Korean Pop Music Video "Be The Future" Released to Media and Schools to Urge Youth to Stay Safe During COVID-19 [Video Included]

Korean Pop Music Video "Be The Future" Released to Media and Schools to Urge Youth to Stay Safe During COVID-19

Millenasia today released "Be The Future," a K-Pop music video encouraging young people to take measures to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. In releasing the video, the Millenasia Project band urged the world to unite in support of the 1.5 billion learners who have been affected by school and university closures as a result of COVID-19.

The music video -- starring Millenasia Project, a project band composed of K-Pop artists AleXa, Dreamcatcher and IN2IT -- was conceived by Millenasia and created in partnership with the Varkey Foundation, as a member of UNESCO's Global Education Coalition.

According to UNESCO, 1.5 billion students and youth across the planet have been affected by school and university closures due to the COVID-19 outbreak. In direct response, UNESCO launched the Global Education Coalition to facilitate inclusive learning opportunities for children and youth during this period of sudden and unprecedented educational disruption.

Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director General for Education at UNESCO, said, "I am delighted that these K-pop artists have united to send an important message about staying safe during this global pandemic. Our Global Education Coalition is determined to do all it can to facilitate inclusive learning opportunities for the 1.5 billion students and youth across the planet that have been affected by school and university closures due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Crucially, we're determined to put the teacher voice at the heart of our mission to give every child their birthright; a good education."

The Varkey Foundation, which established the annual US $1 million Global Teacher Prize to shine a light on the global teaching profession, was also excited to partner on the new music video.

Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation and Global Teacher Prize, said: "This music video is a fantastic way to ensure important messages about COVID-19 reach young people throughout the world. I am delighted that this video features 2020 Global Teacher Prize finalist Yun Jeong Hyun, highlighting how teachers across the world continue to inspire, even as the world shifts under their feet. Now, more than ever, we must shine a light on the world's teachers."

• The music video was created to remind young people that whilst they may not have symptoms of the virus, they can still transmit it to family or extended family members.

This music video offers a candy pink and pastel colored narrative with sassy performances, an adorable Siberian tiger mascot and the bebop spunk expected from Korean pop music. "Be the Future" offers a glimpse of a different time not so long ago, reminding us there is still optimism and small joys even in the worst of times.

"With hundreds of million fans around the world, K-Pop has proven to be a global sound for music," Keiko Bang, CEO of Millenasia, said. "We really wanted to make sure we were able to use a medium that would be family-friendly, but more importantly resonated with the youth."

The Millenasia Project band

AleXa said, "I strongly hope that this song and its message of health catches young people's attention. Don't let the seclusion get you down, it's important to stay connected to school, teachers and friends."

This is one of the first times K-Pop has been used as part of a UNESCO initiative and is a tribute to the medium which has accumulated more than an estimated 400 million fans in over 230 countries and regions worldwide. "Be The Future" delivers a universal and profoundly important message that will resonate with people from all walks of life.

Yeontae of IN2IT said, "My third-grade teacher taught me that at the very least we should all try to make a difference with our lives. Now that we are suffering by COVID-19, I can make a difference by staying at home and caring for my parents."

The Millenasia Project band was filmed and recorded just outside of Seoul, South Korea in late April with the production exercising best practices for social distancing at work. The music video collaboration was conceived, produced and released by Millenasia in just 4 weeks with composition, lyrics and choreography turned around in just 2 weeks.

Dreamcatcher's SuA said, "These are difficult times, but I hope everyone will keep their spirits up and I hope our energy in the music video will give you strength."

IN2IT, Dreamcatcher, and Alexa, based on their international and multicultural backgrounds, from Malaysia to Oklahoma, convey this sincere message in a simple but powerful way.

IN2IT, Dreamcatcher, and Alexa in a joint statement said: "We urge the world to unite to support the 1.5 billion learners who have been affected by school and university closures as a result of COVID-19. Amidst this crisis the world has discovered new reserves of creativity, compassion and resolve. We must ensure that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on education actually strengthens, rather than weakens, our resolve to fulfill every child's right to a good education".

The Video:

• "Be The Future" is available now through Millenasia's YouTube channel, and on Apple Music, Spotify, Melon, Anghami, Boomplay, and 25 music platforms around the world. 
• For further information on this significant project and the music video, please visit millenasiaproject.com.

About the Artists:

• AleXa, a Korean-American Oklahoma-born artist, starred in the reality shows, Rising Legends and Produce 48. Her debut single "Bomb" reached #7 on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart with more than 12 million views as of May 2020.
• The up-and-coming all-girl group, Dreamcatcher, has made a big splash on the K-Pop scene with their edgy music videos like "Scream," and was nominated in the 2017 MNET Asian Music Awards for Best New Female Artist.
• IN2IT : After successfully winning on the wildly popular Korean music TV reality survival show 'Boys 24', the K-Pop boyband IN2IT have had 3 Top 10 on Korean album charts hits in 2017/2018 and have embarked on Asian and European music tours in 2018/2019.

The Millenasia Project band

About the Partners:

• Millenasia is a next-generation media company focused on targeting Asian millennials. They primarily focus on fandom, influencers, original and branded content, e-commerce, interactive social media, and technology-led storytelling.
• The Varkey Foundation believes every child deserves a vibrant, stimulating learning environment that awakens and supports their full potential. We believe nothing is more important to achieving this than the passion and quality of teachers. We founded the Global Teacher Prize to shine a spotlight on the incredible work teachers do all over the world and we continue to play a leading role in influencing education debates on the status of teachers around the world.
• UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at contributing "to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information."

Hashtags: 

•  #BeTheFuture 
•  #MillenasiaProject

SOURCE: Millenasia

7 Ways to Turn Worry into Excitement about Getting Things Done

7 Ways to Turn Worry into Excitement about Getting Things Done

Everybody worries sometimes. Right now, you’ve probably even got a few worries on your mind. You might be thinking about a relationship or a situation at work, causing you trouble. Maybe you’re worried about your health or whether or not you’re going to have enough money to pay the bills at the end of the month. Whatever the case, worry happens whether we intend for it to or not. This becomes a problem, though, when worry starts to take over your life.

So, what is the goal? Is stopping worrying enough to put you on an even keel, or are you hoping for something…more? What if, instead of worrying, you could become excited, then use this excitement to get more done?

Let’s look at seven ways to achieve this:

Be Here Now

Worry has a way of trapping you anywhere but here. Either you’re worried about something which happened long ago, or you’re caught up in fretting about something still to come. Neither is going to get you anywhere. To stop worrying, you need to focus on the present. What interests you right now?

Realize This Gets You Nowhere Fast

Worrying stops you cold. In fact, most procrastination is caused by worrying. With this in mind, why are you wasting your time and energy on worrying? Sometimes just recognizing what a waste worry is, will be enough to derail it altogether. Especially when you have better places to be.

Throw Yourself into Something Interesting

Worry needs your attention to survive. Get busy doing something engaging to your mind, and you’ll find you forget all about worrying.

Rewrite the Script

If you’re seeing everything blow up around you, maybe you should try focusing on the perceived disaster. Ask yourself how you could do things to handle the situation were it to happen. Once you have it, practice the scenario in your mind. Picture yourself handling matters.

Practice

Worried about something you need to do later? Having a dress rehearsal in your head will make things go smoother and keep worry at bay entirely.

Ask

Challenge your worry. Dig in and get to the roots until you understand your worry intimately. Ask yourself where the negativity came from. Peel back the layers until you get down into the heart of the matter.

Try a New Path

In the end, worry can become very attached to the familiar. Challenge yourself. Find a different way to do things. Explore where this path takes you.

The main point in all of these is to enjoy the journey. This is where you find the excitement and enthusiasm, which leads to getting things done. The rest is all momentum and a whole lot of brand-new accomplishments just waiting to happen.

Can an Animal Spread COVID-19? "What the QUACK" - New Coronavirus Comedy Song Released on YouTube [Video Included]

New coronavirus comedy song, What the QUACK, released on YouTube

Ampersand Records USA today announced a new Coronavirus Comedy Song by DUCK VENUS (fictitious character) aka Dark Venus and featured on her YouTube channel. 

The song paints the picture (in cartoon style) what would happen if a Duck got the virus.

"We already know how contagious the Coronavirus is amongst humans," says Dark (DUCK) Venus, who started her YouTube channel back in 2018. "But what would happen if an animal were to be the transmitter?"

The story (which is purely fictional) portrays a little cute duck that catches the virus and in turn, innocently starts a chain reaction of infection in her small farm community.

"Under the current lockdown, I think a lot of people will enjoy this new release," says Robert Harris, CEO at Ampersand Records USA. "The song (which is original) is memorable as well."

The lighthearted scenes follow the "paths of the pathogen" as the victims unknowingly spread the virus from one person to another. With a surprise ending, the little duck finds a way to seek revenge on the real source of the virus.

SOURCE: Ampersand Records USA

Related Stories:

• "Corona Wuhan Na" - New Coronavirus Comedy Song But With A Serious Message [Video And Lyrics Included]
• Hip Hop Public Health Launches 20 Seconds or More Initiative Harnessing the Power of Music to Encourage Hand Washing and Other Safety Protocols Amongst Young People to Battle the COVID-19 Pandemic
• "Together We are One" - A Music Video With a Message of Inspiration and Hope During These Difficult Times [Video Included]

"The Trayvon Hoax" Film is now on YouTube for Free, Director says "Enjoy Stay at Home Bonus!" [Video Included]

"The Trayvon Hoax" Film is now on YouTube for Free (PRNewsfoto/HIghway 61 Entertainment)

The best-selling film, The Trayvon Hoax: Unmasking the Witness Fraud that Divided America, is now available to watch on YouTube for free for a limited time. Director and producer Joel Gilbert describes this free offer as a "stay at home bonus" for those locked down due to Covid-19 restrictions. 

The Trayvon Hoax was first screened to the public at The National Press Club in Washington DC last September, and is also a book of the same name, available on DVD, Paperback and eBook on Amazon.com

The Trayvon Hoax: Unmasking the Witness Fraud that Divided America, is a stunning work of investigative journalism. Hollywood filmmaker Joel Gilbert claims to reveal the true story of the 2012 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, a case that divided America. 

By examining Trayvon's 750-page cell phone records, Gilbert alleges that the key witness for the prosecution of George Zimmerman, Rachel Jeantel, was a fraud. He asserts that it was a different girl who was on the phone with Trayvon just before he was shot. She was the 16-year-old whose recorded phone conversation with family attorney Benjamin Crump ignited the public, swayed President Obama, and provoked the nation's media to demand Zimmerman's arrest. 

Gilbert's painstaking research takes him through the high schools of Miami, into the back alleys of Little Haiti, and finally to Florida State University where he finds Trayvon's real girlfriend, the real phone witness, Diamond Eugene. Gilbert confirms his revelations with forensic handwriting analysis and DNA testing. After obtaining unredacted court documents and reading Diamond Eugene's vast social media archives, Gilbert reconstructs the true story of Trayvon Martin's troubled teenage life and tragic death. 

In the process, Gilbert exposes in detail the most consequential hoax in recent American judicial history. The Trayvon Hoax was ground zero for the downward spiral of race relations in America. This incredible film and book have the potential to correct American history and bring America back together again.

George Zimmerman was inspired to launch a lawsuit based on the research in his documentary that is making its way through the Florida courts.

SOURCE: HIghway 61 Entertainment

Four Video Games To Boost Your Mood

The video game Fortnite revels in silliness. (Epic Games/IGDB)

In her book How Games Move Us (2016), computer games researcher Katherine Isbister writes that her friends and colleagues believe that gaming might numb people’s emotions. Given the possible connection between games and violence, it may be understandable that they think this, but Isbister disagrees with them. She writes that “games can actually play a powerful role in creating empathy and other strong, positive emotional experiences”.

Designers want players to laugh, cry and extend empathy to the other characters and players within digital games. So whether you are looking for a welcome distraction or a mood boost, here are four games to try.

1. Kind Words

Ziba Scott’s Kind Words (Lo Fi Chill Beats to Write To) may seem like an odd game. All it involves is players writing and receiving encouraging letters in a cosy room that cocoons them in the relaxing sounds of of “lo fi chill beats”.

It takes its inspiration from the YouTube sensation lo fi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to. A combination of chill electronic music that is looped over animation, the channel has a surprisingly active live chat that has become a space for heartfelt confession.

Kind Words expands on the spirit of the YouTube stream by allowing players to write a letter about something worrying them and read responses from an anonymous community. While it may be tempting to dismiss this game because of its simplicity, the exchange of messages may have an important role to play. In How Games Move Us, Katherine Isbister relates this type of communication to a note left by a parent in a child’s lunchbox – a small but heartfelt attempt to reach out.

2. Going Under

According to the game designer Dan Cook, humour in games is difficult due to the conflicting nature of video games and comedy. While comedy comes from unexpected violations of the expected, video games rely on the predictable to be playable.

Broadly speaking, even excellent comedic writing is doomed when placed within the context of a video game because the required repetition of a game means that players will come to expect what was once the unexpected. However, comedy and punk-culture scholar Krista Bonello contends that comedy in games can be successful when it comes from exploiting the player’s experience of (and nostalgia for) previous games.

In that vein, the game Going Under succeeds by twisting the familiar setting of the action-adventure into the world of crumbling startups. Instead of searching for buried treasure in mystical ruins, players must instead explore the remnants of failed tech companies and strip the buildings of assets. Perhaps most comically of all, we are expected to do this for free, because we’re only interns.

3. Fortnite

When life is as dark as it is right now, it’s important to remember the importance of “fun”. Johan Huizinga, a Dutch historian and cultural theorist, first wrote about the idea of fun in 1938, saying:

The fun of playing resists all analysis, all logical interpretation. As a concept, it cannot be reduced to any other mental category.

Huizinga argued that fun was something beyond rational capacities, something universal to humans and other animals alike. This was not to discount fun as irrelevant but to establish its importance among our emotional capacities.

As such, there’s never been a better time to log in to Epic Games’ Fortnite. Although a competitive shooting game at heart, Fortnite distances itself from similar games through its cartoon-like aesthetic that can be felt in its gameplay as well as its visual design. The game welcomes up to 100 players to indulge in the childlike play of building box forts and throwing snowballs together, all while dressed as a pink llama. The game’s devotion to fun has amassed over 250 million players so far.

4. Euro Truck Simulator

Finally, I’d like to suggest to anyone who just needs to relax – or to embrace, as we call it in game theory, abnegation. Popularised by the paper Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics, abnegation is generally thought of as a synonym for that feeling of “zoning out” we can experience when playing games.

Euro Truck Simulator, an almost entirely pointless game, asks players to engage in the long, thankless job of driving a shipping truck through simulations of mainland Europe. In providing players with a straightforward goal and some simple but hard to master controls, some players can find themselves sucked into the game for hours at a time.

About Today's Contributor:

Conor Mckeown, , King's College London

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

Five Classic Isolation Movies – Recommended By A Film Scholar

James Stewart and Wendell Corey in Rear Window (1954) (Paramount Studios)

As a film scholar, I am constantly being asked if I am enjoying the lockdown because it has given me more time to watch films. My answer is not simple. Yes, it is good to catch up on some films I missed at the cinema, or finally get around to rewatching Berlin Alexanderplatz.

But, for someone like me, who finds social isolation very difficult, watching movies alone can be a painful reminder of what a communal activity cinema-going usually is, as this research from Essex University has found.

So I have started to watch films that reassure me that I am not the only one feeling lonely and going stir crazy. Here, then, are five great films about being stuck indoors or in forced isolation. Some of these may not be for the faint-hearted, but they are all well worth watching.

Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)

Rear Window may be the definitive lockdown movie. The story is simple: Jimmy Stewart’s adventure-seeking photographer finds himself trapped in his apartment with a broken leg. He begins to semi-innocently spy on his neighbours until he becomes convinced that one of them may have murdered their wife.

The film is both a mischievous examination of the voyeur in us all, and a cautionary tale about the devil making work for idle hands. It is also a testament to the power of imagination. We might not be able to have meals, complete with champagne, delivered to us by Grace Kelly, but we can make up stories about what that strange man across the street is up to. It will help pass the time. And you know he’s doing the same about you.

The Exterminating Angel (Luis Buñuel, 1962)

Buñuel’s surrealist masterpiece remains cinema’s definitive portrait of societal breakdown, and 90% of it takes place in one room. Following a lavish dinner party at one of their houses, a large group of aristocrats find themselves inexplicably unable to leave the drawing room. The longer they remain there together the more the thin veneer of civilisation cracks.

First the servants leave and the guests are reduced to using antique vases as toilets. Soon the food and water run out and precious medication is stolen. The elderly and frail start to die. Some respond by indulging their hedonistic desires, some resort to prayer and calls for sacrifice, others kill themselves in despair. This might sound unbearably bleak, but Buñuel plays it all for the most mordant kind of comedy. Six decades have not blunted the fangs on this one.

This is Not a Film (Jafar Panahi, 2011)

In late 2010, Jafar Panahi, one of Iran’s greatest filmmakers, was sentenced by his government to six years in prison and a 20-year ban on making films for allegedly conspiring to produce “propaganda against the Islamic Republic”. Awaiting the final verdict under house arrest, Panahi did what any good dissident would do: he made a film.

Shot on an iPhone and a digital camcorder, This is Not a Film shows Panahi going about his daily routine, speaking to his lawyers, acting out scenes from a film he expects to never make, talking about his previous work, and interacting with a few neighbours and workmen.

The result is a powerful riposte to state censorship and a sly work of meta-cinema typical of its maker. But the film also has an incredible urgency about it. It is as if Panahi had to make the film simply to stay sane. A timely reminder that you don’t need expensive equipment or money to make great art, and that sometimes the best work comes out of crisis and restraint.

Housebound (Gerard Johnstone, 2014)

It is easy to see why Peter Jackson went out of his way to champion this low-budget effort by first-time writer-director Gerard Johnstone (the famed New Zealand director called it “bloody brilliant”). Like Jackson’s own early films, Housebound shoots for a difficult balance of irreverent comedy, suspense, and splatter, and somehow pulls it off.

The story revolves around a 20-something tearaway named Kylie who placed under house arrest in her childhood home, which her mother casually insists is haunted. At first Kylie thinks her mother is just dotty, but when she is also confronted by mysteriously opening doors, disappearing objects and noises in the night, she begins to wonder.

Essential viewing for people with old, noisy houses. Extra points for the probation officer who reveals himself to be an amateur ghost hunter, and the very plucky female protagonist whose response to encountering a creepy doll is to smash its face in.

Crowhurst (Simon Rumley, 2017)

Independent British filmmaker Simon Rumley’s retelling of Donald Crowhurst’s disastrous attempt to sail solo and non-stop around the world in 1968, which ended in his disappearance and probable suicide, offers a masterclass in low-budget filmmaking. A good deal of the movie consists of Crowhurst (played by the excellent Justin Salinger) alone on a very small trimaran. Rumley, however, puts the viewer squarely inside Crowhurst’s head as his loneliness, isolation and fear of failure slowly cause him to crack.

This is not a movie for everyone. It is intense to say the least, and the more unhinged Crowhurst gets, the more self-consciously raw the filmmaking becomes. The fact that it was championed by Nicolas Roeg, the late, great maestro of mind-bending British cinema, will be the ultimate recommendation for those looking for something more adventurous.

This list is hardly exhaustive. There are many more films about isolation to watch while in isolation: from Persona to Safe, from Repulsion to Right at Your Door. I just wanted to guide people to a few lesser-known films alongside a pair of classics that worth revisiting now more than ever.

Stay safe and happy viewing.

About Today's Contributor:

Brian Hoyle, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies, University of Dundee

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

The Cranberries "Zombie" Video Hits 1 Billion YouTube Views Making History As First Irish Band Ever To Hit This Milestone

The Cranberries' iconic video for "Zombie" has hit 1 billion views on YouTube, breaking records as the first Irish band to hit this milestone.

Taken from their second album No Need To Argue and released in September 1994, the official video for The Cranberries track "Zombie" has just passed 1 billion views on YouTube, breaking records as the first Irish band to hit this milestone. 

The Cranberries now join a small club of iconic artists to reach this landmark and the video is the fifth most viewed rock video of all time globally according to Louder Sound.

Written by Dolores O'Riordan as a protest song after IRA bombings in Warrington killed two children and injured 56 others in March 1993, "Zombie" was recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin and was produced by long time Cranberries collaborator Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur). Containing the lyrics "But you see, it's not me. It's not my family," the band were adamant "Zombie" should be the lead single from their new album and resisted the suggestion to go with a less political track, such was their commitment to the song. 

The official video directed by Samuel Bayer – who now notches his second billion viewed clip following Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' – shows original footage of Northern Irish street scenes with children playing war games during The Troubles, including the now famous political and historical murals. 

In the video a gilded Dolores O'Riordan stands before a giant cross wearing a crown of thorns surrounded by silver cherubs, with cutaway shots of the band performing live outdoors.

The Cranberries' iconic video for "Zombie" has hit 1 billion views on YouTube, breaking records as the first Irish band to hit this milestone. (screengrab)

Fergal Lawler, The Cranberries drummer said of the achievement, "We are so delighted with the news that 'Zombie' has reached 1 billion views on YouTube. We are sure Dolores has a big, proud smile on her face too. Thank you so much to all our fans around the world for supporting us over so many years. Hopefully you are all safe and well and managing to find some hope and positivity in our music."

Noel Hogan, The Cranberries guitarist continues, "For 'Zombie' to reach 1 billion views has been a long road and another milestone for the band. Little did we think twenty something years ago that this song would stand the test of time and mean so much too so many. All we can say is thank you to the fans for all they have done for us."

Bassist Mike Hogan concludes, "I can still remember making such a great video and seeing the impact that it had - and still does - on people. Big shout out to all The Cranberries fans around the world - thanks so much."

Their most commercially successful single, "Zombie" went on to top the singles charts in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland and was #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in the US. In 1995 it was awarded 'Best Song' at the MTV Europe Music Awards, and was voted #1 on Australia's Triple J Hottest 100 chart in 1994. 

On January 16th 2018, Colin Parry - father of Tim Parry, the twelve year old victim of the Warrington bomb - thanked Dolores O'Riordan for the 'majestic and (also) very real lyrics" in the track.

The Cranberries' iconic video for "Zombie" has hit 1 billion views on YouTube, breaking records as the first Irish band to hit this milestone. (screengrab)

The Cranberries debut album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? was released and charted at #1 on the UK album charts in March 1993. Their second and most commercially successful album No Need To Argue was released in October 1994 and stayed on the UK charts for 98 weeks after being certified multiple platinum, making the band global superstars. 

In April 2019, The Cranberries released their eighth and final album, In The End, the vocals for which had been recorded by Dolores prior to her tragic passing in 2018. Guitarist Noel Hogan confirmed its release would honor her memory. In The End reached top 10 in the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, and on the Billboard Independent Albums chart in the US. It was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards.

An expanded reissue of No Need To Argue is planned for release by UMe/Island later this year.

SOURCE: UMe/Island

"Together We are One" - A Music Video With a Message of Inspiration and Hope During These Difficult Times [Video Included]

"Together We are One" - A Music Video With a Message of Inspiration and Hope During These Difficult Times (screengrab)

Performance Solutions Worldwide has announced the release of Together We are One, a music video that offers hope and inspiration during these difficult times. Produced in the heartland of America, the video sends the message that if we work together, we can overcome anything.

The video is written and produced by Denny Drake and Gunnar Guenette, with audio and video production by Aaron Martin and Rob Campbell. Featured on guitar are John Rodgers and Gunnar Guenette, accompanied by Michael Fitzsimmons on percussion. 

Together We are One is a gift to the world, which inspires and offers hope to those looking for strength and guidance during an epic battle with an unseen enemy that has altered daily life as we know it.

"This anthem is a message of hope, a prayer for us all. It serves as a tribute to everyone that anything is possible if we work together," said Denny Drake, president and chief executive officer of Performance Solutions Worldwide.

Drake added, "As I look around during this time of great uncertainty, I see a nation and a world coming together as one to fight this great pandemic."

Drake encourages those who view the video to share it with friends and family as a message to not give up, and work together as a nation and throughout the world, regardless of race, religion, or political views. "We are all human beings who share the same pain, fears and emotions. Together, we are one." – Denny Drake.

Together We Are One - The Video:

Together We Are One - Lyrics:

When at all began with nothing but ourselves
in the vision of one god

through the eyes of the child and the spirit of the world
we are one, together we are one

has it changed since then with the shift of the wind
and challenges to great for some

we embrace the unknown rise above it all
we are one, together we are one

look around, feel your heart
we’re not that different after all
together we inspire, together we are strong

when we’re together we are one

language not the same different minds, hearts and souls
our dreams…they give us hope

waters of the Earth, the air, sky and sun
we are one, together we are one

look around, feel your heart
the universe hears

us all together we inspire

together we are strong to be more than our selves we are one

since the moment of change

and stand in line
the opportunity from adversity captures some

so on the road we travel and on mountains steep to climb

we are one, forever we are one

we are one, forever we are one

SOURCE: Performance Solutions

4 Strategies for Embracing Obstacles

4 Strategies for Embracing Obstacles

If you’re facing some life challenges, it can be hard to remember that it’s normal to have obstacles crop up from time to time. Everyone has setbacks, disappointments, and tough times. But going through a rough patch doesn’t have to spoil your life. The key to thriving in the face of adversity is how you respond to the obstacles in your path.

Here are four strategies to help you ride through and come out on top.

Decide to embrace the obstacle

If you’re having a tough time, it can be easy to feel helpless, even that you’re a victim. But it’s up to you to rise to the challenge and decide that you won’t be overwhelmed. Choosing to take control and embrace your challenge is the first step in overcoming it. Look your obstacle square in the face and resolve to meet it.

Be okay with discomfort

The proof that you’re embracing your obstacle is acknowledging that it doesn’t feel good. It can feel uncomfortable, heavy, even painful. There are lots of life experiences that hurt at the time but end up being for your best and highest good. From marathon training to going to the dentist to public speaking, even facing your debtors, you feel so much better once you’ve faced the worst. Remember it won’t last forever. Don’t shrink from the bad feelings. You can ride them out!

4 Strategies for Embracing Obstacles

Make sure you have a support team

You don’t have to face your obstacles alone. It can make all the difference to have people around you who are supportive, who’ll stick by you and cheer you on when you want to give up.

If you have a cheer squad, you’ll find that extra level of energy to help get you through. And you’ll be there for your friends and colleagues when they’re facing their challenges. Once you’re part of a team who have each other’s backs, none of you will have to face life’s ups and downs alone. You’ll fight together and celebrate success together.

Be grateful for your obstacles

Feeling gratitude for the challenges in life might sound counter-intuitive. But think about it. Accepting the challenge, resolving to meet it head-on, and overcoming it makes you a better, stronger person. Think of how good it feels to deal with a problem and solve it. To face fear and overcome it.

Without obstacles in your life, you would not grow and learn and become a better person. Obstacles are a natural, normal part of living an authentic life.

4 Strategies for Embracing Obstacles