friday five

Remember when I said "every few weeks" on Friday I would try and post my favorite links from the week? You veteran readers out there probably read that as "every few months." And you were correct. The unfortunate part is that I would have made this a more regular feature except for the fact that I didn't feel like there was a ton I wanted to share with you guys. Sure a couple cool things here and there, but nothing overwhelming. This week, though, is an exception. There were a ton of great, uplifting links floating around the internet the past two weeks, so I've picked my favorite five to share. (Does it have to do with summer starting or it being graduation season? Is it like "sweeps" season for the internet or something because seriously I feel like the gatekeeper of the web kicked it up a notch or something.) Either way, enjoy my recent favorites. (Click the title links to read/watch each!)

1. Is Fear Holding You Back?

Buddy Media is the goliath of a marketing solutions company that I had some exposure to back when I was working as a social media manager at my last agency. They kind of skyrocketed into the spotlight as a big box manager of social media campaigns for brands. Us little guys (I say little because while I worked at a fairly medium-to-large-sized independent agency, our social department was only three people) would always hear rumblings from our bigger clients about Buddy Media. We were constantly being measured against them so I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder about them. Due to this exposure, I wasn't surprised when it was announced this week that they were acquired by Salesforce.com for a whopping $689 million.

While I felt a small tinge of jealousy at their success (yeah, I have petty moments just like everyone does), every ounce of it melted away when I saw this video created by Buddy Media's CEO. This is a perfect example of how our feelings and opinions toward people or things can be molded by a false perception. I won't ruin the video for you, but after watching it I have a tremendous amount of respect for the company and really couldn't be happier for them, or for Michael Lazerow. The video tells a painful yet inspirational story that few probably knew before, and it's a reminder of what's possible when you live life without fear. (It's also set to one of my favorite Cary Brothers songs, so that's a plus.)

2. From Homeless to High School Valedictorian

Photo source: good.is

I love stories of people who have come into such difficult circumstances in life, and rather than let it define them, they use it to fuel their dreams. This particular boy in Chicago was kicked out of his aunt's home for being different and, despite living under such tumultuous circumstances, committed himself to achievement. It's a story of staying true to yourself and overcoming the odds - truly moving.

3. The Love Competition

I have a fascination with the human brain. I love anything having to do with cognitive science, psychology, social psychology, the whole works. I also have a fascination with love. (This can be easily deduced from the many posts/tweets/conjectures made about the nature of love and how we experience it.  What can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic. In a super over-analytical way, of course.) Anyway, I found this video on BuzzFeed which is literally a perfect mashup of two of these passions of mine. The Stanford MRI Lab told participants that they had five minutes to love someone or something as hard as they could, and the contestants' brain scans would be compared and measured against one another. The resulting documentary-style video is a precious examination of the science (and yet also lack of science) of love.


4. Marina Keegan: The Opposite of Loneliness

Warning: this is both tragic and beautiful. If you are faint of heart you might want to skip it. A talented Yale graduate wrote this piece for their school newspaper to be published during the week of their commencement, but tragically passed away in a car accident the week before it ran. Her eloquence and wisdom was far beyond her years, and she managed to capture the subtleties of the transition from college to the real world perfectly. I think almost anyone can relate to her words, and her talent and vulnerability in this piece is an inspiration.

5. Isaac's Lip Dub Proposal

Fun fact about me: I hate big, grand marriage proposals. Choreographed dances at Disney World? Jumbotrons at sporting events? Blimps? No thank you. Not my style. Which is why when I read the words "lib dub proposal" I'm pretty sure I said the words OH GAWD aloud. However, I can honestly say that throughout this entire video I had a huge smile plastered on my face and the creativity alone is enough to make me fall in love with this idea. Still not sure it's how I would picture that special moment in my life, but for this couple it seemed just perfect. Enjoy!

5.5 (Apparently I have an issue with following my self-imposed rules.)

I just have to give an honorable mention to this Re-Cut Trailor of Mrs. Doubtfire due to a last minute submission by Jason. Mrs. Doubtfire is probably one of my favorite movies of all time and I've been known to quote it in life OFTEN. If you feel the same way, this will undoubtedly make you LOL.

And with that, I hope you all have an awesome weekend! I'm headed to dinner tonight with my family - my Grandmom Betty, Aunt Betsy and my cousin Anna Claire are in town. Tomorrow I'm headed down to Vero Beach to watch my college friend Brooke get married! Can't wait to be reunited with my college friends and I'll do my best to take pictures!

Happy Friday!