Now and then I have a less than glorious day and no unhealthy addictive habits – fast food, cocktails or shopping – are positive ways to shift my mood. Sometimes even my beloved classical music won’t completely soothe ruffled feathers.
YouTube to the rescue!
I love things that move me into a happy place that are free, non-caloric, and completely legal, and YouTube is all those things and then some. There’s nothing more contagious than the innocent laugh of a gaggle of babies or doggies howling with their singing owners. Nothing can work faster than a two-minute snippet of epic fail sports stunts where the only pain is embarrassment.
I use YouTube to refocus. It depends on my mood to determine which direction I go on any YouTube search. Sometimes I’m in the mood to be entertained and sometimes I’m in the mood to learn.
I’ve laughed my head off at all the wonderful animal antics, and I’ve cried at all the moving TED talks that touched my soul. I’ve learned how to apply make-up to this aging face and how to make a cool tent for my cat out of an old t-shirt.
One of the more obscure and impressive videos I found on YouTube was a grainy black and white short of the Beatles at the Olympia Theater in Paris on January 16, 1964. It just so happens I was in that theater that night. What a thrill to be able to use that video in a piece I wrote about the experience here.
Fun facts about YouTube:
~YouTube has been around since 2005
~Every minute, more than 300 hours of new video are uploaded to YouTube.
~”Gangnam Style” is the most popular YouTube video of all-time.
~You can earn money on YouTube by setting up your own channel. In fact, Grumpy Cat earned more money than many movie stars in recent years.
~Instructional YouTube videos are one of the most popular aspects of this internet site. The most searched tutorial on YouTube is “How to Kiss.”
Some suggestions:
I forget there are thousands of new videos each week when I see the same ones over and over. Sometimes it takes veering off the stated path to find the more obscure and just as delightful new postings, and I encourage you to find those and share with your friends on social media.
Here are just a few of the ones I’ve discovered and enjoyed recently:
A Day in the Life of the Dog Photographer
Kyle Cease – When the World is Falling Apart, Do This
Paper costumes that have been around the world
Isabel Allende: How to live passionately—no matter your age
George Carlin: Life Worth Losing (the first 4.5 minutes are priceless!)
These are just a smattering of my recent views. Do some investigative work to search out those videos that help you focus away from a crappy day into more humor, more education, more wonder, or more cleansing tears of a catharsis experience.
Be sure to share if you find something the rest of us might enjoy!