Children have a wonderful ability to see the world in a quite different way than adults do. To understand their simplified point of view, we have to walk in their little shoes, and it sometimes turns out to be a delightful experience.
What everyday challenges is a 10-year-old capable to grasp? Judging by this young lady from Grass Valley, California, kiddos are more aware of life than we thought. Listen to her speech of kindness, as the girl explains why is her only wish for Americans to be kind.
“…an American writer once said, ‘Three things in human life are important: the first to be kind; the second to be kind, and the third to be kind.’”
Ana Hamilton, a 10-year-old girl from California, used the wise words by an American author Henry James as an opening sentence at the semifinals of the Nevada County Speech Tournament.
Hamilton later explained that she thought a lot about the important question her teacher asked during the class. If they could choose one wish to be granted for the Americans, what would that wish be?
Ana chose kindness, saying that she would love it if all people decided to be kind.
“I can easily wish for that A+ on my spelling test, but if I don’t do the work, I can’t get the A.”
Well, that’s mature coming from a child who’s still at elementary school.
“I can wish for America to find a cure for cancer and I can also wish for peace, but I’m only 10. I would love to do these things, but I can’t.”
Amazingly, the girl manages to sum up everyone’s dilemmas in one sentence. Instead of dreaming about things they don’t have any control over, people should simply act upon everything things they can change. How to act?
According to Ana, the key is to act kindly.
Hamilton then proceeds to explain what bullying is, spilling out numerous interesting facts.
Did you know that 1 out of 10 students drops out of school because of repeated bullying? Well, we learned that today, because Ana is amazing at delivering important data.
Her calm voice can easily grab your attention. May we just mention how confident Ana is while presenting in front of a crowd.
She emphasizes important words like a professional. We doubt that anyone in the room was immune to her powerful words.
In her speech, she explains:
“Anybody can be kind to anyone. You can be kind to not just your best friend, not just your neighbor, but a total stranger.”
Instead of asking for help, Ana’s father said that she wrote the speech herself. She wanted to make an impact on her friends, and she’s one of the “I’ll do it myself” kind of kids.
It truly shows in Ana’s demeanor. Brian Hamilton, Ana’s dad, also complimented the teacher his daughter had been working with before the tournament.
Brian wrote in his article for The Union:
“Ana certainly did have the help of a thoughtful teacher who shares so much more with his students than just the words he reads.”
Kindness speech turned into a kindness movement.
Inspired by Ana’s motivational words, students across the country organized anti-bullying programs.
Imagine how proud the Hamiltons are for raising such a sweet, caring daughter who spreads love in her special way.
Thank you, Ana, for sharing your words of wisdom with us. We wish you the best of luck and truly hope that the world continues to listen to children.
Watch the video below to see Ana share her kindness speech at an event. What an inspiration!
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