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The 25 Best Documentaries on Netflix to Watch Right Now

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The Best Documentaries on Netflix

What are the best documentaries on Netflix to watch right now?

We’re about to show you…

We’ve created a list of the 25 best Netflix documentaries to go and check out right now!

 

The 25 Best Documentaries on Netflix to Watch Right Now

The documentaries and figures mentioned below have been compiled from various sources around the web, including Wired, Uproxx & IMDB.

These are the 25 best documentaries on Netflix to watch right now:

 

25. Pumping Iron

Best Netflix Documentaries - Pumping Iron

We’re starting off our list with a documentary about the legendary terminator himself: Arnold Swarschengger.

Pumping Iron follows five-time champion, Arnold, defend his Mr. Olympia title against Serge Nubret and Lou Ferrigno, (the Hulk as he’s best known for).

Released in 1977, it documents the world of professional bodybuilding; focusing on the 1975 IFBB Mr. Universe and 1975 Mr. Olympia competitions.

In short, Pumping Iron is a guys classic and rightly deserves its place amongst the best documentaries on Netflix!

 

24. Dogs

Best Netflix Documentaries - Dogs

This documentary series celebrates the deep and emotional connection people have with their dogs.

It follows six individuals and their own unique bond with their canine companions.

Each episode follows a different person’s story from around the world.

It examines how dogs and humans interconnect, as well as the relationship in different countries and cultures.

They truly are mans best friend!

 

23. Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World

Best Netflix Documentaries - Lo And Behold

Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World is a 2016 American documentary film directed by Werner Herzog.

It documents Herzog’s thoughts on the existential impact of the Internet, robotics, AI, the Internet of Things, and human life.

Herzog sets out to examine how technology has shaped our lives since its conception.

Meanwhile, during his journey, he meets a variety of characters and takes a careful look at how the Internet has changed their lives, for better or worse.

 

22. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat 

Best Netflix Documentaries - Salt, Fat, Acid and Heat

Ever wanted to know how some of the worlds most inventive dishes are made?

Well, that’s exactly what you’ll find out if you watch this American cooking documentary.

Based on her book of the same name, Samin Nosrat takes your around the world as she tries to show you what she thinks are the four main elements of successful cooking: salt, fat, acid, and heat.

Each instalment focuses on one of the elements and Nosrat travels to a different location to exhibit how the element is used in local cuisine.

Definitely one of the best Netflix documentaries to watch!

 

21. Wild, Wild Country

Best Netflix Documentaries - Wild Wild Country

After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, Wild Wild Country was released on Netflix on March 16, 2018.

It depicts the true story of how the controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, built a utopian city in the Oregon desert and gained a massive cult following.

However, his utopia causes huge conflict with other nearby ranchers and ultimately leads to the first bioterror attack in the United States.

The documentary shows interview footage with former cult members from the 70s.

 

20. Evil Genius

Best Netflix Documentaries - Evil Genius

Produced by Mark and Jay Duplass, Evil Genius is a 2018 true crime documentary series about the murder of Brian Wells.

The case is most commonly known as the “collar bomb” or “pizza bomber” case, as the victim, Brian Wells, was a pizza delivery man that had a bomb strapped around his neck.

As investigators try to get to the bottom of the case, it quickly becomes apparent that there’s more to this than meets the eye!

 

19. Cowspiracy

Best Netflix Documentaries - Cowspiracy

Not for the faint-hearted, Cowspiracy is a 2014 documentary film, produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.

It examines the impact of animal agriculture on the environment and reviews the policies of environmental organizations on this issue.

It follows filmmaker Kip Andersen as he looks into various environmental concerns, such as global warming, deforestation, and ocean dead zones.

The documentary suggests that animal agriculture is the primary source of environmental destruction.

 

18. The White Helmets

Best Netflix Documentaries - The White Helmets

After winning an Oscar in 2017 for the best documentary, White Helmets is without question one of the best Netflix documentaries you’ll watch all year.

The 2016 British documentary follows the daily lives of a group of volunteer rescue workers in the Syrian Civil Defence.

They attempt to rescue the wounded but are themselves left trapped in the wash of airstrikes.

A genuinely heartwarming and inspiring act of heroism in the face of conflict and destruction.

 

17. Abducted In Plain Sight

Best Netflix Documentaries - Abducted in Plain Sight

Abducted in Plain Sight is a 2017 true crime documentary produced by Top Knot Films and later released by Netflix in 2019.

It documents the 1974 true story of the Broburgs, a naive, Christian Idaho family that unfortunately befriended a sociopathic neighbour, who abducted their 12-year-old daughter, twice!

When the daughter returned after the first kidnapping, she assured her parents and the law that “nothing had happened”…. enabling her captor to go free.

Jan was then abducted a second time and subjected to years of sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse.

 

16. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond

Best Netflix Documentaries - Jim And Andy The Great Beyond

Jim Carrey remains in character as Andy Kaufman for the production of the 1999 film Man on the Moon.

Directed by Chris Smith, it takes you behind the scenes of the movie set and alternates between contemporary interviews with Carrey and never before seen footage of the making of Man on the Moon.

It’s super interesting to watch, as we get to see Carrey’s thorough process approaching his role.

 

15. Valley Uprising

Best Netflix Documentaries - Valley Uprising

Fan of heights? How about clinging to the side of a mountain with nothing more than a few ropes and a pair of shorts?

Well, that’s what we see in this grippingly detailed documentary that follows how a group of radicals invented rock climbing in Yosemite National Park.

Once word got out, the group appeared to start a trend, and more people began to climb Yosemite’s rocks every day.

This time, they dared to push the boundaries even further by climbing the biggest rock faces without any ropes, in less than a day!

What!!!

 

14. The Vietnam War

Best Netflix Documentaries - The Vietnam War

If you’re into your history, then this one’s for you!

By far one of the best Netflix documentaries right now, this 10-part American television documentary series is all about the Vietnam War.

After ten years in the making, it tells the historical story of one of the most controversial events in American history, in a way that has never been done before.

Written by Geoffrey C. Ward and directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick; this incredibly complex story includes rarely seen and digitally re-mastered footage from many sources around the world.

 

13. Amy

Best Netflix Documentaries - Amy

Coming in at number 13 on our list of the best Netflix documentaries is a 2015 British documentary film about the life and death of Amy Winehouse.

Amy was a British singer-songwriter who was best known for her chart-topping hits like, “Rehab” and “Back To Black”.

However, she, unfortunately, struggled with substance abuse, both before and after her career blossomed, which ultimately lead to her death.

Her life is documented using archival footage and personal testimonials.

 

12. Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé

Best Netflix Documentaries - Homecoming Beyonce

Beyoncés performance at the 2018 Coachella music festival was sensational, to say the least. This documentary follows her journey from beginning to end.

Fans are given an inside look into her personal life. You witness her surprise pregnancy and her battle to get back in shape before the event kicks off.

Released in 2019, the documentary reveals the emotional road from creative concept to a social movement.

 

11. Take Your Pills

Best Netflix Documentaries - Take Your Pills

Take Your Pills explores the positive and negative effects of the performance-enhancing drug, Adderall.

With the pressure to do more, achieve more and stay ahead in life, it’s becoming exceedingly common for people to use prescription stimulants.

The documentary combines a series of interviews with doctors and patients currently taking Adderall and looks at the history of the development of amphetamines.

 

10. Planet Earth II

Best Netflix Documentaries - Planet Earth II

Into our top 10!

I think most people would agree that this is one of the best documentaries on Netflix without a doubt!

After a successful first series, the man, the myth, the legend himself, Sir David Attenborough is back once again with another series.

Exploring the world’s cities, deserts, jungles and mountains; Sir David is on a mission to track how climate change has impacted the way we live and its implications on society.

The music throughout the Netflix documentary is wonderful and was written and composed by Hans Zimmer.

 

9. The Barkley Marathons

Best Netflix Documentaries - The Barkley Marathons

Ever ran a marathon? How about an ultra-marathon?

Well, in this 2014 documentary we follow 30-40 athletes as they try to conquer one of the worlds toughest races; The Barkley Marathons.

With 60 hours to complete the 100-mile race, competitors are expected to run through some of the roughest terrains on the planet. In the first 25 years of the race’s existence, only 10 people have successfully completed the course.

It’s so gruelling that most runners goal is to complete the “fun run”, which is 60 miles (97 km) of the full course.

That’s like 3 marathons!!!

 

8. The Staircase

Best Netflix Documentaries - The Staircase

Quickly becoming the lead suspect in his wife’s murder investigation, Michael Peterson spends the next seventeen years of his life trying to prove his innocence.

His defence team begin to develop his case and soon discover injustice from investigators, painful family feuds and many more eerily suspicious goings-on.

A well earned eighth place in our list of the best Netflix documentaries.

 

7. Chasing Coral

Best Netflix Documentaries - Chasing Coral

This Netflix documentary is a real eye-opener!

One of the most beautiful natural habitats on our planet are coral reefs, however, they’re vanishing before our eyes at an alarming rate!

The documentary follows a team of divers, photographers and scientists who set out on an ocean mission to determine what is happening to our underwater world.

It brings the reality of human actions and consequences into focus.

 

6. Get Me Roger Stone

Best Netflix Documentaries - Get Me Roger Stone

Appearing on the list as the 6th best Netflix documentary.

This 2017 American documentary film written and directed by Daniel DiMauro, Dylan Bank, and Morgan Pehme, explores the man behind the historic presidential run, Roger Stone.

Roger is a highly connected lobbyist and Republican politician, responsible for the campaigns of former presidents, Richard Nixon and Ronal Reagan.

It’s believed that he is heavily responsible for creating president Trump as we know him today.

 

5. Our Planet

Best Netflix Documentaries - Our Planet

And so we reach the top 5 best documentaries on Netflix!

Marking the first nature documentary Netflix ever made, once again, Sir David Attenborough narrates a powerful documentary focusing on climate change.

In this documentary, everything is bigger, more beautiful and impressive.

The whole series is available to watch in 4K which is highly recommended if you have a compatible TV.

Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 88% approval rating based on 17 reviews and an average rating of 8/10.

 

4. Flint Town

Best Netflix Documentaries - Flint Town

In this eight-episode American documentary series, released on Netflix on March 2, 2018, we see how the police struggle to maintain law and order in the city of Flint, Michigan.

Due to reasons like poverty, crime, financially underfunded public services and the Flint water crisis, the city has been undergoing some major issues.

The documentary follows the cities fight to survive in the twenty-first century.

 

3. Dirty Money

Best Netflix Documentaries - Dirty Money

Do corporations actually care about their consumers anymore or is it all about the money?

Well, that’s what this six-part Netflix original series investigates, among many other justice evading entities.

You witness the documenting evidence from a variety of stories around the world that exposes the greed, corruption, and crime that’s spreading throughout the world.

Banks, corporations, pharmaceutical companies and drug cartels all for one reason or another, manage to evade justice!

 

2. Icarus

Best Netflix Documentaries - Icarus

Icarus is a 2017 American documentary film by Bryan Fogel, and in our opinion, the second best Netflix documentary to watch right now.

Bryan sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports; in particular, the prestigious Haute Route, the Tour de France for amateur cyclists.

He found it difficult to believe that his rival cyclists could be that much better than him. So he made it his mission to document how easy it is to evade doping rules in cycling.

He hired the head of Russia’s anti-doping agency, Grigory Rodchenkov to help make his point.

 

1. Fyre

Best Netflix Documentaries - Fyre

Fyre tops off our list of best documentaries on Netflix!

Simply put, this documentary gives you an exclusive behind the scenes look at the infamous demise of the Fyre music festival.

It documents how Billy McFarland, CEO of Fyre Media Inc, and rapper Ja Rule, tried to create a music festival located on the Bahamian private island of Great Exuma, to promote their companies music booking app.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go quite to plan and the organizers ended up being the subjects of at least eight lawsuits, one of which was seeking more than $100 million in damages!

How much?!!

 

Summary

Well, there we have it. We hope you enjoyed our list of the 25 best documentaries on Netflix.

What’s your opinion? Do you agree with the Netflix list?

Fancy watching a movie or TV series instead? Check out our top Netflix movies and TV series.

To save you time scrolling, here’s a quick recap of the 25 best documentaries on Netflix to watch right now:

  1. Fyre
  2. Icarus
  3. Dirty Money
  4. Flint Town
  5. Our Planet
  6. Get Me Roger Stone
  7. Chasing Coral
  8. The Staircase
  9. The Barkley Marathons
  10. Planet Earth II
  11. Take Your Pills
  12. Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé
  13. Amy
  14. The Vietnam War
  15. Valley Uprising
  16. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond
  17. Abducted In Plain Sight
  18. The White Helmets
  19. Cowspiracy
  20. Evil Genius 
  21. Wild, Wild Country
  22. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat
  23. Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World
  24. Dogs
  25. Pumping Iron

Which of these Netflix documentaries is your favorite? Leave a comment below.

Matt McIntyre is a digital marketing consultant and certified marketing strategist. When he's not talking about business or marketing, you'll find him in the gym.

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Top Lists

The 10 Best Short Moral Stories With Valuable Lessons

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The 10 Best Short Moral Stories

Stories that have morals and messages behind them are always powerful. In fact, it’s crazy just how powerful a 200 word story can be.

Our last article of short stories became so popular, that we decided to create another list, in which every story has a simple moral behind it.

 

The 10 Best Short Moral Stories

Some of these stories are very short and basic. In fact some are so basic they’re most likely featured in children’s books somewhere. However, the strength of the message remains the same.

Here’s some more of the best short moral stories:

 

1. An Old Man Lived in the Village

Short Moral Stories - An Old Man

An old man lived in the village. He was one of the most unfortunate people in the world. The whole village was tired of him; he was always gloomy, he constantly complained and was always in a bad mood.

The longer he lived, the more bile he was becoming and the more poisonous were his words. People avoided him, because his misfortune became contagious. It was even unnatural and insulting to be happy next to him.

He created the feeling of unhappiness in others.

But one day, when he turned eighty years old, an incredible thing happened. Instantly everyone started hearing the rumour:

 

“An Old Man is happy today, he doesn’t complain about anything, smiles, and even his face is freshened up.”

 

The whole village gathered together. The old man was asked:

Villager: What happened to you?

 

“Nothing special. Eighty years I’ve been chasing happiness, and it was useless. And then I decided to live without happiness and just enjoy life. That’s why I’m happy now.” – An Old Man

 

Moral of the story:

Don’t chase happiness. Enjoy your life.

 

2. The Wise Man

Short Moral Stories - The Wise Man

People have been coming to the wise man, complaining about the same problems every time. One day he told them a joke and everyone roared in laughter.

After a couple of minutes, he told them the same joke and only a few of them smiled.

When he told the same joke for the third time no one laughed anymore.

The wise man smiled and said:

 

“You can’t laugh at the same joke over and over. So why are you always crying about the same problem?”

 

Moral of the story:

Worrying won’t solve your problems, it’ll just waste your time and energy.

 

3. The Foolish Donkey

Short Moral Stories - The Foolish Donkey

A salt seller used to carry the salt bag on his donkey to the market every day.

On the way they had to cross a stream. One day the donkey suddenly tumbled down the stream and the salt bag also fell into the water. The salt dissolved in the water and hence the bag became very light to carry. The donkey was happy.

Then the donkey started to play the same trick every day.

The salt seller came to understand the trick and decided to teach a lesson to it. The next day he loaded a cotton bag on the donkey.

Again it played the same trick hoping that the cotton bag would be still become lighter.

But the dampened cotton became very heavy to carry and the donkey suffered. It learnt a lesson. It didn’t play the trick anymore after that day, and the seller was happy.

 

Moral of the story:

Luck won’t favor always.

 

4. Having A Best Friend

Short Moral Stories - Having A Best Friend

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand;

 

“Today my best friend slapped me in the face.”

 

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone;

 

“Today my best friend saved my life.”

 

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him;

 

“After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?”

 

The other friend replied;

 

“When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”

 

Moral of the story: 

Don’t value the things you have in your life. But value who you have in your life.

 

5. The Four Smart Students

Short Moral Stories - The Four Smart Students

One night four college students were out partying late night and didn’t study for the test which was scheduled for the next day. In the morning, they thought of a plan.

They made themselves look dirty with grease and dirt.

Then they went to the Dean and said they had gone out to a wedding last night and on their way back the tire of their car burst and they had to push the car all the way back. So they were in no condition to take the test.

The Dean thought for a minute and said they can have the re-test after 3 days. They thanked him and said they will be ready by that time.

On the third day, they appeared before the Dean. The Dean said that as this was a Special Condition Test, all four were required to sit in separate classrooms for the test. They all agreed as they had prepared well in the last 3 days.

The Test consisted of only 2 questions with the total of 100 Points:

 

1) Your Name? __________ (1 Points)

2) Which tire burst? __________ (99 Points)
Options – (a) Front Left (b) Front Right (c) Back Left (d) Back Right

 

Moral of the story:

Take responsibility or you will learn your lesson.

 

6. The Greedy Lion

Short Moral Stories - The Greedy Lion

It was an incredibly hot day, and a lion was feeling very hungry.

He came out of his den and searched here and there. He could find only a small hare. He caught the hare with some hesitation. “This hare can’t fill my stomach” thought the lion.

As the lion was about to kill the hare, a deer ran that way. The lion became greedy. He thought;

 

“Instead of eating this small hare, let me eat the big deer.”

 

He let the hare go and went behind the deer. But the deer had vanished into the forest. The lion now felt sorry for letting the hare off.

 

Moral of the story:

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

 

7. Two Friends & The Bear

Short Moral Stories - Two Friends & The Bear

Vijay and Raju were friends. On a holiday they went walking into a forest, enjoying the beauty of nature. Suddenly they saw a bear coming at them. They became frightened.

Raju, who knew all about climbing trees, ran up to a tree and climbed up quickly. He didn’t think of Vijay. Vijay had no idea how to climb the tree.

Vijay thought for a second. He’d heard animals don’t prefer dead bodies, so he fell to the ground and held his breath. The bear sniffed him and thought he was dead. So, it went on its way.

Raju asked Vijay;

 

“What did the bear whisper into your ears?”

 

Vijay replied, “The bear asked me to keep away from friends like you” …and went on his way.

 

Moral of the story:

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

 

8. The Struggles of Our Life

Short Moral Stories - The Struggles of our Life

Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it.

She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.

Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter.

The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes he turned off the burners.

He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup.

 

Turning to her, he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?”

“Potatoes, eggs and coffee,” she hastily replied.

“Look closer” he said, “and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft.

He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.

“Father, what does this mean?” she asked.

 

He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity-the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently. The potato went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak.

The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.

However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.

“Which one are you?” he asked his daughter.

 

“When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

 

Moral of the story: 

In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is how you choose to react to it and what you make out of it. Life is all about leaning, adopting and converting all the struggles that we experience into something positive.

 

9. The Fox & The Grapes

Short Moral Stories - The Fox & The Grapes

One afternoon a fox was walking through the forest and spotted a bunch of grapes hanging from over a lofty branch.

“Just the thing to quench my thirst,” he thought.

Taking a few steps back, the fox jumped and just missed the hanging grapes. Again the fox took a few paces back and tried to reach them but still failed.

Finally, giving up, the fox turned up his nose and said, “They’re probably sour anyway,” and proceeded to walk away.

 

Moral of the story: 

It’s easy to despise what you can’t have.

 

10. The Lion & The Poor Slave

Short Moral Stories - The Lion & The Poor Slave

A slave, ill-treated by his master, runs away to the forest. There he comes across a lion in pain because of a thorn in his paw. The slave bravely goes forward and removes the thorn gently.

The lion without hurting him goes away.

Some days later, the slave’s master comes hunting to the forest and catches many animals and cages them. The slave is spotted by the masters’ men who catch him and bring him to the cruel master.

The master asks for the slave to be thrown into the lion’s cage.

The slave is awaiting his death in the cage when he realizes that it is the same lion that he had helped. The slave rescued the lion and all other caged animals.

 

Moral of the story: 

One should help others in need, we get the rewards of our helpful acts in return.

 

Summary

Here’s a quick recap on the 10 best short moral stories:

  1. An old man lived in the village
  2. The wise man
  3. The foolish donkey
  4. Having a best friend
  5. The four smart students
  6. The greedy lion
  7. The two friends & the bear
  8. The struggles of our life
  9. The fox & the grapes
  10. The lion & the poor slave

If you haven’t seen our original article, with slightly more detailed inspirational short stories, check it out!

Do you have any other favorite short moral stories? Leave a comment below.

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The 10 Best Motivational Speakers in the World

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The Best Motivational Speakers in the World

Who are the best motivational speakers of all time?

Motivational speakers have had an enormous impact on my life, and millions of others, no matter what their personal situation in life may be.

Their words are so powerful and inspirational, you just have to listen to their stuff on a daily basis. So it brings me to this post.

I’ve been enjoying a lot of motivational videos recently, have been creating my own, and have ended up listening to a lot of wonderful speeches.

 

Top 10 Best Motivational Speakers

But who are the best motivational speakers in the world?

Here’s my list of the top 10 motivational speakers in the world.

These are the people you need to be following, listening to and watching on YouTube. They have transformed many people’s lives including mine.

 

10. Nick Vujicic

Nick Vujicic - Best Motivational Speakers in the World

Nick Vujicic was born on December 4th 1982 in Melbourne, Australia. Vujicic was born with Tetra-Amelia syndrome, a very rare disorder whereby someone is born with an absence of all four limbs.

This no doubt ably, made things incredibly tough for Nick growing up, as he struggled both mentally and physically.

It led to him founding his very own non-profit organization called ‘Life Without Limbs’. Nick Vujicic is a true inspiration to us all, and if you’ve watched some of his motivational speeches on YouTube, you’ll realize just how much he’s been able to adapt to a life without limbs.

Many people with this disorder might not be willing to work hard in order to truly push their abilities.

He can type 43 words a minute on a computer. That’s right, you heard me correctly. This is a guy who has an absence of all four limbs, but can type 43 words per minute on a computer.

I encourage you to watch some of his videos on YouTube, and see exactly what I’m talking about.

“It’s a lie to think you’re not good enough. It’s a lie to think you’re not worth anything.” – nick Vujicic

 

9. Brian Tracy

Brian Tracy - Best Motivational Speakers in the World

Brian Tracy was born on January 5th 1944 in Vancouver, Canada, and is the CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company that specifically sets out to help individuals and organizations develop, train and grow.

Brian’s ultimate goal is to help other people achieve their goals more efficiently and be able to achieve their full potential.

That definitely sets the foundation for being one of the best motivational speakers in the world.

His lifetime achievements are phenomenal, consulting huge numbers of businesses, hosting huge numbers of seminars and conducting  years and years of research in Business, Economics, Psychology and Philosophy.

There’s no more to say other than the title given on his website: Professional Speaker, Best Selling Author, Entrepreneur and Success Expert. Check out some of the best Brian Tracy quotes.

“No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn starting from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively have to find people who have already paid the price to learn the things that we need to learn to achieve our goals.” – Brian Tracy

 

8. Robin Sharma

Robin Sharma - Best Motivational Speakers in the World

Robin Sharma was born in 1964 in Nepal, and straight out of the Dalhousie University School of Law, became a professional lawyer. But he went much further in his career than being a fully qualified and successful lawyer.

Sharma has written a total of 15 published books, from 1995 – 2011, on the subjects of self-help and leadership. One of his most popular books written; ‘The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari’, has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.

The book is all about a character called Julian, who decides to sell his home and Ferrari to go on a spiritual journey, after being the victim to a sudden heart attack.

Some may say that Robin Sharma’s more of a motivational author rather than speaker, but he deserves to be on this list. He’s written 12 global best sellers, and is an expert author in the world of leadership and self development.

“Dreamers are mocked as impractical. The truth is they are the most practical, as their innovations lead to progress and a better way of life for all of us.” – Robin S. Sharma

 

7. Wayne Dyer

Dr. Wayne Dyer - Best Motivational Speakers in the World

Dr. Wayne Dyer was born on May 10th 1940 in Detroit, and spent the majority of his childhood in an orphanage.

Dyer was in the U.S Navy after graduating high school, from 1958 to 1962. He then received his degree in counselling, a profession that he chose to work in for a while before taking it one step further.

Dyer left his teaching job and started pursuing a career in motivational speaking, holding various lectures across the states and becoming an incredibly popular author.

The first book that Dyer ever wrote has now had over 35 million copies sold and he’s proceeded to continue with his lecture tours, release various audio tapes and publish a regular stream of books.

“Passion is a feeling that tells you: this is the right thing to do. Nothing can stand in my way. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says. This feeling is so good that it cannot be ignored. I’m going to follow my bliss and act upon this glorious sensation of joy.” – Wayne Dyer

 

6. Zig Ziglar

Zig Ziglar - Best Motivational Speakers in the World

Zig Ziglar was born on November 6th, 1926 in Alabama, and passed away on November 28th in 2012.

Ziglar has 11 siblings, and at the age of five years old, his father died of a stroke, and his sister passed away two days later. Zig actually served in the army from 1935 – 1946 during World War II.

Ziglar met his wife Jean when he was just 17 years old, and after the war began to work as a salesman for many different companies, eventually becoming the vice president for the Automotive Performance company.

He started taking part in motivational seminars, and also wrote his first book in 1975 titled: ‘See You at the Top’. This was the first of at least 15 books he’d written during the period of 1975 and 2012.

A lot of wisdom has come from Zig Ziglar over the years and he is definitely one of the best motivational speakers in the world.

“You were designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.” – Zig Ziglar

 

5. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger - Best Motivational Speakers in the World

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born on July 30th 1947, in Austria. We all know him as the world famous professional bodybuilding champion, and there’s a very inspirational story behind Arnie’s bodybuilding success.

Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian army at the age of 18 years old for 1 year, which at the time was compulsory for all 18-year-old males.

During this time, he would still manage to fit in his workouts between all the training and drills, whilst most people were resting. He snuck out of the camp to compete in the Junior Mr. Europe contest, which he ended up winning.

Arnold’s discipline towards his training was incredible, and the fact that he was willing to disobey the rules of the army and sneak out of the camp to compete in the contest, just goes to show how badly he wanted it.

Nowadays, he’s an inspiration to many bodybuilders and a great source of motivation for anyone wanting to be successful.

“For me life is continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

 

4. Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn - Best Motivational Speakers in the World

Jim Rohn was born September 17th, 1930 in Yakima, Washington, and passed away on December 5th, 2009. He was a very successful entrepreneur, at one time being a Vice President of a very successful sales company, Nutri-Bio.

However, after the company eventually went out of business, he was invited to speak at a meeting of one of his clubs.

After this meeting, he was invited to speak at many other events and began making a name for himself. Rohn was a wise businessman and managed to impart much of this wisdom to others.

He’s definitely earned the right to be on this list of the best motivational speakers in the world.

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” – Jim Rohn

 

3. Les Brown

Les Brown - Best Motivational Speakers in the World

Les Brown was born on February 17th, 1945 in Miami, Florida. He was adopted by Mamie Brown, and whilst in grade school, was declared “educably mentally retarded”.

Despite this and the emotional issues, it brought upon him; he was encouraged by others to continue to learn and be the best he could be. Leading him to unlock his full potential.

Les is another motivational speaker who is incredibly popular among the motivational video compilations that others create. Because his speeches are so deep and meaningful that they really get through to people.

His top-selling books: ‘It’s Not over until You Win!’ and ‘Live Your Dreams’ are truly inspirational and well worth the read.

“When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. Let your reason get you back up.” – Les Brown

 

2. Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins - Best Motivational Speakers in the World

Tony Robbins was born on February 29th, 1960 in Los Angeles. His life at home when he was young was described by him as abusive and chaotic. It was because of this that he left home at the age of 17.

Originally when starting out in the world of motivational speaking, Robbins was promoting seminars for Jim Rohn. He later decided to begin his own journey by hosting his own seminars.

Tony has affected and changed so many people’s lives in a positive way through his seminars, motivational speeches, inspirational quotes and best-selling books.

Search for him on YouTube and several videos will pop up showing him change someone’s life.

The favorites of mine that I’ve watched, are where he cures a young man’s stutter in 7 minutes and saves another guy’s marriage in 8.

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” – Tony Robbins

 

1. Eric Thomas

Eric Thomas - Best Motivational Speakers in the World

Eric Thomas, born and raised in Detroit, was homeless at the age of 16 years old. But Eric decided that he wanted to make a better life for himself, to become someone with a life he could be proud of.

E.T did just that, and you can now check out powerful advice from Eric Thomas on YouTube. Including his “Thank God It’s Monday” series.

He also managed to get the education he missed out on whilst he was homeless and pushed himself further to achieve all the qualifications he dreamed of being able to achieve.

Eric Thomas has become one of the best motivational speakers in the world. His YouTube videos are legendary and his best-selling books have taken in millions of dollars in revenue.

E.T’s speeches are so popular, that you’ll find he’s featured in roughly 90% of the motivational videos that others create and upload to YouTube, using compilations of clips, speeches, and music.

“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.” – Eric Thomas

 

Summary

I hope you enjoyed this list of the top 10 best motivational speakers in the world. Many of these speakers are featured within some of the videos we included in our new list of ultimate gym motivation. Take a look and see what you think.

Here’s a quick recap on the list of the best motivational speakers in the world::

  1. Eric Thomas
  2. Tony Robbins
  3. Les Brown
  4. Jim Rohn
  5. Arnold Schwarzenegger
  6. Zig Ziglar
  7. Dr. Wayne Dyer
  8. Robin Sharma
  9. Brian Tracy
  10. Nick Vujicic

Who’s your favorite of the 10 best motivational speakers? Do you still agree with the current order of this list? Leave a comment below.

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The 10 Most Inspirational Short Stories I’ve Heard

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Top 10 Most Inspirational Short Stories I’ve Heard

Short Inspirational stories are powerful reads;

The great thing about them is that they’re so easy to digest, and there’s always a moral at the end of the story.

Whether they’re true stories or not is another thing, as many of them are legends supposedly hundreds of years old.

However, the stories that I’m talking about are so powerful and inspirational that many of them really do get you thinking and even leave you speechless at times.

 

The 10 Best Inspirational Short Stories

I’ve been reading plenty of these short stories in the past couple of weeks and found the lessons behind them truly wonderful. So I’ve decided to write out this article highlighting the 10 most inspirational short stories I’ve heard.

Next to the subheadings, in brackets, I’ve put what the story’s lesson is all about, with a short description of the moral of the story at the end of each section.

 

10. The Elephant Rope (Belief)

The Elephant Rope (Inspirational Short Stories)

A gentleman was walking through an elephant camp, and he spotted that the elephants weren’t being kept in cages or held by the use of chains.

All that was holding them back from escaping the camp, was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs.

As the man gazed upon the elephants, he was completely confused as to why the elephants didn’t just use their strength to break the rope and escape the camp. They could easily have done so, but instead, they didn’t try to at all.

Curious and wanting to know the answer, he asked a trainer nearby why the elephants were just standing there and never tried to escape.

The trainer replied;

 

“when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

 

The only reason that the elephants weren’t breaking free and escaping from the camp was that over time they adopted the belief that it just wasn’t possible.

 

Moral of the story:

No matter how much the world tries to hold you back, always continue with the belief that what you want to achieve is possible. Believing you can become successful is the most important step in actually achieving it.

 

9. Thinking Out of the Box (Creative Thinking)

Thinking Out of the Box (Inspirational Short Stories)

In a small Italian town, hundreds of years ago, a small business owner owed a large sum of money to a loan-shark. The loan-shark was a very old, unattractive looking guy that just so happened to fancy the business owner’s daughter.

He decided to offer the businessman a deal that would completely wipe out the debt he owed him. However, the catch was that we would only wipe out the debt if he could marry the businessman’s daughter.

Needless to say, this proposal was met with a look of disgust.

The loan-shark said that he would place two pebbles into a bag, one white and one black.

The daughter would then have to reach into the bag and pick out a pebble. If it was black, the debt would be wiped, but the loan-shark would then marry her. If it was white, the debt would also be wiped, but the daughter wouldn’t have to marry the loan-shark.

Standing on a pebble-strewn path in the businessman’s garden, the loan-shark bent over and picked up two pebbles.

Whilst he was picking them up, the daughter noticed that he’d picked up two black pebbles and placed them both into the bag.

He then asked the daughter to reach into the bag and pick one.

The daughter naturally had three choices as to what she could have done:

  1. Refuse to pick a pebble from the bag.
  2. Take both pebbles out of the bag and expose the loan-shark for cheating.
  3. Pick a pebble from the bag fully well knowing it was black and sacrifice herself for her father’s freedom.

She drew out a pebble from the bag, and before looking at it ‘accidentally’ dropped it into the midst of the other pebbles. She said to the loan-shark;

 

“Oh, how clumsy of me. Never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.”

 

The pebble left in the bag is obviously black, and seeing as the loan-shark didn’t want to be exposed, he had to play along as if the pebble the daughter dropped was white, and clear her father’s debt.

 

Moral of the story:

It’s always possible to overcome a tough situation throughout of the box thinking, and not give in to the only options you think you have to pick from.

 

8. The Group of Frogs (Encouragement)

The Group of Frogs (Inspirational Short Stories)

As a group of frogs was traveling through the woods, two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs crowded around the pit and saw how deep it was, they told the two frogs that there was no hope left for them.

However, the two frogs decided to ignore what the others were saying and they proceeded to try and jump out of the pit

Despite their efforts, the group of frogs at the top of the pit were still saying that they should just give up. That they would never make it out.

Eventually, one of the frogs took heed to what the others were saying and he gave up, falling down to his death. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die.

He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?”

The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

 

Moral of the story:

People’s words can have a big effect on other’s lives. Think about what you say before it comes out of your mouth. It might just be the difference between life and death.

 

7. A Pound of Butter (Honesty)

A Pound of Butter (Inspirational Short Stories)

There was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to a baker. One day the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting the right amount, which he wasn’t. Angry about this, he took the farmer to court.

The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure to weight the butter. The farmer replied, “Honor, I am primitive. I don’t have a proper measure, but I do have a scale.”

The judge asked, “Then how do you weigh the butter?”

The farmer replied;

 

“Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I have been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Every day when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker.”

 

Moral of the story:

In life, you get what you give. Don’t try and cheat others.

 

6. The Obstacle In Our Path (Opportunity)

The Obstacle in Our Path (Inspirational Short Stories)

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. He then hid himself and watched to see if anyone would move the boulder out of the way. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many people loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

A peasant then came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to push the stone out of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

After the peasant went back to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.

The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King explaining that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

 

Moral of the story:

Every obstacle we come across in life gives us an opportunity to improve our circumstances, and whilst the lazy complain, the others are creating opportunities through their kind hearts, generosity, and willingness to get things done.

 

5. The Butterfly (Struggles)

The Butterfly (Inspirational Short Stories)

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.

One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Until it suddenly stopped making any progress and looked like it was stuck.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, although it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man didn’t think anything of it and sat there waiting for the wings to enlarge to support the butterfly. But that didn’t happen. The butterfly spent the rest of its life unable to fly, crawling around with tiny wings and a swollen body.

Despite the kind heart of the man, he didn’t understand that the restricting cocoon and the struggle needed by the butterfly to get itself through the small opening; were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings. To prepare itself for flying once it was out of the cocoon.

 

Moral of the story:

Our struggles in life develop our strengths. Without struggles, we never grow and never get stronger, so it’s important for us to tackle challenges on our own, and not be relying on help from others.

 

4. Control Your Temper (Anger)

Control Your Temper (Inspirational Short Stories)

There once was a little boy who had a very bad temper. His father decided to hand him a bag of nails and said that every time the boy lost his temper, he had to hammer a nail into the fence.

On the first day, the boy hammered 37 nails into that fence.

The boy gradually began to control his temper over the next few weeks, and the number of nails he was hammering into the fence slowly decreased.

He discovered it was easier to control his temper than to hammer those nails into the fence.

Finally, the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father the news and the father suggested that the boy should now pull out a nail every day he kept his temper under control.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.

 

“you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there.”

 

Moral of the story:

Control your anger, and don’t say things to people in the heat of the moment, that you may later regret. Some things in life, you are unable to take back.

 

3. The Blind Girl (Change)

The Blind Girl (Inspirational Short Stories)

There was a blind girl who hated herself purely for the fact she was blind. The only person she didn’t hate was her loving boyfriend, as he was always there for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry him.

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her – now she could see everything, including her boyfriend. Her boyfriend asked her, “now that you can see the world, will you marry me?”

The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind too, and refused to marry him. Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and later wrote a letter to her saying:

 

“Just take care of my eyes dear.”

 

Moral of the story:

When our circumstances change, so does our mind. Some people may not be able to see the way things were before, and might not be able to appreciate them. There are many things to take away from this story, not just one.

This is one of the inspirational short stories that left me speechless.

 

2. Puppies for Sale (Understanding)

Puppies for Sale (Inspirational Short Stories)

A shop owner placed a sign above his door that said: “Puppies For Sale.”

Signs like this always have a way of attracting young children, and to no surprise, a boy saw the sign and approached the owner; 

 

“How much are you going to sell the puppies for?” he asked.

 

The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30 to $50.”

The little boy pulled out some change from his pocket. “I have $2.37,” he said. “Can I please look at them?”

The shop owner smiled and whistled. Out of the kennel came Lady, who ran down the aisle of his shop followed by five teeny, tiny balls of fur.

One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said, “What’s wrong with that little dog?”

The shop owner explained that the veterinarian had examined the little puppy and had discovered it didn’t have a hip socket. It would always limp. It would always be lame.

The little boy became excited. “That is the puppy that I want to buy.”

The shop owner said, “No, you don’t want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I’ll just give him to you.”

The little boy got quite upset. He looked straight into the store owner’s eyes, pointing his finger, and said;

 

“I don’t want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I’ll pay full price. In fact, I’ll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I have him paid for.”

 

The shop owner countered, “You really don’t want to buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies.”

To his surprise, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the shop owner and softly replied, “Well, I don’t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands!”

 

1. Box Full of Kisses (Love)

Box Full of Kisses (Inspirational Short Stories)

Some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, “This is for you, Daddy.”

The man became embarrassed by his overreaction earlier, but his rage continue when he saw that the box was empty. He yelled at her; “Don’t you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside?”

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried;

 

“Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They’re all for you, Daddy.”

 

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.

Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child.

Her father kept the gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

 

Moral of the story:

Love is the most precious gift in the world.

 

Summary of the 10 Best Inspirational Stories

Here’s a quick summary of the 10 best short inspirational stories:

  1. Box Full of Kisses (Love)
  2. Puppies for Sale (Understanding)
  3. The Blind Girl (Change)
  4. Control Your Temper (Anger)
  5. The Butterfly (Struggles)
  6. The Obstacle in Our Path (Opportunity)
  7. A Pound of Butter (Honesty)
  8. The Group of Frogs (Encouragement)
  9. Thinking Out of the Box (Creative Thinking)
  10. The Elephant Rope (Belief)

Thanks for reading these inspirational short stories. Some of them left me speechless for a minute or two, and it really does make us think.

If you know of any other inspirational short stories that you think should be featured on the list, then let me know in the comments below or drop me an email and I’ll feature them in part two later on in the year.

Which are your favorite inspirational short stories? Leave a comment below.

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