Something to Believe In

There's a singer named Israel Kamakawiwo from Hawaii that I first rediscovered during a good friend's wedding. You may not know who he is by name, but you have probably heard his often replayed rendition of "=Over The Rainbow" at some point in your life. It was the song that my friend came down the aisle to her wedding with and probably one that has made it into many other weddings as well.

He was a big man who created music that he loved and brought a region to life with his presence. In a time where people obsess over their looks and consider surgery to fix any perceived flaw, he was huge (nicknamed "The Gentle Giant") and from Hawaii (so he often performed shirtless). Not something you see every day, but if you watch the video below you can see how this overweight but talented man gave hope to an entire region. Israel was a local hero.

I love this video because it tells the tale of a man who gave the people of his city something to believe in ... and sent the message that a simple musician who didn't look like a rockstar could become something far greater than his circumstance. Though he's passed away now, I think he'd love to know that his voice is still heard. I've got a great lineup of marketing posts for next week after taking a few days off from blogging, but heading into the weekend, I think Israel's example is a great reminder for all of us of the importance doing something inspiring.

Comments

[Sampad Swain]

Thanks Rohit for reminding how simple things in life matters so much.

Looking forward towards your next week's posts. Cheers!

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Sampad

[fermata]

his example also shows us how obesity can cut your life short

[Morgan Coudray]

Great analogy! I love this song and really liked the point you made... it's clear that we forget to ask ourselves whether we like or are inspired by what we do. And for those who do ask themselves, too many don't act on it out of fear.

On a whole different note, I love the way his death was celebrated: fully in line with what he stood for!

[Michelle / chelpixie]

Rohit, thanks for sharing this. I really like inspirational videos and this one made it into my favorites.