Check out this amazing short film — about one man’s quest to make a city smile — which premiered today. If it doesn’t make your day, I’ll give you your money back. (Full disclosure: I know the filmmaker).

74 Responses to “The perfect 4-minute film to start your new year”

  1. Deb says:

    Amazing what an impact we can have on others!

  2. The optism, and belief that one makes a difference is what I need on the first of the year. This pieces.makes me smile, glad he gets up in the morning to do it.
    The most impactful type of this kind of social media is the on by Ron Edry an Israeli graphic artist on Israel Loves Iran….had a huge impact all over the mid east…

    • Josephine Constance says:

      How incredible that is ~ not that it worked, because I KNOW it does, but that someone was actually inspired to do that!!! Wonderful!!! Love IS the greatest power there is in this world. May Truth proclaim Peace throughout the Land! Thanks SO much for sharing that! It absolutely touches my heart.

  3. Ray Attiyah says:

    Happiness is how you define it. Wonderful reminder Sophia and Massoud. Thank you Dan for sharing. Ray

  4. Melanie says:

    Started a Good Things Jar today. This is the first thing going in it~to start 2013! Thank you!

  5. Melissa says:

    I hope I see one of his signs when I am downtown! I think I will do this at my school for carpool! Thanks for making my smile an extra large one today!

  6. Well put together and inspirational. Thanks!

  7. Brian Taylor says:

    Sophie and Massoud, your film did indeed make my day! Well done! Dan, many thanks to you for sharing this great film.

  8. matt whitman says:

    I won an election holding a THANK YOU sign!!

  9. I love the positivity. Great story!

  10. Rex Williams says:

    Great idea… for difference making and a film.

    I think most drivers are accustomed to people holding signs asking for something. This is a good way to change the perception.

    This is also a great project for a class or group of people – come up with interesting things to write on the signs, then go hold them and see what happens. You like social/behavioral experiments, Dan, maybe you could run a few. Find out what kind of messages generate the most responses. Or you could try one location at the same time every day and see if response increases over time. (All kinds of experiments are coming to my mind now.)

    It also makes the trip more interesting for the driver. What if people were doing this everywhere?

    (Great to have a skilled filmmaker on your team.)

  11. Angie says:

    THIS IS Fantastic!!! I live in a small town- but would Love to do it, just because – it might make someone’s day that much better- Mine. 😉

  12. Rite says:

    Awesome! Keep it up! The cliff is still out there, but you can make sure we don’t go off it! Thanks for your positivity!

  13. I am honking right now! : ) I LOVE this.

  14. Maria says:

    Thanks Dan for posting. Definitely made my day and made me smile.

  15. Vince Green says:

    Honk! 🙂

  16. Kent says:

    Emotion is Contagious

  17. earl veale says:

    Films like the one you posted (and Sophia created) always remind me of what I once read in a Steve Chandler book.

    “We weep for the winner inside of all of us. In these poignant moments, we cry because we know for a fact that there is something in us that could be every bit as great as what we are watching. We are, for that moment, the untapped greatness we are seeing. But we get tears in our eyes, because we know the greatness isn’t being realized. We could have been like that, but we aren’t.”

    … yet. Thank you for the jump start to the New Year.

    • Sheila says:

      Thanks for the quote Earle. I feel like I am the only one here who cried instead of smiling. But it was “good” crying. Random acts such as this are so easy to do but we do so few! Great way to start the year.

      • Kimberly says:

        You aren’t the only one that cries at great things like this. I cry all the time at positive and inspiring displays of love and kindness. 🙂 xo!

      • Josephine says:

        I too cry when I hear or see such great things happening and, happily, that’s more and more often these days.

  18. Dave Delaney says:

    I love this Dan. Thank you for sharing it.
    It is fun to think that even the video about the story made me smile. Very inspiring.

    Here is a short film about a professional sign carrier. I think everyone will enjoy it too: https://vimeo.com/9573920

  19. I’m going to get in my car and honk the horn immediately. Inspirational and proof that everyone can make a difference. The smallest act and reminder can have a big ripple effect.

  20. Dan, great film by Massoud. It made my day! Thank you.

    I don’t know if people noticed, but I wondered about this credit: “directed, edited, and produced by Sophia Pink”. I looked further into who this Sophia Pink person is, and I’m betting she is your 16-year-old, extremely talented daughter. I then watched her “Access Denied” Vimeo video. Bold and very well done. Excellent! Please pass along my “review”. You and your wife must be proud.

    Awaiting my copy of TSIH from Amazon.

  21. Jacques Cool says:

    Honking from my keyboard here. 🙂

  22. Andy Kaufman says:

    And I thought YOU were the innovator of the family! Move over Dad! Sophia is headed to the big time! 🙂

    Thanks for sharing the smile.

  23. Great post and film. Made my day.
    Have you heard of Johnny Barnes in Bermuda? He has stood on the busiest roundabout every morning waving and telling people he loves them.
    You need the happiness to make you smile
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nveq-kwVu3g

  24. John Evans says:

    Truly Inspiring! Thanks for sharing!

    A wonderful work by two inspired young people. Now for those of us who are no longer as young as we once were, how do we make a difference?!

  25. Debbie says:

    I loved that! I’ll show it to my students when we go back to school next week. Here is one that also gets me thinking about what power we have to make or break those around us on a daily basis.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao

  26. Prakash says:

    Thank you, amazing one! Perfect way to start the year, indeed..

  27. Balt Leenman says:

    Nice! I’m from the Netherlands, I never saw someone do such a thing over here. Love it, thanks for sharing. 🙂

  28. Made me smile! :::HONK!:::HONK::: 🙂

  29. ml Jacoby says:

    We should all spend one hour holding OUR sign
    start to make a difference today
    excellent topic and excellent film

  30. Don says:

    Thanks for sharing. Inspiring video.
    Thanks too for your webinar! Dual inspiration for 2013.

  31. Linda Besse says:

    Fabulous! Thanks for the lift.

  32. Kathy Dee says:

    HONK, HONK. HONK … cause I couldn’t figure out how to imbed a sound clip that honks.

  33. Rick Vettraino says:

    I am making these posters for the first day back with students. They will go up in my room!!

  34. Vern Edin says:

    What an inspiring story full of happiness —- loved it! A really special (yet simple) way to start one’s day! Thanks for making me smile.

  35. Rafe Sagalyn says:

    Dear Sophia Pink — congratulations and THANK YOU!

  36. Mick says:

    I think this would be a great thing to do at school whether in the pick up line, the cafeteria, or in the hallway. I think we will try it! Thanks for the inspiration!

  37. Nick says:

    I will do this will a group of kids when they come back to school this year.

  38. Richard says:

    Terrific! Optimism is much needed and contagious. I shared with my 14 year old daughter, she loved it. Well done Sophia!

  39. Wonderful!
    BTW I too loved Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. I find it a tough sell to to others, however I did bully my book club into reading it in 2013!

  40. Love it! Is that your sister who made this film? Awesome job!!!

  41. Angel Gtz says:

    Awesome! Sometimes we forget that simple ideas can make a huge impact in our lives. Perhaps it is time to start thinking: how can we inspire and help others instead of only ourselves.

    Saludos! from Mexico.

  42. I love this!!

    There is a great organization called Students Today Leaders Forever who will do this exact thing – they call them Kindness Rallies.

    I love seeing the students out using their time for good. Keep up the great work all you princes and princesses of positivity!

  43. Bill says:

    Great movie! I saw them on K Street from the bus – had no idea what was going on. Certainly made me smile and made my day. Ordinary and random acts of kindness are the best ones…

  44. The last name of the director sounds familiar 🙂 Excellent video…!

  45. kopstar says:

    There are many things in life we cannot choose but we can choose our attitude. This guy is positively influencing people’s attitude to life.

  46. bob london says:

    Nice video but I was very surprised that about :10 in the browser screen was greyed out and I got a solicitation to subscribe to the DP newsletter!

  47. John says:

    I might have some of my students recreate this in our community! Love it…need more positiveness!

  48. Sarah says:

    Sophia, nicely done and thanks for sharing a bright spot in what can be a dreary, disheartening world. Thanks Dan for sharing. Sheila and Kimberly, I too, shed a few tears, but they were good tears. Happy 2013 everyone!

  49. Tilly says:

    Similar idea as the gratitude challenge. We need many more of these as the world is becoming a scary place to be in. For our children and grandchildren, this is the right attitude.

  50. Wow! Such a small thing with such big impact! Thanks for sharing!

  51. Awesome start to the year. What a great attitude he has.

  52. Martha dennison says:

    Lovely. Has stuck with me … hope it continues to all year long.

    I’m even more buoyed by the fact that it was your 16-year-old daughter who made that film — awesome job! Let’s hope that 2013 is filled with more people trying to do the right thing and more 16-year olds sharing the positive news of the world!

  53. Brahm Memone says:

    This is what the world needs, small acts of love, courage and kindness. It is not in some huge project or climbing the highest mountain or going to Mars that we will change the world. The change is subtle and at grassroots level, when thousands of people each day go out of their way to change the billions of people out there!!
    Thank you Daniel, and Thank you Sophia and especially Massoud!! You are all invaluable to humanity.

  54. Great video. Just forwarded the link to my entire team, and I know some of them will forward it too. Also tweeted it, and my filmmaker son at American University will be sharing it with his classmates.

    Looking forward to seeing you speak tomorrow in Wilmington, DE. The new book is terrific!

  55. Thanks for sharing. It is a wonderful idea. A simple act of kindness and a smile may all someone needs to cheer them up when going through a challenge. May the SMILE be with you.

  56. Sam says:

    We are trying a modified version of this at our high school for when our students return tomorrow. Thank you for the great idea!

  57. Alexandra says:

    That is simply beautiful. And a wonderful reminder of the way we affect those around us. The smallest actions can make a real difference.

    Thank you for sharing this!

  58. Beautiful! (Honking in response loudly!) Prince of Positivity is awe-some, inspiring. It’s refreshing to see small actions bring out the inherent good in all of us.
    Thanks for sharing!

  59. Julie says:

    Loved it, Sophia!
    Thank you for capturing this and helping to spread the happy.

  60. Vicki says:

    Just a little smile can be contagious…HONK!!!

  61. geoff says:

    Hi – I’m the Secondary School Principal at Lincoln Community School in Accra, Ghana. Please tell Sophia congratulations! I showed the video to my student body today (340 students) and then the faculty produced a flashmob holding signs with messages for students. A great welcome back from vacation assembly! I’d be happy to email a few of the awesome photos we took! Great start to the new semester! http://www.lincoln.edu.gh

  62. Mary says:

    So simple, yet so important. Thanks for reminding the world with this little video!

  63. Just watching the video was inspiring! It changed my mood and I want to thank you for sharing it. Have a great day.

  64. Ian Altman says:

    I shared Sophia’s video with my 13 year-old daughter as inspiration for her creative endeavors. I am proud of Sophia (and can only imagine the pride you and your wife must have). Much like the people holding the signs, it takes courage to produce and release the video. How inspiring at all levels. I look forward to Sophia sharing more of her incredible talent and inspiration with the world.

  65. Chris Banzet says:

    AMAZING!! I’m a small business owner, and someday I want to go volunteer to stand there and hold a sign with him. In the “commission” of giving, there is no way to describe the amount of “return” I’ll receive! I would LOVE to see churches, business groups and everyone pick “one” day a month, to donate their time to such a cause as this… so inspirational.

  66. Kathy Peltz says:

    Very inspiring to see people trying to help, from the heart.

  67. Inspiring! Thank you!

    Honk for your efforts and loves.