I’ve Watched 3000+ YouTube Videos so Far — These 5 Inspire Me the Most
No pseudo-motivation or cliche self-help B.S.
YouTube never ceases to amaze me.
A near-infinite (free) storehouse of knowledge and inspiration at our fingertips.
But most treat it like cable TV— devouring clickbaity reels and Mr. Beast videos by the truckload.
I’m guilty too — Naruto clips and The Infographics Show flushed my college years down the drain.
But over the last two years, I’ve curated YouTube as my #1 learning resource.
Of the 3000+ videos I’ve watched, most have been value-packed — but only finger-countably few were unforgettable.
I’ve returned to these time and time again — seeking guidance, motivation, or simply a renewed sense of perspective.
Allow me to share these diamonds with you.
Living Proof of “Never, Never, Never Give Up”
Jon Morrow’s story makes even the worst of my problems and excuses seem funny.
Consigned to a wheelchair because of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Jon’s medical bills grew into the millions.
Incessant pain, movement inability, and unfortunate accidents made his life living hell — mucus removals, fractures, surgeries, hospitalizations, and whatnot.
Consigned to a wheelchair, this amazing man built himself a silent $10M blogging empire.
Unable to type, he used voice-to-text to type out his articles.
Let that sink in.
Sitting with a six-pack physique in a plush sofa chair with fully functional fingers, where the f*ck are my excuses?
Where are your excuses?
Whenever I feel bogged down, Jon’s story fires my sorry butt up.
The Unsexy Reality Of “Overnight” Successes
Today’s (online) world is a cesspool of success p*rn — where failures are shoved under the rug.
Behind every success lies a painfully long series of failures:
- Edison failed with 1000s of inventions before the light bulb.
- 20+ publishers rejected J.K Rowling’s “Harry Potter”.
- Jeff Bezos built his billion-dollar empire on “Invent and fail”
- Walt Disney was fired from his newspaper job as he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”
But since failure ain’t sexy, most don’t open up about it.
Then, the self-improvement legend Hamza dropped this banger:
Fire background rap + Hamza’s progress clips + A calm voiceover = Butt-igniting inspiration.
Failing and ACCEPTING that you’ve failed is the only way to success.
It crushes your ego and burdens your shoulders with massive responsibility.
That’s why it works so bloody well.
The only Motivational Speech You’ll Ever Need
Admiral McRaven’s UT commencement speech has gone viral bonkers for a reason.
It’s “Put-a-dent-in-the-world” inspiring.
Starting with the power of making your bed every morning, McRaven goes on to shell out real-life lessons he earned in his tough life as a Navy SEAL.
Jumping out of airplanes. Lugging around heavy boats while starved and cold. Swimming with the sharks in the ocean. Rescuing an American hostage from Somali pirates.
Leading the famed SEAL Team 6 (aka DEVGRU) and gunning down Osama Bin Laden.
In our weak world, it’s refreshing to have a strong male figure dole out A1 advice.
“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”
— Admiral McRaven
The Secret to Being Humble — yet Magnetically Charismatic
Tripping balls on acid, I rewatched this video awestruck at least 20 times in a row.
Dreamily looking up to God. Passionately kissing his wife. Gracefully hugging Jared Leto. Then hugging Di Caprio. Jogging up the stage with a killer smile.
Then, delivering an impromptu speech that puts TED speakers to shame.
If that isn’t the most wholesome success ever, I don’t know what is.
In the brief 3 minutes, Matthew leaves us with lessons of a lifetime — faith in God, humility, family, self-respect, and striving towards worthy goals.
Exuding solid charisma, McConaughey leaves the audience with a brilliant framework:
- Something to look forward to → In McConaughey’s case, it’s his family.
- Something to look up to → It’s God or providence for him.
- Someone to chase → Interestingly, it’s his own self 10 years in the future
He credits his life’s success to this trifecta — given how wise it is, I don’t doubt it.
The Heart-Welling Infectiousness of True Joy
Swept away by the worry-filled sea of meetings, hustle, and self-help, we’ve forgotten the power of joy.
Love is the most powerful emotion on the planet — and joy is its purest goalless expression.
Here’s a challenge — watch this short video without breaking into an ear-to-ear smile.
Even the best poker player on the planet would fail to keep a straight face.
Now, take that smile and spread it — bear-hug your mother, ballet-dance with your wife, buy a homeless man lunch, or leave a fat tip for the local barista.
Best of all? Hop on the subway and burst out laughing.
Maybe you’ll get filmed — and end up making millions of others on the internet smile.
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