telling you to go with ‘certainty’ instead of living a ‘risky’ life. But I believe that, in the end, a risky life is what living is about. It’s about exploring. It’s not about knowing what the future will be like. It’s knowing that you don’t know what’s ahead of you and looking forward to what’s going to come. Whatever that may be.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that people who have chosen to be curious will get extra strength from this story and continue to focus on what it is that they want to discover. Stay curious.

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How To Live To Be 100+

Posted: 11 01 2010 18:31:00 CET

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The story
To find the path to long life and health, Dan Buettner and team study the world’s “Blue Zones,” communities whose elders live with vim and vigor to record-setting age. At TEDxTC, he shares the 9 common diet and lifestyle habits that keep them spry past age 100.

Why this story inspired me
The presentation shows that having a purpose in your life and living life in a community (friends, family) are of big influence on your chances of reaching a high age while remaining healthy. It’s also a good idea to create a life in which the activities that you do demand you to move your body.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people will see the importance of creating opportunities for older people to stay active in a way that let’s them know they’re still part of society after they retire. The documentary Young At Heart is a great example of the effect that such initiatives can have.

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Homeless Mustard Sings Creep

Posted: 9 01 2010 14:37:00 CET

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The story
Homeless guy Mustard walks into a radio show where they are promoting a ‘homeless shopping spree’. During the interview it turns out that Mustard can play guitar and sing. He takes his guitar and starts playing Radiohead’s ‘Creep’.... Beautiful.

Why this story inspired me
This might be one of the best versions of ‘Creep’ that I have ever heard. The way he sings the song shows that the lyrics could be his. He owns the lyrics. Very moving.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people are able to find their unique style/voice. The guy in the clip doesn’t just play a cover of a song. He takes the song as an idea and makes it his own. That’s a big difference.

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Running Your Company On Pursuing Happiness

Posted: 29 12 2009 9:58:00 CET

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The story
Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos, gives a very inspiring presentation on ‘The Science Of Happiness’. It shows what it takes to turn your company into an inspiring place with inspiring people.

Why this story inspired me
I’m a really big fan of the Zappos story. Doing business based on core values that you commit to and that everyone in the company lives and breathes. A company like this doesn’t need to search for employees, it attracts employees through their way of working. They deliver happiness. Who doesn’t want to be part of that?

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more CEO’s will turn around their businesses into a happiness-driven organisation that all people (customers and employees) are passionate about.

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Tell Us Your Secret

Posted: 23 12 2009 16:09:00 CET

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The story
You may find the brave voices captured in this short film haunting, shocking and humorous. In some of their faces you’ll see joy, anguish and grace as they trust you with their confession.

Why this story inspired me
It’s always such a great thing to see people share their stories in front of a camera. No matter how small the story. It made me realize that the best movie there is, is the one we all are in. No casting agency can beat this selection of ‘actors’. ;-)

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people will have the guts to have a meaningful conversation with a stranger. I sometimes fail to try, but when I do try the outcome is sometimes surprising.

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Young At Heart - A Chorus Full Of Life

Posted: 20 12 2009 10:37:00 CET

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The story
A documentary on a chorus of senior citizens from Massachusetts who cover songs by Jimi Hendrix, Coldplay, Sonic Youth, and other unexpected musicians.

Why this story inspired me
It shows what happens when old people (the average age of the choir members is about 80) are willing to keep exploring new experiences together. The chorus gives them a goal (performances), friends (the chorus members) and a chance to keep an open mind (the leader of the chorus practices songs with the members that they sometimes hate at the beginning but grow to like).

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people will watch this documentary and see for themselves how great life can be for older people if they have something to do that makes them feel alive.

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Bandcamp - Now I Can Easily Sell My Own Music Online

Posted: 18 12 2009 4:42:00 CET

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The story
Bandcamp isn’t yet another place to put your music. Rather, Bandcamp powers a site that’s yours. So instead of ads for Sexy Singles Chat, your fans see your design, your music, your URL. You retain all ownership rights, and Bandcamp just hangs out in the background handling the tech stuff.

Why this story inspired me
It shows that a bunch of dedicated people were able to come up with a solution for musicians around the world to start selling music in a professional and affiordable (free!) way. They don’t charge bands that are selling small amounts and take a percentage from the sales that bands make that ARE selling a lot. Seems like a very reasonable way to do business, I’d say.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people will seize opportunities to get rid of old systems that are blocking creativity. A concept like Bandcamp proves it is possible to do this.

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I Wish All Teachers Could Be Like This

Posted: 14 12 2009 13:45:00 CET

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The story
The only conductor to ever lead the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Zander is a prophet of human potential and an unrivaled champion of joie de vivre. Watch as he helps unlock the boundless potential of a 15 year old cellist and teaches the entire audience what it means to live in a world of possibility.

Why this story inspired me
It made me realize the impact of thinking in possibilities. It also made me realize how big the influence of music on other people is if it is played from the heart.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope, just like Benjamin Zander, that all people who watch the clip will start living their lives in possibility.

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Google Goggles Makes The World More Transparent

Posted: 9 12 2009 12:48:00 CET

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The story
Google Goggles is a visual search app for Android phones. Instead of using words, take a picture of an object with your camera phone: Google Goggles attempts to recognize the object, and returns relevant search results. Goggles also provides information about businesses near you by displaying their names directly in the camera preview.

Why this story inspired me
Like other apps, for instance Layar, Google is now really starting to add all of the information on the web to real life objects. It brings the virtual and the real world together and in doing so it makes the world more transparent. Relevant information is instantly available.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more companies will realize that the only way to be successful in the future is by being open.

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Joe Dispenza On The Brain And Creating Your Day

Posted: 4 12 2009 1:14:00 CET

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The story
Joe Dispenza is interviewed on topics like the functioning of the brain and how you can influence the brain by increasing your attention span, choosing what you want in life and start creating it. Part 2 and 3 are part of the full post.

Why this story inspired me
The first time I saw Joe Dispenza was in the documentary What The Bleep Do We Know?. Last week I finished reading his book Evolve Your Brain. It’s a great book that I highly recommend. I skipped a lot of the ‘technical stuff’ regarding the brain, but the rest really helps you to start building your life the way you want it to be. To me it was funny to realize that I had already started using his theory before having read the book. Basically it’s recognizing old patterns in your life and start changing the patterns that don’t help you be who you want to be. This sounds easy but it’s not. Before being able to recognize patterns you must become aware of them. This means that you have to increase your awareness. A way to do this is meditation.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people will become aware that it’s possible to start (re)creating themselves. It takes time and effort but anyone can do it.

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Arabic Language Buddy For The iPhone

Posted: 2 12 2009 8:39:00 CET

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The story
Arabic Language Buddy by Sakhr gives English speakers a live speech translator into Arabic. Users can freely speak (or type) English sentences into their iPhone, then view and hear the Arabic translation immediately.

Why this story inspired me
An application like this makes it possible for people to communicate with other people that speak a totally different language. It connects people.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that through communication applications like these people will start to understand eachother’s views better.

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First Else - The Built From Scratch Smartphone

Posted: 30 11 2009 8:55:00 CET

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The story
What happens if you throw away all of the smartphone interfaces that you know and start building a brand new one from scratch? You might end up making a smartphone like the First Else. Though it is launching in Q2 next year, this looks like a phone from the future.

Why this story inspired me
I think it takes guts to say: Let’s start all over and see where we will end up. They worked on this phone for 2 years. This shows dedication and a need to make something special. The result is an interface that might make other phone companies reconsider their interfaces.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that the First Else will inspire other people/companies to challenge themselves to go beyond what’s already out there and really take their creations to a next level.

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Don Tapscott - Moving Into A Whole New Paradigm

Posted: 30 11 2009 5:33:00 CET

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The story
Don Tapscott says that we’re living in a time where huge changes occur. A paradigm shift is happening. The end of all institutions as we know them. A chance for ‘digital natives’ to use their new way of thinking and make this world a better place.

Why this story inspired me
The phrase “We need to reset” is a strong one. We’ve been living in a world which was based on certain patterns that left out the fact that humans are involved. Now we’re running into the results of ignoring this for way too long. By resetting all institutions, all old patterns, things can change for the better.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that people will start to recognize old patterns in their lives and start to question them. Do those patterns really help? Why are they there? Do we need them?

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Don Tapscott - Moving Into A Whole New Paradigm

Posted: 30 11 2009 5:33:00 CET

Tags: [edit]

The story
Don Tapscott says that we’re living in a time where huge changes occur. A paradigm shift is happening. The end of all institutions as we know them. A chance for ‘digital natives’ to use their new way of thinking and make this world a better place.

Why this story inspired me
The phrase “We need to reset” is a strong one. We’ve been living in a world which was based on certain patterns that left out the fact that humans are involved. Now we’re running into the results of ignoring this for way too long. By resetting all institutions, all old patterns, things can change for the better.

What I hope this story will lead to
I hope that people will start to recognize old patterns in their lives and start to question them. Do those patterns really help? Why are they there? Do we need them?

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MVRDV - Out Of The Box Architecture

Posted: 27 11 2009 11:34:00 CET

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The story
With their projects all over the world, architect agency MVRDV shows how they live up to the challenges to come up with original solutions for intensified use of space by combining a variety of functions.

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MVRDV - Out Of The Box Architecture

Posted: 27 11 2009 11:34:00 CET

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The story
With their projects all over the world, architect agency MVRDV shows how they live up to the challenges to come up with original solutions for intensified use of space by combining a variety of functions.

Why this story inspired me
The projects by MVRDV show that so much more is possible if you let go of traditional architectural thinking. On top of that their solutions are beautiful to look at and they take the social element of a building seriously by turning buildings into communities.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people will start to look at their creations as an opportunity to create something amazing.

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Earth Keepers Documentary

Posted: 25 11 2009 12:28:00 CET

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The story
This feature documentary by Sylvie Van Brabant introduces Mikael Rioux, a young Québécois activist who founded Échofête, Quebecs first environmental festival. Spurred by his passionate concern for the world his son will inherit, Rioux goes on a global quest to meet 7 visionaries with concrete solutions to ecological problems. Together, they offer a survival guide for our planet and a journey back to hope.

Why this story inspired me
In the trailer you can hear the quote “We need to change our mindset”. To me that quote is very inspiring because I think that’s indeed the main thing that needs to happen: Looking at the world from a different perspective. I am sure all problems in the world can be solved if we start looking at it in a different way. Not ‘me and you’ but ‘us’.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people will start to notice what it is that they can do for the world. Every small action can lead to great things.

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Earth Keepers Documentary

Posted: 25 11 2009 12:28:00 CET

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The story
This feature documentary by Sylvie Van Brabant introduces Mikael Rioux, a young Québécois activist who founded Échofête, Quebecs first environmental festival. Spurred by his passionate concern for the world his son will inherit, Rioux goes on a global quest to meet 7 visionaries with concrete solutions to ecological problems. Together, they offer a survival guide for our planet and a journey back to hope.

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Earth Keepers Documentary

Posted: 25 11 2009 12:28:00 CET

Tags: [edit]

The story
This feature documentary by Sylvie Van Brabant introduces Mikael Rioux, a young Québécois activist who founded Échofête, Quebecs first environmental festival. Spurred by his passionate concern for the world his son will inherit, Rioux goes on a global quest to meet 7 visionaries with concrete solutions to ecological problems. Together, they offer a survival guide for our planet and a journey back to hope.

Why this story inspired me
In the trailer you can hear the quote “We need to change our mindset”. To me that quote is very inspiring because I think that’s indeed the main thing that needs to happen: Looking at the world from a different perspective. I am sure all problems in the world can be solved if we start looking at it in a different way. Not ‘me and you’ but ‘us’.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people will start to notice what it is that they can do for the world. Every small action can lead to great things.

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Why You Should Plan Your Day The Night Before

Posted: 22 11 2009 12:55:00 CET

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The story
Jack Canfield, the founder and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series, tells us why we should plan our day the night before: Because if you plan your day the night before then during your sleep your unconscious and subconscious mind will start working on creative ideas to make your plan happen.

Why this story inspired me
A great tip that I’m certainly going to put into practice. It also connects with John Cleese’s story: creating boundaries of space and time to get into the creativity flow. Well, just think of the time that you sleep as the perfect example of a boundary in space and time. It’s 8 hours that you will not be disturbed. Perfect! I just didn’t look at sleep this way before.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that people will start to experiment with planning a day ahead, just like I am going to do. Should this work then sleep is a huge opportunity to make the best of the following day and of life.

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Why You Should Plan Your Day The Night Before

Posted: 22 11 2009 12:55:00 CET

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The story
Jack Canfield, the founder and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series, tells us why we should plan our day the night before: Because if you plan your day the night before then during your sleep your unconscious and subconscious mind will start working on creative ideas to make your plan happen.

Why this story inspired me
A great tip that I’m certainly going to put into practice. It also connects with John Cleese’s story: creating boundaries of space and time to get into the creativity flow. Well, just think of the time that you sleep as the perfect example of a boundary in space and time. It’s 8 hours that you will not be disturbed. Perfect! I just didn’t look at sleep this way before.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that people will start to experiment with planning a day ahead, just like I am going to do. Should this work then sleep is a huge opportunity to make the best of the following day and of life.

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John Cleese - The Source Of Creativity

Posted: 19 11 2009 6:53:00 CET

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The story
John Cleese gives an inspiring speech about the source of creativity at the Creativity Worldforum in Belgium.

Why this story inspired me
What truely inspired me was to become aware (again) of the fact that we have no clue where ideas come from. The only thing we can do to increase creativity is to create situations where creativity can ‘flow’. John Cleese says that in order to reach this ‘flow’ you need to create boundaries of space and boundaries of time.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people will start to realize how important it is to create space in their lives. Switch off your phone. Go for a walk outside. Enjoy!

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John Cleese - The Source Of Creativity

Posted: 19 11 2009 6:53:00 CET

Tags: [edit]

The story
John Cleese gives an inspiring speech about the source of creativity at the Creativity Worldforum in Belgium.

Why this story inspired me
What truely inspired me was to become aware (again) of the fact that we have no clue where ideas come from. The only thing we can do to increase creativity is to create situations where creativity can ‘flow’. John Cleese says that in order to reach this ‘flow’ you need to create boundaries of space and boundaries of time.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people will start to realize how important it is to create space in their lives. Switch off your phone. Go for a walk outside. Enjoy!

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2009 Best Inventions Of The Year

Posted: 16 11 2009 9:00:00 CET

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The story
TIME senior writer Lev Grossman discusses some of the top choices for 2009 Best Inventions of the Year.

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2009 Best Inventions Of The Year

Posted: 16 11 2009 9:00:00 CET

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The story
TIME senior writer Lev Grossman discusses some of the top choices for 2009 Best Inventions of the Year.

Why this story inspired me
All of the examples, except for the controller-free gaming computer by Microsoft, are inventions that have to do with our environment. It shows that the shift towards ‘conscious businesses’ is really happening.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more companies/people will see that caring for the world can also be a huge entrepreneurial opportunity.

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Running Fresh Creation By Myself Again

Posted: 15 11 2009 14:11:00 CET

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Another change at Fresh Creation:
Today I decided that I will start blogging by myself again.

The main reason is that I started to notice that I didn’t enjoy editing posts. Since Linton, Ines and Piet were now also blogging at Fresh Creation, I didn’t have the time to write the stories that I find inspiring. Mostly what I was doing was viewing, selecting and editing posts of others. Not very inspiring. So I decided to go back to basics. I will only post those stories that I really want everybody to know about. Post frequency is not something that I will focus on. It’s the quality of the stories that matter, I think.

Loads of thanks to Linton, Ines and Piet!

Thank you for all your efforts, feedback and inspiring stories!

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Trillions - Why The Future Needs New Ways Of Thinking

Posted: 12 11 2009 8:17:00 CET

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The story
This is a short film (a fast paced preview of a larger effort) by MAYA Design created to put some perspective on the invisible but fast approaching challenges and opportunities in the pervasive computing age.

Why this story inspired me
The fact that the future is unknown and great changes are ahead is something that, I think, is very exciting. Not knowing and exploring new areas is much more about living than making sure things stay the same.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people start letting go of controlling the future but instead start living it.

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Berlin Wall And The Sandman Cartoon

Posted: 12 11 2009 5:43:00 CET

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The story
ITN News report marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The story is about a children’s animation called Sandmännchen, created in West Germany. East Germany made their own, that looked like the leader and said propaganda. How creepy is that? After unification, the East German version ended but the West German version continues to air on German TV today.

Why this story inspired me
The fall of the Berlin wall is inspiring. I always find smaller stories like this more telling of such a big event. Our lives are made up of small things like this and that is what should be recognized.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope everyone looks at the small things that survive.

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Berlin Wall And The Sandman Cartoon

Posted: 12 11 2009 5:43:00 CET

Tags: [edit]

The story
ITN News report marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The story is about a children’s animation called Sandmännchen, created in West Germany. East Germany made their own, that looked like the leader and said propaganda. How creepy is that? After unification, the West German version ended but the East German version continues to air on German TV today.

Why this story inspired me
The fall of the Berlin wall is inspiring. I always find smaller stories like this more telling of such a big event. Our lives are made up of small things like this and that is what should be recognized.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope everyone looks at the small things that survive.

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Six Green Solutions

Posted: 11 11 2009 6:03:00 CET

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The story
Six finalists of the Dutch Postcode Loterij Green Challenge present their ideas. Sanne Castro: SimGas, Robin Chase: Open Road, Dean Gregory: Power Collective Limited, Michael Mathres: Mootral, Robert Matthams: Shiply.com, Hjalmar van Raemdonck: Ephicas SideWing. The winner is the RidgeBlade Microgeneration system. Dean gets 500.000 euro’s to market his idea.

Why this story inspired me
Great ideas need attention. These incredible sustainable projects may oneday change our future and help create a greener tomorrow. Innovative thinking, from helping cows to stop burping, to making trucks more aerodynamic.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope this will lead to the realisation of the projects and that it will motivate others to think beyond the boundaries of what they think is possible.

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The Girl Who Silenced The World For 6 Minutes

Posted: 9 11 2009 9:37:00 CET

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The story
This was more than 17 years ago, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Rio Summit, Earth Summit (or, in Portuguese, Eco ‘92), a major conference held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to June 14, 1992. A small girl gives a speech in which she points out what’s happening in the world.

Why this story inspired me
Amazing that a little girl arranged money to travel all the way to Rio to let her voice be heard about something that she cared about: the future of this planet. An impressive speech. All the people in the room couldn’t do anything but agree and applaud. It made me look at situations that bother me and wonder what I was doing about them.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people start to show they care for a better world.

Thanks to Aaron for the tip!

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The Exchange

Posted: 9 11 2009 6:22:00 CET

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The story
“The Exchange” is an animation by Baptiste Sola, inspired by the work of Bauhaus artist Josef Albers who is known for instance for his “Homage to the Square”. Using only minimal patterns and sounds, Baptiste Sola tells a story about habits and routines.

Why this story inspired me
The story made me think about the value of routines - and the value of irregularities. My life is full of both, and while I typically don’t appreciate the order and structure that routines provide, I often also don’t like the digressions and departures from routine. But actually it is these disturbances - the pink squares - that bring fresh ideas. This is easy to understand, so I often try to sprinkle a bit of pink square onto my routines on purpose. So, to come back to the initial question, the film inspired me to be thankful. For the routines, as well as for the deviations, especially if they are initially unwanted.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope this film is a bit of a “pink square” for you and me that continues to ask about the types of routines and the balance between “normal” and “not normal” that we allow ourselves.

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Wikimapa

Posted: 7 11 2009 8:59:00 CET

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The story
Here’s the English version of the video above which is about Wikimapa, a project by Youth Net Program, a charity for Brazilian slum kids. It’s a Google Maps mashup where the charity’s kids try to map and describe favelas where they live, with the goal of “promoting local development and appreciation, widening perceptions and creating new cultural and geographical references.”

Why this story inspired me
The combination and use of widely used technology to provide services that I take for granted, in ignored spaces is exciting. The rapid growth in technology apparently has a good side.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope Brazil (Rio) does something amazing with the slums for the Olympics. Something that not only respects the people in the slums but by doing it, returns the potential the Olympics deserve as a great change agent.

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Sixth Sense Technology

Posted: 5 11 2009 11:18:00 CET

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The story
Basically, Sixth Sense is a mini-projector coupled with a camera and a cellphone - which acts as the computer and your connection to the Cloud, all the information stored on the web. Sixth Sense can also obey hand gestures, like in the movie Minority Report.

Why this story inspired me
Because a small team of people shows the whole world that interaction can be taken to a new level.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people will see that efforts on a small scale can lead to big changes.

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Sixth Sense Technology

Posted: 5 11 2009 11:18:00 CET

Tags: [edit]

The story
Basically, Sixth Sense is a mini-projector coupled with a camera and a cellphone - which acts as the computer and your connection to the Cloud, all the information stored on the web. Sixth Sense can also obey hand gestures, like in the movie Minority Report.

Why this story inspired me
Because a small team of people shows the whole world that interaction can be taken to a new level.

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
I hope that more people will see that efforts on a small scale can lead to big changes.

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Window Farms

Posted: 5 11 2009 6:05:00 CET

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The Story
Window Farms is a project by Britta Riley and Rebecca Bray, residents at Eyebeam. Basically, it’s a place to find and contribute to designs for a vertical garden.

Why this story inspired me
The focus on crowd sourced, research and development was refreshing. Why wait for government planning and expert research to achieve urban agriculture?

What I hope sharing this story will lead to
People see they have power. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” (Margarete Mead)

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