If you’ve seen this short film, perhaps you’re living its inspiration today. (If your company’s firewall won’t let you watch the video, it’s worth forwarding to your home and watching there. Better yet, urge your boss to use the film to spark the momentum of innovation you seek.)
Caine Monroy is a hero. In what ways does he remind you of who you are?
If you believe in the power of the human spirit, than you know that Caine’s father is also a hero. He created the conditions for Caine to be the best Caine ever. What conditions will you create for others to be their best ever?
There are other hero’s in the film. What about Nirvan, the man who made the film? He didn’t see boxes and a silly boy. He saw greatness. What will you do today to realize and activate the potential in “ordinary” people and situations around you?
There are also those who responded to Nirvan’s call for help. Without customers, without that day of business, perhaps Caine learns a different lesson: My ideas aren’t good enough. I’m a failure. I can’t be great. (It hurts to even imagine such thoughts.) Those who responded in service to others are heroes. Whose success will you fight for today?
Caine’s Arcade is more than a gathering of games – it’s the reminder that in every moment we can choose to be the hero we want to be.
What a gift your post is. I will probably meet someone tonight, or maybe tomorrow morning that I can inspire to live up to their potential… to let their greatness soar. Thank YOU for this! steve
As one commenter said, “it’s the best ten minutes I’ve spent all year.’
Caine is MY hero! What inspiring innovation and creativity is flowing in that little mind! Helping others by “creating the conditions for success” is the wonderful pay it forward mindset, because it all comes full circle when we are giving others the encouragement to believe in themselves. This story of sharing someone else’s vision of possibilities, starting with simple ideas and growing them beyond what could have ever been imagined is the key, and to do so without needing a preconceived idea of the final outcome, but who might be reached, even if it is only ONE person! Caine has encouraged me personally, to pursue my dreams! (even at 50!Yesterday was my birthday..) Publishing my poetry book, taking on more challenging work, or taking a life path that is a step of faith into the unknown, exciting and terrifying at the same time, this small child has changed my life today!
Then Nirvan, who was that ONE person, doing what he could to share Caine’s dream and all the others who responded to that call to do their small part to make another human being’s dream a reality. I can see this kid going WAY beyond his Cardboard Arcade, designing his own games, but even at this early age, helping another to believe in their own ideas and visions. This wasn’t about making money, it was about watering something already growing inside him, seeing it peek through the cracks in the very concrete, restricted space and time of limited exposure, and blossoming into something beautiful to share with SO many!
Caine reminds me of my son, Ben, who now at 25, is a Colorado School of Mines graduate with a mechanical engineering degree. At 6 or 7, while playing with his own match box cars and legos, he also had such great imagination, designing his OWN creations, dreamed of what those possibilities could be if he could design build his own REAL race cars. I ran across something he wrote for school many, many years ago about his love for corvettes and the original designer and a bold statement, at about Caine’s age, that he WOULD some day own one. I do believe that was the starting point which set him on his own path to become an engineer. I would love for Ben to talk with Caine about how he felt when he was really able to buy his dream car last year, but more so, the life changing events that moved him toward this point in his adult life. He is leading boldly in his current work and sharing his enthusiasm and “I can do anything!” attitude with both older and newly graduated engineers. I truly believe Caine will go far beyond his wildest dreams. And many thanks to all who helped build up that “I can do anything!” belief in himself!
I love the last three words, “I was proud”. All through the video there was encouragement, only recognition of his strengths. What are the possibilties now?
Thank you for sharing, what a powerful story!
I’m inspired by Cain’s fearlessness. Naive, youthful, brilliant fearlessness! How can we remember how we once were the same? I will work today to encourage those around me to achieve their dreams.
Joe, thanks for the question. It is a reminder to have that fearlessness and to go for it … 100% All In!