YouTube is a haven for people who love entertainment. It is a place rich in all kind of videos: hilarious, educational, thought-provoking. You name it, YouTube has it.

Since anyone knowledgeable with videos can upload anything he wants, YouTube has somewhat become contaminated by junk videos that present no meaning at all. Worse, some people abuse the system by writing offensive comments that can be considered as trash and immature.

However, if you are a person who exercise good judgement, you will know when to avoid those and how to find valuable videos that are worth remembering. I applaud video creators, who post insightful clips. They truly understand that a thing of beauty is meant for sharing.

Below you will find videos which I personally like as they inspire me and make me reflect on life.

You probably had seen some (if not all), but it never hurts watching them again. To go directly to the YouTube page of the videos where you can also read viewers comments, click on the title. Otherwise, simply click on the Play button of each video below to start watching:

1. Young Tiger Woods Wins British Open (1 min)

This spliced video, which features a young Tiger Woods winning the British Open, is one of my favorite Nike Commercials. It makes me smile for two reasons, 1.) Seeing Tiger Woods as a young kid playing golf is amazing in itself. 2.) His relationship with his parents is masterfully captured in this concise clip. My full interpretation can be read in this post.

2. Dancing Prisoners (4 min 25 sec)

Fellow Filipino Byron Garcia probably didn’t see his idea becoming a huge hit all over the world when he published the video of the prisoners dancing “Thriller” (popularized by Michael Jackson). It was inspiring and amusing at the same time, and seeing the inmates dance like they have a mission is a sight to behold.

The video has been viewed approximately 11 million times, and has caught the attention of bigtime and international press. As a result, the inmates dedicated a dance to the whole world and CNN featured them on its website with their heart-warming stories of rehabilitation. I hope every prison in the world does something productive instead of letting the inmates hurt each other.

3. Everyday (5 min 45 sec)

The world is spinning slowly everyday, and people from all walks of life have their own business to mind. In the midst is one man - Noah Kalina – who took pictures of himself everyday, for 6 years, and created a video out of them. The result was awesome. It started with the word “Everyday”, and then one by one, his compiled daily pictures which were taken in various places, flashed in quick sequence. It ended with a phrase “A work in progress.” Which, in my opinion, is open for interpretation.

4. My Name Is Lisa (6 min 26 sec)

This short film came out just a couple of months ago and immediately gained recognition because of its truthful message addressing an “unwanted condition”. Already viewed more than a million times, it won 3rd place in YouTube Project: Direct voted by the viewers. I don’t intend to spoil this clip, but here’s a short scene near the end to give you a hint of what the film is all about: An old lady suspiciously asked a young girl: “Who are you? What’s your name?” Confused, the 13-year old girl answered in a soft manner: “My name is Lisa…” Great script, great acting, excellent message.

5. The Shot (30 sec)

A regular guy had a dream of making it to a professional basketball league and making a game-winning shot when he was young. It didn’t happen. However, he has a competitive drive to win and dreams of playing in an organized game. He continues to love basketball. So he continually practiced hard, working on his shooting in the community gym with his friends.

That regular guy is me. And when my awaited day arrived, I finally hit a winning shot for the first time in my life. Somehow, my dream came true. (Additional information in this post.)

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I know some of these clips might not mean anything to you. Some of you probably have your own selections, and that is perfectly acknowledged, because I also understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

So allow me to take this chance to say that I am truly thankful for the video creators who shared their masterpieces with public viewers. Their geniuses make it worth the stay in YouTube.

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