An Inspirational Circus

“Some people don't learn things as easily, and they struggle. We need to reach out to them, so they'll belief in themselves.”

“We should treat other people with kindness because some people are struggling with things we don't know.”

I love The Butterfly Circus.

I shared with students this favorite short film of mine the other day - as I have for several years. Above are just two of the insights they shared afterwards.

(You can watch The Butterfly Circus here.)

For 20 minutes the students are totally - completely - absorbed by the film. They laugh at the right times, they gasp at the right times, and some get teary eyed. It tests them from the get-go, tugs at their heart strings, and opens their eyes.

Some powerful lines from The Butterfly Circus are:

• There is nothing inspiring about a man's imperfections on display.
• If you could only see the beauty that comes from the ashes.
• The greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph.

These provide a great launch for discussion. I also have students reflect on being left to struggle in overcoming obstacles and about how to best help those who are struggling to fit in.

The conversation is rich, dynamic, engaging. And the students gain from exposing themselves or hearing others expose themselves during it.

This day at the circus is powerful and always a favorite one of mine. Reference to The Butterfly Circus will continue for the remainder of the year. We may not feel like beautiful butterflies….but never doubt that we are working towards it.

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If you value a certain inspirational video or if this post has generated some thoughts of your own, please share in the comments. I would appreciate hearing from you.