We’ve been very fortunate during the past few months to have received some great feedback from teachers, parents, and other youth leaders. In conjunction with that feedback, the month of February this year offers a rare occurrence: within this month’s 28 days, we’ll be celebrating:
- National Youth Leadership Month
- National Parent Leadership Month
- Plant the Seed of Greatness Month and
- International Boost Self-Esteem Month
If you’re working with young people in a classroom situation, Big Brothers or Big Sisters, a church group, Boys or Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, Junior Achievement, Youth Leadership Councils, S.A.D.D., Brownies or Cub Scouts, YMCA or YWCA, a 4-H Youth Development Program, your own immediate family or any one of the many other youth organizations, we’d like to encourage you to share the wisdom of the ages as a strong leadership influence on the young people in your life.
Plant the Seed of Greatness, Boost the Self-Esteem of the young people in your life, demonstrate your Parental Leadership, and encourage Youth Leadership in your community—whew! That’s quite a tall order, but when you think about it, combing the potential of all four challenges may be a very powerful strategy indeed! This is a rare opportunity for us at a time when our young people aren’t seeing a lot of good examples in today’s chaotic environment. In addition, the media certainly isn’t contributing in any way.
Then why not utilize our illustrious past to share examples of how so many people and organizations, from every walk of life, have overcome negativity, barriers, and serious challenges to not only emerge successful but also make a very positive impact in so many ways?
Over the past several years we have shared dozens of short, motivational anecdotes that can and should be shared with today’s younger generation in hopes of offering inspiration and hope at a time when we certainly need it.
Listed below are the names of people and organizations you might want to discuss with the young people in your life. Each anecdote can be read in less than a minute or two. Simply click on the subject title link of your choice below, and you’ll find the three to eight narratives listed there. Download and reprint as many as you like and get them into the hands of as many young people and adults as you possibly can. Reprint them in your newsletters and bulletins. We need these stories today more than ever before.
We’ve already heard from several teachers, counselors, and parents who have used these anecdotes with great success to the delight of the young people with whom they shared.
Download, print, share, and discuss these many narratives to assist you in your quest of contributing to each of this month’s four opportunities – National Youth Leadership Month, National Parent Leadership Month, Plant the Seed of Greatness Month and International Boost Self-Esteem Month.
- Lucille Ball
- The Beatles
- Benjamin Franklin
- Sir Isaac Newton
- Babe Ruth
- Chicken Soup for Soul Series
- Beethoven
- Katie Couric
- Home Depot
- Walt Disney
- Helen Keller
- John F. Kennedy
- Grandma Moses
- Garth Brooks
- Carly Fiorina (HP)
- The Gap
- Kinko’s
- Dr. Suess
- Sam Walton
- Peter Benchley (author)
- Thomas Edison
- Ulysses S. Grant
- Thomas Monaghan (Dominos Pizza)
- Edgar Allen Poe
- Ray Kroc (McDonalds)
- Jay Leno
- Joe Louis (boxer)
- Willie Nelson
- Fred Smith (FedEx)
- Alexander Graham Bell
- Thomas Edison (2)
- Lee Iacocca
- Marilyn Monroe
- H. Ross Perot
- Elvis Presley
- Xerox
- Wilma Rudolph (athlete)
- Johnny Cash
- Sigmund Freud (psychiatrist)
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Supreme Court Justice)
- Sylvester Stallone
Inspirational Individuals Who Overcame Obstacles
- Charles Dickens (English novelist)
- Hank Williams
- J.K. Rowlings (Harry Potter author)
Key to Success? Ya Gotta Get Up!
- Dr. Seuss (2)
- Michael Jordan
- Henry Ford
- Apple Computer
- Coca-Cola
- Walt Disney (2)
- Beethoven (2)
- Xerox (2)
- Trivial Pursuit!
- Helen Keller (2)
- Gone with the Wind
- The Wizard of Oz
About Harry K. Jones
Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.