Patrick Hughes was born crippled and without eyes. But he was also born with a talent for music, a positive outlook on life, and one of the most incredible dads you will ever encounter.

Often, children like this are “discarded.” But not children with a father like Patrick’s. At an early age, his father saw Patrick’s musical ability, and nurtured it. His dedication of time — working graveyard shifts so he can go to school with Patrick — led them both to be members of the University of Louisville’s Marching Band. Patrick plays trumpet and dad pushes the wheelchair.

Watch this short video that shows the heart of a handicapped young man and the love and strength of a devoted father. And when you’re done, reconsider your own complaints about your life.

This was a piece done during ESPN College Gameday on 12/2/2006.

For more information, and to support Patrick by buying his music CD’s and his book, “I Am Potential,” go to his website.

Autistic 5’6″ student Jason McElwain, didn’t make the Greece Athena High School basketball team. But Coach Jim Johnson, with his heart of gold, brought him on as Team Manager, a role he ended up holding for three years, missing only one game in that time.

Word got out before the last home game of his senior year that Coach Johnson had told Jason to suit up this time, and that he would try his hardest to get him in the game. It was Senior Night, his fellow students piled in to watch the game, with cutout signs of Jason’s face on them, in their hands ready to wave if he got on court.

We won’t spoil the ending, just watch the short video. If you don’t cry, you’re not human.

Almost one hundred years ago, positive living writer and lecturer Christian D. Larson published what he called “The Optimist Creed” in the book “Your Forces and How to Use Them.” Further, Optimist International adopted it in 1922.

The words are as powerful now as they were then. There are quite a few videos that have set the creed’s words to music; we like this one in particular.

The Optimist Creed

I promise myself:

• To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.
• To talk health, happiness, & prosperity to every person I meet.
• To make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
• To look at the sunny side of everything & make my optimism come true.
• To think only of the best, to work only for the best, & to expect only the best.
• To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.
• To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
• To wear a cheerful expression at all times & give a smile to every living creature I meet.
• To give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others.
• To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, & too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
• To think well of myself & to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.
• To live in the faith that the whole world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me.

Now go out and and spread some positivity.

Could you use some quick inspiration?  Something to give you some optimism, some fighting spirit for the day?  Well here you go.  The producer of this film has made a compilation of short inspirational and optimisticparts of speeches from 40 different movies.