Warning: this will make you smile! Thank you to 14-year-old Mini Rasekhy from Singapore for sending us this GIG Spark when she was in San Francisco this summer.
Sometimes it’s the simplest things in life that bring you joy. Mini wanted to use her voice to make others feel better — and ultimately smile. Many people tell me they want to do something to make someone’s life better, but don’t know how — well take it from Mini, who loves to sing. She took to the streets of San Francisco with her Mom (thanks for capturing this on video, Mrs. Rasekhy) to bring music to your ears, a smile to your face and joy to your heart. You can see how authentic the reactions were. I especially love the surprise from the gentleman at the end of the video:
Gigster: Mini Rasekhy, 14
Where: San Francisco
Spark: Sing to Each Other (Use your voice or power to brighten someone’s day)
GIG Spark was created to create compassion through the exercise of brainstorming, problem solving, witnessing and experiencing the joy of using your power to help others. Mini sent us this testimony about what the experience meant to her:
“Making my GIG Spark video helped me realize that there are always people who aren’t having the best days, and just a nice little gesture can turn their day around and lift their mood. Of course going out to film was a bit awkward at first because I was singing to people I didn’t even know, but I kept in mind that what I was doing for them was a good thing. Everyone’s positive reactions gave me the courage to go out and sing more! As I said in my video, I think singing to someone can make their day. I know for a fact that it’s made my life amazing.”
In true GIG spirit, Mini is using her power to make someone else’s life better. Way to go Mini!
The empowerment continued last Friday in San Rafael, Calif. I was invited to present GIG Spark, Lesson on Compassion (with my good friend and Wonder Mom, Kala Shah) to 500 students at Sun Valley Elementary School. (Of course our cameras were rolling during this presentation. Please follow our blog and stay tuned for this video.)
I was honored and excited to inspire these children to “discover their power and use it to help others” as a part of a “Community Heroes” assembly. How cool is that?! They were captivated for the whole 30 minutes. I wonder what impact and ripples this presentation will make on these kids — and likewise how the ripples, like Mini will be changed by her GIG Spark.
I showed this video as an example of how easy it is to use your natural abilities to give back. The kids laughed and smiled when the man started to sing back to Mini. Talk about paying it forward and rippling out her original intention to use her voice to make someone’s day brighter.
Don’t have the gift of song? Not to fret. Think about what you’re naturally good at and what you enjoy doing — and think about how to use it to be of service to others. And pull out your video camera or cell phone to capture a GIG Spark for the world to see.
We hope this video inspires you to use your voice to help others in the next 24 hours.
TAKE ACTION:
1. Think about how you can use your voice for good. You don’t literally have to sing to each other; you can use your voice and platform to rally for something you believe in.
2. Music education is important, but music is being cut out of programs across the US. VH1 Save the Music is just one program that “helps develop long-term, sustainable instrumental music programs that provide children with equal access to music education regardless of their financial situation.” Contact this foundation to see how you can help.
3. After watching a GIG video about Rev. Lemaire Alerte, who wanted to build a high school in Grande Saline, Haiti, band students at Willow Glen banded together and orchestrated a winter benefit concert to send kids to his school. My students activated their storytelling, shooting and editing skills to create this PSA. This ultimately sent 32 kids to school in Haiti. Again, you don’t have to sing or if you’re musically off-key (like me), think about how you can use your voice for good. And take action!
About Go Inspire Go (GIG)
GIG is about inspiring small actions that ripple out to meaningful changes. As we’ve experienced, the ripples continue to billow out, one story, one person, one act at a time.
FEELING INSPIRED? Make your own GIG SPARK and share with us. We may share it with the world.
As part of GIG’s mission to inspire our viewers to discover their power, we developed GIG Spark: A Lesson on Compassion. The goal is to spark action in everyone that witnesses your good deed. We want you to identify a problem in your community and be the change by capturing your action in a short 1-1:30 minute video. Use your passion and creativity to produce a GIG Spark and inspire viewers with your story! What can YOU do?