Once upon a time there was a little fish who lived at the bottom of the sea. This little fish swam with the same school her whole life. Most of the other little fish never questioned if there were other schools of fish out in the sea, but this little fish was different. This little fish never felt completly right at the bottom of the sea. You see, this little fish’s parents didn’t come from any of the schools near by. The parents of this little fish taught her that there were other schools in the sea and that the sea was much bigger than she could ever imagine!

One day the little fish told her parents that she wanted to see the rest of the sea; she was so curious to learn what was really up there! Her parents were sad to see their little fish go, but happy she would see more of the sea and all it had to offer. So the little fish mustered up all her courage and embarked on her journey to explore the sea!

Once she started swimming higher, the little fish started feeling very strange. The little fish was smelling new smells and seeing new sights! There were so many colorful new things she’d never seen before. And the water itself felt different at the top of the sea– the little fish felt could breathe easier!  All of this was shocking to the little fish. She wasn’t really sure what to make of it! What she did know was that she couldn’t get enough of this new air she was breathing at the top of the sea.

Swimming at the top of the sea, the little fish met other little fish like her! Other little fish who breathed air! It took a some time before the little fish to noticed that all of these new sights, smells, and schools of fish weren’t actually all that shocking; they were just different. None of it was strange or weird– just different. The little fish was excited! It felt like everything was making sense for the very first time. She felt she belonged at top of the sea. Life at the top of the sea was so exhilarating that the little fish felt knew she couldn’t go back and stay at the bottom of the sea forever.

The little fish did go home to the bottom of the sea to share what she had learned. The little fish was so glad she had the courage to swim upwards and now she now knows she wants to spend her life breathing fresh air, learning all she can, and traveling all over the sea!

This little fish, Leelah Greenspan, is not at the top of the sea at the moment… but soon enough she will be back up there. Only this time it will be in a different part of the sea!

Check out this YouTube channel by The Daily Motivation.

Trust us. You’ll be glad you did.

Attention Social Change Ninjas!

The Staples Youth Social Entrepreneur Competition is an awesome opportunity to show the world what you’re made of; showcase your altruism in action and show off your entrepreneurial grit!

If you are between the ages of 12 and 24 and are using technology and innovation to improve your community and world, then you are eligible to apply!

Application deadline is September 9, 2011.

APPLY HERE!

HAPPY MIDDLE OF THE WEEK, FRIENDS!

Just kidding. (Not really!)

The millenials out there should recognize that exchange from the under-acclaimed and overtly-awesome animated series Pinky and The Brain.

Here’s some global domination inspiration for your Monday morning:

Genius and a touch of madness — isn’t that what it takes to change the world, inspired friend?

Here at Inspired Gen Headquarters, we love the genius plus madness formula. Toss in a heap of courage, a healthy dose of hard work, a hefty serving of optimism, a generous pinch of tenacity and there’s no stopping you as you chase your mighty dreams!

Speaking of madness (the not-so-good-kind), we know, we know… It’s madness that we haven’t blogged in many moons. But do not be deceived by the still waters at the Inspired Gen surface — our waters are deep and they are flowing mightily! Blogging recommences today and we are moving ahead, full force — armed with genius, courage, madness and more!

May your Monday be filled with a big bout of genius and a tiny fit of madness as you endeavor to change your world for the better!

Ribbon Cutting Celebration for iNspiredGen.org! Woohoo!

Calling all inspired people! The iNspired Gen website is ready for you!

JOIN THE MOVEMENT:

Step 1: Join The Community! We’re fun, we promise!

Step 2: Create your vision board and share your goals. This is a great way to get your dreams out of your head and into reality!

Step 3: Check out The Opportunities you may be ‘iNto.’ If you are iNterested in one of the opportunities, you can save it to your profile — that way you will remember to do something about it, and perhaps you will inspire others to be ‘iNterested’ too!

Step 4: Join a group, or 2, or 4, or more!

Step 5: Spread the movement — tell an inspired friend about iNspired Generation and encourage him or her to join The Community too!

It’s time to build our community and we need your help!

Some iDeas for spreading the movement: post a link to iNspiredGen.org to your facebook profile, post a link to a friend’s facebook profile, send a friend an e-mail, or a text, Tweet about us, call a friend and tell him or her…. tell a friend the next time you are together… So much possibility!

We believe that inspired young people are the key to making our world a better place – today, tomorrow and forever. If you share this belief too – JOIN THE MOVEMENT!

One of the best things about travel is the inspirational people encountered along the journey…

Meet Solana, bona fide awesome and totally inspirational! 

Solana and I met last year while I was living in Buenos Aires. She was a member of Rotary District 4890′s 2010 GSE Team that went to Germany. We met at a Rotary meeting and the magic of our friendship took off from there.

In Argentina, there is an expression ‘buena onda‘ that roughly translates as ‘good energy.’ It is usually used to describe people and places that are great to be around, because they have a good vibe — buena onda. Well, Solana does this term total justice. She is an awesome person — super hospitable, with great vibes and good onda. Solana is also exceptionally great because she is a passionate person who relentlessly pursues her dreams.

Check out Solana’s latest and greatest undertaking — the cleverly named BAse Institute in Buenos Aires. It’s an innovative way to learn Spanish and genuinely immerse in Buenos Aires’s fantastic culture.

Passionate people who relentlessly pursue their dreams are inspiring and awesome. Thanks for the daily dose of inspiration, Solana!

Christina proudly spreading the iNspired Gen movement to Rotarians from around the world at the Rotary International Convention in New Orleans! #RIC2011 #JoinTheMovement

We LOVE big ideas, like the idea of a well-governed and stable world where every person lives with dignity. Hans Rosling’s insights are always inspiring!

Happy Saturday, happy people!

Mariana and Natalie in Buenos Aires!

Yesterday we challenged you to share what inspires you most — what are your sources of inspiration, what compels you to be inspired and why does it inspire you?? And — yippee! — my great friend Mariana responded with this thoughtful and inspiring piece.

Mariana is a joy, originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina and now resides in New York City. Mariana was an actor in Buenos Aires’s bustling theater scene and — because of her hard work and tenacity — is now studying at the prestigious Stella Adler Studio of Acting. Mariana is bona fide inspirational and she is no stranger (in fact, I’d venture to say they too are great friends) to Opportunity.

Without further ado, Mariana:

“My continuing passion is to part a curtain,

that invisible shadow that falls between people,

the veil of indifference to each other’s presence,

and each other’s human plight.” Eudora Welty

It may be because I’m an actor, but if I have to choose the one thing that inspires me the most, that is definitely people.

I love humans. People-watching is one of my favorite activities (aside of actually interacting with them, of course).  And since acting benefits from behavior observation, what other excuse do I need? So whether in passing as I go about my daily routine, or more leisurely as I sit in the park or a coffee shop, I always make a point of looking at the people around me, and wondering about their lives. Who they are. Where they’re from. Where they’re going.

Because what fascinates me the most about people is this: behind every facial expression, every curious apparel, every endearing or repelling attitude, lies an entire world made from memories, culture, background… And no matter how close I look, or how well I get to know someone, part of it will always be a mystery.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the people who matter in my life. What I’m finding is that my favorite people are those who live life in their own terms, work to make their dreams happen, improve the lives of those around them without wanting much in return, and inspire me by example to become a better person.

I’ve come to realize that the people I meet are the wonders of my world. I feel challenged to nurture the valuable relationships in my life, to keep on making mutually beneficial connections, and exploring the common humanity that binds us all.”

Bravo, Mariana! Bravo!