Sophs #1 Journal--Jim Valvano--Laugh, Think, and Cry
RESPOND BEFORE Wednesday, NOVEMBER 2
Jim Valvano coached the North Carolina State Wolfpack to an upset victory in the 1983 NCAA men's basketball championship game. Valvano parlayed this victory with his gift of public speaking to become one of the most likable and recognizable coaches in the land. I had the pleasure of listening to Valvano speak to a group of Delaware high school basketball coaches and All Stars. Leaving the Dover, DE, banquet hall that night, I thought to myself, "This guy is a natural born world shaker." Or something like that. He was THAT impressive.
Though his teams were always competitive, North Carolina State would never come close again to matching the success of the fantasy 1983 season.
Then came the tragic news in 1992 that Valvano had developed cancer. Only ten years after his national championship, his body ravaged with cancerous tumors, Valvano was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs (ESPN's annual BESTS). Valvano, an inspirational coach, was probably even a better public speaker. His speech at the ESPYs will make you laugh, think, and cry, three things, that according to Valvano, you should do every day.
Then came the tragic news in 1992 that Valvano had developed cancer. Only ten years after his national championship, his body ravaged with cancerous tumors, Valvano was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs (ESPN's annual BESTS). Valvano, an inspirational coach, was probably even a better public speaker. His speech at the ESPYs will make you laugh, think, and cry, three things, that according to Valvano, you should do every day.
The Jimmy V Foundation was founded in his honor. It's still active and important today, raising millions of dollars to fight cancer. Dick Vitale, a well-known television basketball broadcaster and once a close friend of Valvano, is a main P.T. (Prime Time) Player in the battle against the insidious disease.
Your assignment: listen to the speech again (click on this link) and read the words to the speech at this link. Write your journal by responding to one or more of the following prompts:
1. What are the best parts (lines) of the speech? Why?
2. Tell me about the best 'pep talk' that you've ever received. Make sure to discuss the speaker, the situation, the audience, and the speaker's technique. Cite lines from the speech if you can.
3. How do you laugh, think, and cry each day?
4. Relate a personal story to any topic discussed in the speech.
5. Analyze the speech according to pathos, ethos, and logos.
posted by JTF @ 11:03 AM
48 comments
48 Comments:
I loved Jim Valvano’s speech at the ESPYs because it was humorous, thought-provoking, and enlightening. My favorite part of the speech was when Valvano recounted the story of his first pep talk as a coach. Valvano was very personal in this story and didn’t hide his excitement over his first job as a freshman coach at Rutgers University. The story was long, but this kept the audience in suspense until he delivered the ending with perfect comedic timing. The listener shared in Valvano’s enthusiasm as he acted out the minutes leading up to what would have been the one of the most poignant moments in the history of the team. What he described as happening next was hilarious. He threw his arms into the doors to make his dramatic entrance, and the doors didn’t open. The confused team helped him to his feet, and the mess would have been forgotten after he delivered that closing line-- if he had gotten the team’s name right.
The incredible enthusiasm and love for life that Jim Valvano spoke of in his speech was awe-inspiring. Because he was battling cancer, he knew better than most how precious life is and that not a single moment of it should be wasted. He stressed the importance of having dreams and working hard to make those dreams a reality. I understand what he says about laughing, thinking, and crying everyday. This makes us pause; do we really want to cry everyday? If they’re tears of happiness or laughter, the answer is yes, but even if they’re tears of sadness, the answer is still yes. Suffering humbles us, gives us the chance to rely on other people, and makes us appreciate comfort. These are all things that make us better people. Jim Valvano’s speech uses first-hand stories and experiences to teach us to be passionate about what we do and live each day to the fullest extent.
Response to #3:
After I heard Jim Valvano’s speech, I realized that I do laugh, think and sometimes cry almost every day.
I laugh often to my friends’ jokes throughout the day like everyone else. But sometimes I laugh at the little coincidences in my day, like a finding my lost homework one period before it is due or seeing almost everyone wore the same shirt to practice. Laughing definitely makes me feel better and I completely agree that everyone should laugh at least once a day.
Because I am in all phase five classes, I do a lot of thinking during the day. But I prefer the thinking that I do out of school. I enjoy thinking about the universe or solving a puzzle. I like this type of thinking because it gives me something else to think about even when I just finished thinking about something.
I don’t usually cry during the day, but when I do, it is about something not related to my own problems. I get very sad when I see that people in other countries are suffering, and everything were I am is fine. I also get really sad when I realize what period of time I live in. The earth has basically been completely explored and there won’t be any way to travel the galaxy for another 1000 years. We are all sort of the middle child of the history of earth. We are like the stepping stone from exploring the planet to conquering the stars.
The best parts of the speech are the multiple groups of three that Valvano talks about. One reason is that since they are in groups of three, they are easier to remember and make more of an impact. The other reasons are more specific. Valvano says in his speech that there are three things that you should do every day: laugh, think, and cry. This is an important part of the speech because it’s good advice. Another group of three that he mentions is three things to remember: where you started, where you are, and where you’re going to be. This is an important part of the speech because it is a good use of logos. Sometimes people forget to remember these things, so helping them remember it is a good way to make an impact in the world. Valvano uses logos in his other group of three, which is the three things that cancer cannot take from him: his mind, his heart, and his soul. Although this is a good use of logos, it is also a good use of pathos, which makes it very important to the speech because it is inspirational and very well put together. Over all, the speech was very moving because of the important groups of three that Valvano uses.
Jimmy Valvano’s speech at the 1993 ESPY awards was full of lines which I rather liked. He clearly had a talent for public speaking because, just like he described in his speech, I laughed, I thought, and, hey, my emotions were almost moved to tears. What struck me most about everything he said was how hopeful he remained, even though he seemed to know the end was near. He never said that he was sorry for himself. He never said that he was sorry that this had happened to him. He never complained about how hard his life had become because of his cancer. He only smiled and said that nothing had changed. I certainly had many more lines in this speech to like, but here are five of my favorite lines from Jimmy Valvano’s speech.
“People ask me all the time about how you go through your life and how's your day, and nothing is changed for me. As Dick said, I'm a very emotional, passionate man. I can't help it.”
When I heard this speech for the first time, I was stunned by how hopeful Jimmy Valvano was, even though he had to be carried on to stage by Dick Vitale. This line surprised me quite a bit and made me feel as though he had a charisma about him, which I couldn’t help but admire.
“To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy.”
This line was perfectly accented by the line I mentioned earlier. Even though I’m sure someone else had said this before, Jimmy Valvano spoke these few lines, about things which we would all love to experience in a day, in such a manner that I couldn’t help but feel those emotions myself.
“And...that screen is flashing up there thirty seconds like I care about that screen right now, huh? I got tumors all over my body. I'm worried about some guy in the back going thirty seconds, huh?”
Just like he mentioned I should do earlier, I laughed. In these short three sentences he shrugs off a somewhat rude interruption in a way, so eloquent, I’m sure ESPN asked him for another thirty seconds. It also lightened the mood before he came to a serious topic, which, after listening to his whole speech, was probably a good thing.
“I coached against him for fifteen years, and I always have to think about what's important in life to me are these three things. Where you started; where you are; and where you're gonna be. Those are the three things that I try and do every day.”
Now this is something I know was said before Jimmy Valvano spoke, but, since he seemed to know that where he was ‘gonna’ be wasn’t on this Earth, there was much more feeling to the line than it would have otherwise possessed. With all that extra meaning added to it, I couldn’t help but think a little about where I started, where I am, and where I’m going to be. But, unlike Valvano I still don’t know where I’m going to start, where I am, and where I’m ‘gonna’ be.
“Cancer can take away all my physical ability. It cannot touch my mind; it cannot touch my heart; and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever.”
This is probably the single most inspiring thing Valvano spoke in that entire speech. He made it clear that cancer, despite all the havoc it wreaked on his body, cannot take everything away from him. It sums up everything he had said throughout his speech in three quick, easy, and incredibly passionate lines. Even though Valvano had to be carried off stage by two other people, I didn’t feel sorry for him, as I might have otherwise felt. Instead I felt inspired. I felt that he was brave, and hey, my emotions were almost moved to tears. According to Valvano, after listening to his speech I “had a heck of a day.”
With all the things I have to do, many people think that I live my life to the fullest extent, filling every minute with activity. I go to school, sing in four choirs, act in plays, direct a choir, work, twirl flag, help to lead a youth group, go to church, take singing lessons, and volunteer. But I beg to differ with the popular assumption that I live life to the fullest. Jimmy Valvano helped me realize that I take advantage of every day that I don’t think, laugh, or cry. He also helped me realize that when I do laugh, think, and cry in one day, that day is pretty great. It seems like I don’t even have time to do any of those things, though. But I tell you, when you make the time, your day is just swell.
Laughing in a day seems to be pretty easy. Someone tells a funny joke, you laugh. Your friend makes a funny face at you, you laugh. But I think what Jimmy really meant by laughing was that, during some part of the day, you experienced such a feeling of joy and happiness there was no other way to express that feeling than by laughing. Laughter. What an awesome gift.
When Jimmy says you have to think during the day, you probably thought, “obviously.” And there’s one-third of your requirements for the day! (See what I did there?) But really, what does he mean by that? Do you have to solve a math problem or diagram a sentence? Do you have to think about your life, your friends, your family, etc.? Or do you have to just set some time aside to merely allow your mind to wander? I think he meant all of these. In a good day, you do something challenging, you think about the people and events in your life, and you have some quiet time (which I think should include praying to God). Thought. What an awesome gift.
Crying normally signifies a bad thing. But crying is okay. It’s good. Sometimes, you need to cry. You need to let your emotions out. I totally believe you should cry once a day. It’s healthy. If you are in pain or feeling alone, you should cry. If you feel sorrow or grief, you should cry. If you feel jubilant or over joyed, you should cry. Crying is used to show any emotions we have. Crying. What an awesome gift.
I think that the Best part of Jim Valvanos speech was when he asks if we laugh think and cry every day. He says I’ve got just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. He also uses “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up” as the motto for his cancer foundation. I find these words to be incredibly meaningful, and his overall way of speaking to be very eloquent and moving. After hearing this speech, I do think more about laughing, thinking and crying every day. I try to laugh with my friends in some way or another, I think about a lot of things weather it is school, or otherwise. I think about my priorities, and the things that I appreciate and hold dear to me. And I do feel as though I am moved to tears once a day, usually after laughing. These words, laughing, crying and thinking, really are the most important things that there are to do during a day.
The best pep talk I’ve ever received was from my parents when I was really struggling with school. They made me feel so much better about my work, and made me want to do better and continue to try hard. They convinced me to not let myself worry too much and to do my best and give one hundred percent no matter what. Mr. Valvano speaks about the importance of family several times during the speech, and how they are so vital. I completely agree with him about this. Without my family, I truly do not know what I would do. The more I read this speech, the more I realize that Mr. Valvano really did have a great outlook on life. He was so positive about his situation and about how he could help others. People like him give me hope and make me realize that there really are inspirational and wonderful people in the world.
Almost a year ago I was a freshman on the varsity volleyball team. As we defeated Smyrna, Charter and then Friends we advanced to the state championship. I remember after getting ready and eating at team dinner we were off to the Bob Carpenter Center. We arrived and were escorted into a small locker room where we prepared ourselves for the match that we had been waiting all season to play. That night we played Ursuline for the third time.
I remember the moment perfectly. After being escorted to the small locker room you could see as we sat there the excitement and nervousness on our faces. There were fourteen girls sitting there thinking how tonight could be one of the best moments of their lives. Nancy walked in with a look on her face I had never seen before. It wasn’t a look of joy, or pure hatred it was right in between. It was a look of determination. She spoke with power in her voice, and put emphasis on every word she spoke. She spoke about each and every one of us individually. She spoke about each of our raw talents that we brought to the team. She told us what we had to focus on and what we needed to pay attention to. She reminded us to keep our serves in, serve aggressively, hit hard, set well, and dig perfectly. One line I remember perfectly was she said, “Tonight that ball, and those five girls out on that court with you are the only things that you as a player have to focus on. I don’t want you to look up in the crowd looking to see who is here, I want you looking at this game, and proving to everyone how much you deserve this.” Those words gave each and every one of us so much focus for the whole game. Those words gave us a feeling inside that none of us had felt before. I’m pretty sure it was the feeling of raw excitement. As we sat there ready to go, Nancy said one last thing, “Squeeze the jugular!!!!!” She had said this before during the season but I simply laughed at it. As we sat there waiting to run out into the Bob Carpenter Center I realized what it meant. She meant go for the jugular; be aggressive or unrestrained in making an attack. Attack every play like it’s the last play of the game. That is exactly what we did. We attacked, and we were victorious.
Mr. Valvano’s speech is a wonderful example of someone with great rhetoric skills. His speech at the ESPY’s has long been regarded as one of the greatest speeches of the 90s, as well as the 20th century. His speech is filled with Pathos, as he drew the crowd in with his funny stories, deep thoughts, and sad tales. His speech is famous for his motivational messages that he speaks. He tells the audience, and the world, that in order to become a better person, as well as a more humble and caring person, you should; “Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.” This line is great due to his great use of this rhetoric element; the tricolon. A tricolon is a series of three parallel words or phrases. Many famous speeches and writings benefit from the use of a tricolon, such as The Declaration of Independence and President Lincoln’s second inaugural address. Valvano’s famous quote is not great only due to the use of a tricolon; Valvano’s quote touches on an emotional level to all humans. Valvano was a dying man, and he would be the first to admit that. The audience was stunned by his wisdom, even though Valvano was standing on his deathbed. Valvano must have been in a tremendous amount of pain, but he knew that through his brief physically demanding speech, he could inspire countless generations to come with his wisdom on how to live a better life.
One of the most memorable parts of Jim Valvano’s speech for me was when he said we should laugh, cry, and think every day. These three simple steps can occur in many different ways throughout our day. Laughing is said to be good for you, it puts you in a better mood, and it helps you stay positive. Times when I laugh throughout the day are when I am with my friends or family and either something funny happens or we are talking about something entertaining. I think that a day without laughter is a day wasted which is also a famous quote from Charlie Chaplin. You might wonder why Jim Valvano included crying into the three important steps. I think he included crying because it shows that we are human and that we can’t always depend on only ourselves. Crying is a strong emotion that is usually caused by something influential. Times that I might cry during the day are when I watch a sad movie, remember a sad time, become frustrated and stressed, or even argue with my parents or friends. The last thing that we should do at least once every day is think. To me, this is the most important step. We must think in order to laugh and cry. We must think in order to even live our lives. When we think great things can happen and we can have a productive day. Since thinking is so essential to our every day lives, the times a day when we think are constant and endless. We think in class, during conversations, during a test, when we make decisions, when we practice sports, when we text our friends, and when we are just imagining. I think everyone should follow Jim Valvano and at least laugh, cry, and think every day or else you are not truly living out your life to its fullest.
Each and every day of my life is a unique and great experience on its own. Whether it’s another day at school or just a day kicking back at home, I find myself always doing at least one of three tings: laughing, thinking and crying, three key “attitudes” necessary to live a true life of happiness, stated by Jim Valvano. My personal favorite thing to do every day is to laugh. This is something special shared with friends and family members; it is the ability to find a common ground through a sense of humor even if it’s a classic “that’s what she said joke” or just enjoying the grimace of a cousin on a grade school picture. To laugh every day not only brings joy to all who share in the humor, but it brings friends together on similar grounds maybe never ventured upon before. A day for me is not normal when my mind is not racing. The ability of thinking prevails from dusk to dawn. As soon as I wake up, I fight my consciousness; the eternal struggle to get out of bed endures. At school exams test my ability to recall and to apply what I know, while I also ponder why people do some of the things they do each and what makes them “tick.” A final element of my day would be the one mostly frowned upon, or crying. Though I may not cry every day, I do experience and truly live through sad events or things that just “rub me the wrong way.” As much as I love Dr.Fischer, walking into his class may begin to make me want to cry, but the emotions Jim mentions are more personal and heartfelt. I generally feel sad if my peers feel down. By sharing this emotion with them and by supporting them, tears can be turned into laughter. I may also find myself crying over little imperfections in my life, or things I may want to change. And by addressing these things, and working on them sadness has warned me and prepared me for the next day to come. Each of these three actions are all intertwined in the end, and though they spawn from different roots they collaborate as they culminate, making our lives what they are, shaping how we live them each and every day.
How do I laugh, think, and cry every day? Well, for starters, whenever I’m around my friends, you can almost count on seeing me laughing. I like to think that I am usually a happy person, therefore, laughing comes naturally to me, and I love to laugh as well as share my happiness with others. Not only does being around my friends make me laugh, but it brings me the comfort of home and always cheers me up whenever I am not feeling up to par. Yes, I laugh at my friends and their jokes, but sometimes I can just laugh when other people are laughing. There’s the saying that laughter is contagious, and I believe that one hundred and ten percent. Since I am in all honors classes, it is quite easy to think every day, actually, it would be more of a challenge if someone asked me not to think for a whole day. However, I have a feeling Valvano wasn’t really talking about that type of thinking. I have a feeling he was referring to examining one’s life and values. Every day, I look over my life at least once. I evaluate where I am and where I would like to be. Then I try to figure out what it will take to put me in the specific place I’d rather be. This is where the crying every day comes into play. When Valvano said this, I immediately found the reference parallel to my life. Just about every single day, I cry. Whether it be because of stress, because one of my really close friends is dealing with something that is upsetting him or her immensely, because of grades, or simply because I feel the need to cry, I let it all loose and give in to the tears streaming down my face.
During ESPN’s award show, the ESPYs, Jim Valvano showcased his amazing public speaking ability through his impromptu speech. One memorable part of in his speech was when he talked about his response to others when they ask how he is making it through life with cancer. He says, “To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.” This is one of the most inspirational lines in the speech because it has a lot of meaning to it. Every day we need to laugh because it shows that we are happy and having a good time. We also need to take time to think every day because it is essential and without our thoughts our lives would be a mess. Lastly we need to cry every day because it’s healthy and it shows our emotion whether it is because we are sad or joyful. It’s very true how he says that if you can do all three in one day than it was a very full day because you had a good time, then you spent some time thinking, and later showed emotion through tears. If you do all three it shows that in one day you covered a whole range of emotions, this makes every day a memorable day. He also makes a lot of sense when he goes on to say that if you laugh, think, and cry once a day every day than you will have lived a complete and eventful life. The something special that he is talking about is looking back on your life and having an eventful memory for every single day and not having regret.
During ESPN’s award show, the ESPYs, Jim Valvano showcased his amazing public speaking ability through his impromptu speech. One memorable part of in his speech was when he talked about his response to others when they ask how he is making it through life with cancer. He says, “To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.” This is one of the most inspirational lines in the speech because it has a lot of meaning to it. Every day we need to laugh because it shows that we are happy and having a good time. We also need to take time to think every day because it is essential and without our thoughts our lives would be a mess. Lastly we need to cry every day because it’s healthy and it shows our emotion whether it is because we are sad or joyful. It’s very true how he says that if you can do all three in one day than it was a very full day because you had a good time, then you spent some time thinking, and later showed emotion through tears. If you do all three it shows that in one day you covered a whole range of emotions, this makes every day a memorable day. He also makes a lot of sense when he goes on to say that if you laugh, think, and cry once a day every day than you will have lived a complete and eventful life. The something special that he is talking about is looking back on your life and having an eventful memory for every single day and not having regret.
I really liked Jim Valvano's speech at the ESPYs. It was very emotional. One of my favorite parts was when he told the story about his first coaching job at a college. It was a good personal story that interested the audience. I was very interested and listened intently the entire time. I laughed when he messed up and said “family, religion, and the Green Bay Packers!” Other parts of the speech that I enjoyed were the use of threes. Using the “power of three” Jim Valvano was able to use emotion to pull his audience in. In the video I can see the audience watching and paying attention only to him, because he is such a good speaker. One three group he used was to think, laugh, and cry everyday. These are important things to do. Even though it is preferable to cry of joy, sometimes it is good to cry of sadness. Both emotions occur in life. Laughter should definitely happen every day with other people. And everybody should think everyday. Whether it is at school, work, or just for fun (like working on a puzzle) everybody uses his or her mind. I know that I laugh and think everyday, but I do not cry everyday. I think at school and at home with homework, and I laugh with my family and friends. Jim Valvano was an amazing speaker who used emotion very well in his speeches, and I wish that I could have heard him speak live. I am glad that his foundation has continued and is very prominent in the world today.
The speech that Jim Valvano gives at the ESPY Awards has both an emotional and thought-provoking effect. I really enjoyed the speech because it showed a man who was dying of cancer, yet if you hadn’t known that he was impacted with the disease, you would have never guessed that from watching him speak. His attitude, emotion, and presence set the mood. One of my favorite parts of the speech is in the beginning, when he’s talking about fighting cancer. With all the concerns everyone has, asking how he’s going through life he simply responds, “Nothing has changed for me.” Though out of good intentions, sometimes asking people about their illness or how they’re feeling can be a downer to them. That’s the last thing they would want to think about because they know it’s there. The fact that Jim says this so simply brings back to mind that his illness hasn’t affected him at all, it’s just something he now has to fight. Another one of my favorite parts is when he says we should laugh, think, and cry everyday. Sometimes we think our day just flies by, without even remembering half of the things we did. When he says to laugh everyday, I think he means to find happiness. Everyone should be happy. I know I laugh on a daily basis with my friends and it always puts me in a better mood. When he says to think everyday he doesn’t necessarily mean schoolwork, he means to think about anything, put your mind to work for a while. And finally, when he says to cry, whether happy or sad, means to find emotion in everyday of your life. I can laugh to the point of tears, and I can get upset and be put to tears. Either way being in touch with your emotion can help you get on with your day. These three things make me realize that I should try to do these things everyday, and maybe, just maybe, my life will be a little bit fuller. Another thing that I enjoy about Jim Valvano’s speech is the fact that he repeatedly says how precious time and life really are. We take our lives for granted, and until some people hear the news that they have a life-threatening illness, they won’t truly value it as much. We should enjoy the life we live, and treasure every moment we spend with our family, friends, and people we care about. If we didn’t do that, then I think we would truly regret our decisions that we make now in the future. My favorite part of the whole speech, though, is the closing line, “Cancer can take away all my physical ability. It cannot touch my mind; it cannot touch my heart; and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever.” When he says this, it reminds me that just because a person is affected with a disease, doesn’t mean it has affected the whole person. He can still think for himself, love those around him, and be the person he’s always been.
After watching Jim Valvano’s speech and taking in what he had to say, it became clear that he possessed a very optimistic, hopeful, and enthusiastic view on life. He valued and enjoyed every moment that he was alive, and was able to inspire his audience to do the same. What I admired most about his speech, however, was his take on what we should live by and what should be important to us. He said you should always think about where you are, where you started, and where you are going to be. In order to live a meaningful life, we need to reflect and learn from the past, consider our decisions in the present, and strive to get where we want to be in the future. He taught that in order to do this, you need an enthusiasm for life, a dream you’re willing to work for, and a commitment to excellence. Each day builds off of the other. The future soon becomes the past and the present continues with us. In order to get where you want to be, you must be satisfied with where you are. Valvano truly believes that you cannot achieve a goal or dream unless you are happy with your life. In order to live each day to the fullest, we must laugh, think, and cry. His speech certainly generates all three, which is one of reasons it is so inspirational. Never hold anything back or anything in; it is precious moments built on laughter, thought, and tears that make us who we are and that we will always remember. Valvano had a passion for life until the day he died. The infectious attitude he possessed even through his battle with cancer was uplifting and heartwarming to anyone that listened to him. He was a very strong speaker, confirmed by this famous ESPY speech. This speech pertains to pathos in most senses because he sparks a lot of emotion among his audience with his story and he has to say. The message he communicates leaves the audience honored, touched, and inspired to live a better, more meaningful life.
We were in the locker room with our homemade shakers and signs. This was the biggest meet of the season. St. Mark’s was undefeated, and so was Charter. They had a bigger team than we did, including several incredible swimmers. We thought we had a chance, but we did not know how the score would turn out. When we walked out of the locker room, Mr. Maegerle led us not to our benches, but to some sort of pump room down the steps below the pool deck. We were all a little confused to say the least. The room was dark, damp, and dirty, but Mr. Maegerle is our coach, so we followed him. It was not the ideal location for one of our normal pep talks. When all the girls were in the room, huddled together because it was also cold down there, Mr. Maegerle started to speak to us. He told us that he was proud of all that our team had accomplished that season and, win or lose, he would always be proud of his girls. The words that he spoke were all too fleeting, but the message was clear in the last few words that he said: “Leave it all in the water.” For swimmers this is the goal: to never have regrets and to give your race everything that you have, until you have nothing left. Mr. Maegerle appealed to our emotions to get us “fired up,” and we all walked onto the pool deck with a sense of pride and confidence. We came extremely close to winning that meet; in fact, the score was even closer than Mr. Maegerle had predicted. I know that his speech inspired the entire girls team to swim our best and “leave everything in the water.”
Jimmy Valvano had some very interesting advice in his speech, whn he said that everybody should laugh, think, and cry everyday. I like where he is coming from. When i think about it, i do do those things. the best part of my day everyday is making other people smile and laugh, and you cant do that unless you do it yourself. i laugh a ton. whether its at my own jokes, Mr Fiorelli's jokes, something that happened in the past that im remembering...laughing makes everything feel better. Now, I probably think wayyyy too much.i tend to over think things, like shooting in basketball or taking a test. but at least im thinking, not just sitting like a mindless blob. Schoolwork and sports and social things make me think all the time. It is rare that i have absolutely nothing on my mind during the day. I dont know if thats necessarily a good thing...but its something i cannot avoid. I dont know about the whole crying though. i dont cry. its not really a question of being manly, but i just have never really been moved to tears. The last time i did was when my grandma died last November. its not that im proud of never crying, i just dont get really spiritually moved like that everyday. i believe that crying is for special occasions, so i guess you could say i disagree with Mr. Valvano in that sense.
Response #1: This speech by Jim Valvano was so beautiful. The fact that it caused me to go from laughing, straight to goose-bumps was so magnificent. I believe that the fact that Valvano had such control like that over his audience is the reason why he was such an amazing speaker. My favorite line of this speech that he delivered at the ESPYs is most definitely “I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get your emotions going.” That, right there, makes me want to live everyone moment like I’m going to die tomorrow. It makes me want to tell all of my friends how much they mean to me, spend more time with my family, and be satisfied with myself no matter what anyone else thinks. I enjoy speeches like this because they make me want to be a better person. I know when I’m having a bad day I will definitely watch this speech again because it makes all the problems seem so miniscule in comparison to what they could be.
Response #2: One of the most recent pep talks I’ve received happened to be extremely inspiring. One day our cross country team ran over to Carousel Park, one of our usual courses, to do a workout. It was a hill repeat and it was not easy at all, considering it was a workout. We were about to do our last repeat, when Coach Deej (Mr. DiGennaro) decided it was a good moment for a little pep talk. He told us that workouts aren’t supposed to be easy, and we should be pushing ourselves. He said that we shouldn’t be running where we think we “should” be. He said to run where you “want” to be. This struck something deep down, considering I was not one of the top runners on the team. I usually ran in the JV A races, so I was about the middle of the team. This showed in my workout, because for the last couple of repeats I had been finishing right behind Varsity. But as I stepped on the line to do our last repeat of the day, I thought of Deej’s words. When he shouted ‘ready, go’ I knew that I was going. I raced up that hill like there was no tomorrow. I passed not only a few runners that were already ahead of me, but every single girl on Varsity, including our top runner. Whether it was Deej’s encouraging words or my own mind, something made me finish in first for that last repeat of the day. Everyone’s amazement was what topped off that beautiful accomplishment.
The best pep talk I’ve ever received was during my 8th grade year track season running for Corpus Christi. Every year, the Penn Relays are held and CYM teams have an opportunity to qualify for the race. When I was in 8th grade, I was one of the girls from Corpus Christi who had qualified and was racing at the Penn Relays. It was a huge deal for us and our coaches since we were going to represent our team at a national track meet where people come from all over the world to participate. Being only about thirteen years old, it was really intimidating to watch teams from Jamaica get on that track and just dominate. But we knew we could do this because we made it this far and we weren’t going to give up. As we stood in the middle of the field, our coach began his pep talk. The look on his face said it all. He was so nervous and excited for us because he had seen what we had done so far this season. He claimed that we were in the best shape of our lives and there was no stopping us. We qualified and now we are here, as a team. We had to prove that we deserved this because we worked too hard to just give up now. And we were not giving up. We prayed together as a team and then prepared for the race of our lives. And it did turn out to be the race of our lives. We ended up running our best time ever, breaking a minute in the 4X100 meter relay.
In Jim Valvano’s speech, he says that there are three things important in life: where you started, where you are, and where you are going to be. The experience at the Penn Relays included those three things. We started the beginning of the season just looking forward to be entering high school soon and ready for our final season as 8th graders. While listening to our pep talk, we were in the presence of success and people who believed in us and what we were capable of. Where we were going to be was simple. No matter what happened, we had made it to the opportunity of a lifetime together and we were going to be a team.
After hearing the first few minutes of this speech only one thing came to mind. My Aunt Susan battled breast cancer a couple years ago. This speech by Jim Valvano made me think about her battle today. As hard as it is to see the good in any form of cancer, Jim Valvano reminded me. My aunt was just like Jim, talking about the emotions, yet always seeing the good and striving to find the best part of everyday. She would always want everyone around her to be very happy. She would laugh, think, and cry each day, just as Jim states makes a great day. She would laugh because our whole family would always make jokes and try to see her smile. And every time we told her we were on our way to visit she would smile a lot! We could tell because her voice sounded much happier. I remember her thinking a lot of the time, too. Sometimes this worried me because I didn’t want her to think about her cancer too much. But I could tell when she was thinking about it because she would get quiet. That’s when I started joking around again so she would start laughing. And lastly, she would cry. Sometimes it was because she was very sad, but other times it was because she was so happy! These were the tears I enjoyed much more. And I know she loved them more too. She conquered her battle and she still lives through every single day by laughing, thinking, and crying.
I usually do not laugh, think, and cry everyday, though I do usually laugh and think on a daily basis. I often enjoy telling jokes and hearing them, which makes me laugh. I also enjoy finding humor in everyday occurrences. I think that laughter is the most important of this trinity; without laughter and humor the world would be boring and not worth living in. Being a child means that I have to go to school. This means that it is important for me to think on a daily basis as well. If I did not think then I would not learn anything and learning and getting better at things is one of the most important things to do in life. I am a pretty deep thinker, so sometimes I will just get wrapped up in my own thoughts. The third thing that Valvano says we should do everyday is cry. I do not usually cry because I usually do not have anything happen to me that makes me so emotional that I cry because of it. Evan though I only laugh and think on a daily basis, without crying, I think my life is pretty good and I usually end up having pretty full days.
I found Jim Valvano’s speech to be very enlightening and humorous, especially in such a bad time in this life. I really enjoyed the energy he evoked throughout this speech. One of my favorite parts of this speech was, “It's so important to know where you are. And I know where I am right now. How do you go from where you are to where you wanna be? And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. And you have to be willing to work for it.” When learning about Jim Valvano, it seemed as if everything he did was done with dedication and enthusiasm. I think he spoke those words not just to appeal to the audience, but because he had lived that way his whole life. Looking at these words, it really does make me think of the actions I should take to be where I want to be, and it won’t come easy.
If I were to look back on the years I played basketball, the first thing that comes to mind is my coach, Mr. Hanna. He was nothing short of an interesting character. Many times at practices, you could hear him screaming something crazy like, “You gotta kiss that ball on the backboard like it’s your mother!” For three seasons, I had him as a coach, and every time, he made me work harder than I thought possible. He never really gave pep talks to the whole team, but more individually if something was going wrong. One day, I was defending the ball and hurt my ankle badly, to the point of barely being able to walk. We didn’t have many people that could be forwards, but he sat me down and just gave me a stern look. For once the coach that could never stop talking just simply said “Megan, now, I would never force you to do this, but if you can, go out there.” I don’t think I’ll ever forget those three seasons of madness.
Jim Valvano's speech at the 1993's ESPYs awards was incredible. His speech literally shows what a great guy and inspirational speaker he is. He kept the audience attentive and alive, captivating them with his words. He held them at bay with his evocative quote, telling his viewers to "laugh, think, and cry each day."
In a way, I really do laugh, think, and cry every day. I walk into school and meet up with friends, laugh about what's on our minds. I laugh when I'm at my happiest, or maybe just to make myself smile.
The thinking process is just nonstop throughout the entire day. At school, in the car, at practice, in the shower, and before sleeping, you can't help but think about your whole day, replaying the most mind boggling things that happened and wondering what's in store for tomorrow. Everything seems much more compelling before drifting off to sleep, most of the interesting things are replayed then, for me at least. When my parents come home from work. Both being nurses, they tell me about their patients, and their life stories. I find it most interesting when I actually meet these people, I can't help but realize that I know more about them personally than they even realize.
I don't cry a lot outwardly, I wouldn't say everyday. I do cry on the inside though. After a long day, I would probably be with my closest friend, and we would talk about everything and vent out, and maybe we'd cry, depending on whatever happened. Like most people, I cry about the sad times, and I'll cry about the good times, and since I do all three, I've had a great full day, and I'll live it like my last, just like Jimmy Valvano said to do.
Jim Valvano delivered a thought provoking speech which included the main idea of laughing, thinking, and crying. How do I laugh, think, and cry each day? This is a question that takes much thinking, too. We can take this question literal or we can take it through our emotions. I like to see it as emotional. Laughing is something I do very often because it calms me down. I laugh at my friends for many reasons that are making me laugh right now. I laugh at their jokes or by just being their enjoyable selves. I also laugh at myself sometimes because laughing is one of the main things that keeps me sane. Though it may sound silly, when I think of laughing, I am reminded of Mary Poppins’ scene when they laugh so much, they float to the ceiling. When I saw for the movie for the first time (I was young), I actually thought that could happen so I tried and unfortunately failed. Just like smiles, laughs are contagious so we need to laugh more often to get everyone in a better mood. Jimmy Valvano’s interpretation of laughing could simply be to enjoy the little things in each day and smile. I also think that if it takes more muscles and energy to frown and cry, then why do it? Thinking is the next topic Jim suggests that we do every day. A different connotation to thinking in Algebra 2 or Chemistry class, we need to think just for the pleasure of doing so. If we relax and think positively we will be much happier. I think a lot in school but I also think when I try to sleep (which by the way doesn’t help me sleep at all). Jimmy Valvano taught me in his speech that we need to spend time every day to think about life, the way things work, and to spend time thinking by ourselves in peace. Crying everyday sounds pretty depressing, but he doesn’t say that to make us feel bad. Jimmy says that we should cry by letting our emotions run free. Personally, when I let my emotions free to myself or others, I feel relieved and not bottled-up. Crying is a way to show sad and sometimes joyful emotion. Every day you should emotion because it shows your personality and it helps you enjoy every day. Jimmy Valvano was a perfect role model because he knew the right way to live: live well, love much, and laugh often.
I laugh, think, and cry every day. Being a student, I don't see how it would be possible to not think every day. Being in all upper phase classes, it is essential that I use my brain to its best ability each day. If I want to be successful in school and earn good grades, I need to spend most of my time thinking. In addition to thinking academically, I also think before every daily decision I make. It's important to think before you make a decision, because you don't want to end up regretting it. I think before I do something or say anything. I also think every day when deciding if something is right or wrong. I don't necessarily cry every day, though. Crying to me can be tears of joy or tears of distress. If I am crying tears of joy, it's because I've heard extremely good news or because I'm laughing so hard I start to cry. If I am crying because I'm sad, it could be that I've heard horrible news. I could also be crying because I am stressed out from the difficulties in life and the many responsibilities placed upon me, and I just need to let my emotions out. But as I honestly believe, laughter is the best medicine. No doubt about it, I laugh every single day. I have a great sense of humor, and laughing is the best way to put me in a fantastic mood. My friends are probably the main reason for my laughter. My friends are a very jocular bunch, and they are always joking around and saying something hilarious. Comedic television programs are also my daily source of laughter. I always make it a point to laugh throughout my day, because laughing is a wonderful pick me up
Jim Valvano was no doubt an inspirational, persuasive speaker. Not long after he was diagnosed with cancer in 1992, Valvano gave a very personal speech at the ESPYs. I, along with many others who have heard Valvano’s speech, love the speech. The way that he delievered the speech in a light tone with a touch of humor made it very interesting to listen to. I think that there are many lines from the speech that can be considered the “best”.
“I always have to think about what's important in life to me are these three things. Where you started; where you are; and where you're gonna be. Those are the three things that I try and do every day.” This line from the speech sticks out to me because of the way it is worded. Since he used “threes”, this line is easy to remember. Also when he uses the word “you”, I feel like he is talking directly to me. There is also a lot of truth behind his statement “where you started; where you are; and where you gonna be”. I think that everyone should evaluate this statement everyday. It makes you realize what is important.
“To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.” This is another line that stood out to me. Again, Valvano stated what he was trying to portray in “threes”. In this statement, he says that we should all laugh, think, and cry. The emotion that Valvano puts behind these words really seems to touch my heart. Knowing that he is battling for his life, hearing him say this makes me feel optimistic. If most people were in his position, they would not think about laughing, thinking, and crying everyday. They would only focus on their cancer. Jim Valvano, on the other hand, continued to live his life to the fullest; not letting cancer stand in his way.
Though many lines from the speech were very inspirational and had a lot of depth to them, these two passages were my favorite. I consider these two passages the best of the entire speech.
Jim Valvano says that every day we should do three things: laugh, think and cry (to be emotionally moved to the point of tears). Each day of my life I do these three things.
The majority of my day is filled with laughing and having fun. From the moment I wake, from the moment my eyes close, drifting into sleep, you can always find me laughing and smiling. The first part of my day that involves laughing is the car ride to school. I ride to school with Jenny Mouser, Jenna Fannon, and Abby Jobst. Each and every morning we spend the entire 20 minute drive laughing and joking around. We make fun of each other playfully and laugh during Elvis Duran’s phone tap on the radio. As we begin pulling up the drive way towards St. Mark’s, you can still find us laughing. Around this time Jenna tends to become slightly hysterical and cannot control her laughter, which just makes us laugh even more. For the next eight hours, I spend my day in various classes. I can honestly say that despite how much I might dislike one class or another, I laugh at least once in every single class. More often than not, I laugh repeatedly, almost to the point of getting in trouble. I cannot help it. I tend to find many things humorous, even when others do not. Many would say I laugh at everything. Laughing is what gets me through each and every day. Without knowing that I would laugh and have fun at school every day, school would be a much more difficult task to accomplish. Finally, the school day has reached its end. The next item on my schedule is usually practice or workouts. People often say that they do not like working out or going to practice, but personally, I love the opportunity to better myself. Even at practices, you can find me laughing. After practice I go home and eat dinner with my family. My family is very sarcastic and our dinners are often prolonged because of our laughter. There is never a dull moment at my house. Being with my family at the end of the day always brings an extra dose of laughter into my life.
Inevitably, my day is filled with thinking. Being at school for eight hours is an obvious example of how I think every day, but this is not the only way I think. During the day I think about my words, my thoughts, and my actions. I think about my dreams and my goals. I think about why certain people have fallen into and out of my life. I think about how God has blessed me: my talents, family, friends, strengths, weaknesses, joys, and sorrows. I think about all the pain and sadness certain obstacles have caused me to suffer. I think about the people I miss, the people I love, the people I wish I had never met, the people I am lucky to have in my life, the people I couldn’t live without, the people who have caused me more pain than ever imaginable, and the people who have brought a smile to my face when I was at my lowest. I think about someone I wish would come back into my life, even if I am better off without them. I think about my past, the present, and my future. I wonder, hope, pray, and wish. I ask myself why certain things happen and always end up telling myself that everything happens for a reason. I think about what I need to do to make myself better. I think about the possibilities that lie ahead of me.
part 2:
I think about possible future scenarios. I play out future situations in my head, imagining how things will happen. Then I wonder if they will ever happen, or if I am just getting ahead of myself. The majority of these thoughts occur right before I go to sleep and when I am alone. When I’m alone, I don’t have anything to keep my mind off of the many thoughts that race through my mind. Sometimes this can be a curse, other times it can be a blessing.
The last element Jim Valvano talked about was crying, or being moved emotionally almost to the point of tears. This can either be happiness or sadness. Although I cry more than the average person, I do not cry every day. I tend to overreact and get upset about small things. Even the littlest things can make me cry. I’m the type who cares too much about everything. I care too much about my grades, what I look like, and I even care too much about people. I care too much about people who could care less about me. Besides being emotional in the sense of crying over sadness, music can also affect me in an emotional way. Different songs can emotionally make me upset, angry, or happy depending on the tone of the song and whether it brings back memories. The only good way of crying that comes to mind is when you laugh so hard that you cry. Almost once a day, my friends and I laugh until our stomach hurt. We laugh so hard that point we can’t even breathe, and then we start crying.
After listening to Jim Valvano's speech, I realized how much I cry, laugh, and think everyday. I don't cry visibly but when I hear something sad on the news or something sad that is happening in real life, then I cry on the inside. However, I do laugh almost everyday even when I'm feeling down. My friends always make me laugh at almost everything and sometime even my self. I laugh for the majority of my day and just forget about everything else sometimes. I'm almost naive in that way. The last thing that all humans do all the time is think. I think in school, at home, with my friends, and whenever I get the chance. I don't always think about things in school but whatever comes to my mind. It could be anything from political, philosophical, or anything else that interests me.
After considering Jim Valvano’s suggestion to laugh, think, and cry each day, I realized that in a way this has always been part of my routine. These three actions are both literal and figurative, depending on how my day unfolds. Laughing is an action that I seem to do every day of my life, no matter what the circumstances. Laughter is great way to express enjoyment and happiness, so it is a key aspect of a balanced the day. Without laughter, the spread of negativity is much more contagious. Thinking is an action that most mentally capable people do on day-to-day basis, but taking a moment to really look over your thoughts is something that can really improve that quality of your day. Sometimes you just need to review what you are doing with your life and look more at the grand scheme of things. Other times it is necessary to calm down and escape from a hectic situation. Either way, when you use your brain to center yourself and make better choices, it will be helpful. To be honest, the physical act of crying is simply not experienced by most people on average day. With that being said, it is beneficial to feel the high levels of emotion that can eventually move someone to tears. When emotion is delivered in such a powerful way, the result can be a sense of relief. We have to hide a lot of our feelings through our entire lives and if we never let them go, they can tear us apart. In a sense, we do some of these actions without even realizing it. It is easy to forget how much they help our lives.
In Jimmy Valvano’s speech after accepting the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the the ESPYs, there are many memorable lines. The lines that were most memorable to me were, obviously, his lines of rhetoric. My favorite line is when he says you should think of 3 things “where you started, where you are, and where you’re gonna be.” This quote really stands out to me because of the physical state Valvano was in when he gave this speech. I immediately thought it was amazing how positive and strong he was about such a debilitating disease. It also made me realize how little I think about where I came from and where I am. The future has always been more of my priority and I think this line opened my eyes to why I should think about my past and what it has taught me, and how I should realize where I am and how it will help me get what I want in the future. Another quote from Jimmy’s speech was that you should “think, laugh, and cry” everyday. I think that I actually do these three things almost every day. I might not actually cry, but I’m definitley get very in tune with my emotions. Of course when I’m in school I think and believe it or not sometimes when I’m not in school I’ll think. I’ll think about my future, an important decision I might have to make or something else. I am really able to laugh at just about anything, even things that aren’t obvious to other people that I though in my head, but if there’s one thing I do every day it’s laugh. Now I wouldn’t say that I cry every day, I actually rarely ever cry at all, but when I’m at dance I’m able to get in touch with my emotions very easily. Every day at dance (and I’m usually there from 5 to 9) we’re asked to perform, even if we’re just doing simple warm ups. This allows me too use emotion in a constructive way. I can be motivated by anger, happiness, or sorrow and show that when I dance. I know I have a full day when I can say that I’ve thought, laughed, and cried.
Usually when I think about my day, I plan out in my mind all that I have to accomplish and how long I have to do everything I want to get done. I rush through the not-so important things so that I can put a lot of effort into my main focus of the day. Each morning, I drag myself out of my bed and in to school. After school, I hurry to do my homework so that I have time to eat dinner before I leave for dance. But a long day doesn’t necessarily mean that I have lived that day to its fullest. Rarely do I actually take the time to enjoy everything I do. As Jim Valvano stated in his speech at the 1992 ESPYs, “To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day.” Jim Valvano is exactly right. It’s not how many things I can cram into twenty-four hours that truly makes a day - it’s how I spend those twenty-four hours that really counts.
Laughter is an expression of happiness and humor. Each day I laugh at corny jokes I hear, stories my friends tell me, and the little coincidences I take notice of throughout the day. But laughter can also imply a greater sense of joy. If I really take the time to notice everything I do each day, there are many instances where I feel a sense of happiness and joy that I can’t express through any other way other than laughter. I think that when Jim Valvano said that we should take time to laugh each day, he did not just mean one or two of these ways – he meant we should take the time to laugh each of these ways every day.
To calculate a solution to a complex equation or recall when the Declaration of Independence was signed requires thought. To have a conversation with someone or remember your dance steps requires thought, also. Thought may also be considered analyzing my day, thinking about things going on in my life, and examining my relationships with others. In reality, almost anything you do requires thought. I believe that some things that require thought are intuitive – you don’t actually have to really ‘think’ about them to do them. Other things, require a deep and profound thought process, where you really take the time to ‘think’. This type of reflective thought is what I interpreted that Jim Valvano meant when he stated that we should take time each day to think.
Crying is often associated with sadness or pain. Most people cry at funerals for loved ones, when watching a sad movie, or when they hurt themselves. But what do they do when they experience a feeling of utter joy and relief? They cry then, too. Crying is an expression of your emotions, both happy and sad. When I think about each day, I do not plan time to laugh, think, and cry. Those moments just happen - I have no control over them. But these moments do happen every day. By taking the time each day to enjoy these moments, I can indeed live “a heck of a day”.
Jim Valvano’s speech was one of a great magnitude, and probably one of the best spoken aloud in history. It invoked emotion, inspiration, and humor in everyone who sat in the audience on that night. But why was it such a great speech? In my opinion, the reason why his speech was so moving was because of the way he instructed the listeners to live their lives. “To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy.” Jim Valvano said these words after accepting his award and opening the speech with a joke directed at Dick Vitale. I believe that these are the best lines of the speech not only because of who they are coming from, but because of the application they have in everyone’s lives. The speaker was not only a famous and successful college coach, but a cancer-stricken man who was fighting for his life. He could’ve approached the audience with wrath and rage toward his awful affliction, but he does so with levity, humor, and instruction. For me, this great act of looking past the disease and appreciating what he had in life makes this speech truly inspiring. These lines are also the best of the whole speech because of the application they have. He was giving the guidance to laugh, think, and cry every day. He said that if you do these three things “that's a full day,” and I agree with him. Whenever I think about what makes a good day, it includes all three of these actions. He was not providing us with this ‘way’ to lead a good life, but making us aware of it. I think that he was saying that we should not focus on the little things in life, but the big picture. He was also saying that the joy that he had, even when afflicted with such an awful disease, came from doing these three things. Through these lines, he did not only guide everybody to a better life, but gave an example through himself of how to do so. For the reasons of guidance and inspiration, I believe that these lines are the best of Jim Valvano’s speech.
Jim Valvano’s speech was truly incredible. Just the fact that he could make it at all, while his body was covered in tumors, is amazing to me. In his speech, he said that you should “Think, laugh, and cry” every day. I definitely agree with this, and I can see how I do these three things almost every day.
I think every day because I am in all phase 5 classes, one AP class, and one phase 4 class, so I need to think a lot. Whether it is a difficult problem or learning how to do something, I need to use my brain all day long. If I didn’t think every day, I wouldn’t be able to stay in my classes, so I definitely agree that you need to think every day.
I laugh everyday at my friend’s jokes, and I think that you really need to laugh every day. Laughing is a way to relive stress, and a lot of people say laughter is the best medicine. Also, I laugh at things like finding out a homework assignment I forgot to do is due the next day and things like that because it is just such a relief you can’t not laugh. And laughing really can make you feel better, even if you are in a terrible mood.
Finally, sometimes I cry, even if it is on the inside. It is really sad that many people in America are poor, homeless, or hungry and can’t do anything about it. It is terrible that people die every day from diseases they couldn’t prevent, conditions they could do nothing about, or a life they couldn’t change. And that would make any one cry.
Pathos, ethos, and logos are the three major persuasive techniques. They are terms that derive from ancient Greece, and they are very important to any effective speech. The use of pathos is an appeal to the audience’s emotions, the use of ethos is an attempt to appeal to the audience based on their perception of the speaker, and the use of logos is an appeal to the audience’s sense of logic. The famous NCAA coach Jim Valvano used all three techniques in his speech at the ESPYs in 1993. Valvano had recently been diagnosed with cancer, and would later die. Despite this huge setback, Valvano still delivered a powerful and meaningful speech.
In Valvano’s speech, pathos and ethos are much more prominent than logos. However, some use of logos is still present in the speech. Valvano offers several facts that reveal the damage that cancer inflicts upon people’s lives, and encourages them to donate to the Jimmy V Foundation to help find a cure for cancer. This organization was founded in his honor. Valvano also used ethos to an extent. He gave a short anecdote explaining his first job as a freshmen basketball coach. This was probably meant to help make the audience more aware of his back story, as well as implement a bit of comic relief into the speech. However, most prominent in Valvano’s speech is pathos, emotional appeal. Valvano delivered powerful advice to the audience, instructing them to “laugh, think, and cry.” He believed that this proper balance of emotions would aid happiness and help people become content with there feelings. Valvano did a great job of evoking sympathy from the audience, and requested that they show him kindness if they ever met him outside of the awards show. He also appealed to their generosity by almost desperately asking them to try to help find a cure for cancer. I am aware that Jim Valvano is very famous, and I feel that his speech is memorable an meaningful.
I consider myself someone who takes great joy out anything comedic. My favorite genre of any form of entertainment is comedy. So obviously for me, Jim Valvano’s humorous anecdote about his first pep talk as coach of the Rutgers freshman basketball team was the best part of his speech. When he talked about how he told his team, “Gentlemen, we’ll be successful this year if you can focus on three things and three things only: your family, your religion, and the Green Bay Packers”, I cracked up inside. It’s also inspiring that after embarrassing himself like that at his first coaching jig, he was still able to become an elite collegiate basketball coach.
Even though the comedy was my favorite part, sometimes I think I laugh too much. I find myself laughing for a large majority of the day. I even think I think too much…I think. I spend more time in my head then in the real world some days. However, one thing that Jimmy V reminded me of is that I need to cry. I rarely ever cry. I’m not trying to prove my manliness by saying that, but I just tend to keep all my emotions inside. When I get really mad or really sad, sometimes I don’t act out on those feelings. I feel like maybe if I actually did let my emotions bring me too tears, then it would actually benefit me. And for a man in that condition and near death to lighten my day and remind me of a necessity in life truly amazes me. I was not alive during his time, but from this speech alone, I can tell he was a great man and his foundation is for a great cause.
Jim Valvano’s speech at the ESPYS was one of the most inspirational speeches that I have ever heard. The way he presented his speech was commanding and exciting. Every word he said had an impact on me. Most speeches that I enjoy have some type of comedy laced into it. This is why Jim’s speech left its imprint on me. The most comedic part of his speech is when Jim says, “That screen is flashing up there thirty seconds like I care about that screen right now, huh? I got tumors all over my body. I'm worried about some guy in the back going thirty seconds? You got a lot, hey va fa napoli, buddy. You got a lot...” Most people would just say okay and applaud. Most would have no idea what this phrase meant. The second I heard this for the first time, I started cracking up. He is basically telling the guy in the back to go to hell... classic. This next part isn’t as much comical as it is inspiring. This I when Jim states the three things that we should do every day; laugh, think, and cry. He says that these are three things that we should always live by. This part of the speech made me think of how I laugh, how I think and how I cry everyday. Every day of my life, I laugh because I have friends that can make it happen. I think every day because I just get bored and get lost in thought. The one thing that is harder for me to do is to cry every day. I only cry every once in a while because I like to keep my emotions bottled up. I realized that what he means is not just to laugh , think and cry everyday but to laugh when we’re feeling down, think when were too busy to stop, and have our emotions so built up that we cry. Jim Valvano laughed, thought, and cried every day. This is why his life was lived to the fullest. Not just because of his other actions but because of those three things.
Jim Valvano was definitely appealing to emotion with this speech more than anything. When he first gets up to talk, he establishes his reputation, saying he was honored to be there, and then goes on to talk about how precious time is to him because of his cancer. He talks a lot about his personal experiences, starting with the story about his first speech to his basketball team to make everyone laugh. He talks about the things that are important to him, his family, time, and not giving up, and makes a joke about the time limit the guy in the back is flashing to him. One of the more important things he does is that he groups things in threes. When he’s talking about his family, he says they hug, kiss, and love. Laugh, think, and cry were the three things he said people should do every day. These are important parts of his speech, because ideas are more powerful when spoken in sets of three. He also adds that cancer cannot touch his heart, mind, or soul. All of these things are appeals to pathos. Then, he talks about the 500,000 people that die of cancer every year, which is an appeal to both logos and pathos. He worked that fact in so it could be used as ethos. There is also an allusion to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote “Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm”. Jim Valvano was an emotional speaker, and it really shows in his speech.
Like Jim Valvano said in his famous speech at the ESPYS, “If you laugh, you think, and you cry that’s a full day...you’re going to have something special.” I do those things on a daily basis, and I believe that my life is really something special. Throughout the day, I laugh at home and at school. My family and I are closely knit and we all seem to laugh at the same things. We always joke around about almost anything and make the best out of the worst situations. At school, I am able to spend time with my caring and fun friends every day. My group of friends are close with one another, and we laugh at the good and bad events of the day. Whether it’s a bad grade or a ridiculous joke that one of us brings up, we always enjoy ourselves. Throughout the day, I think about and try to make the right decision so that it affects me positively in the future. At the end of every day, I ponder on what happened that day. I look back on mistakes made and decide on ways of how I can improve and change myself for future scenarios. Finally, I cry every day when I remember and pray for my grandfathers who passed away two years ago and also when I am reminded of the fact that I am inflicted with a disease that just won’t go away. It is sad to look at pictures at both of my grandfathers, and, sometimes, it does move me to tears. In the end, however, I remind myself that they are in a better place now and are happy and free of their pain and suffering. I also cry or am saddened when I am forced to take medicines to control my disease and have to adhere to a strict diet that has stripped some of my favorite foods from my food choices. It is sometimes frustrating to watch other kids eat what I can’t and do what I cannot. I realize, however, that dealing and living with such restrictions have made me more mature, more patient, and a better person. After a day full of emotions that include laughing, thinking, and crying, it is obvious to me that I do have something special going on. This something special is what makes my days and life more interesting and fulfilling.
Jim Valvano's speech was inspirational, genuine, yet bitter sweet at the same time. I thought the entire speech was excellent, it was informal, but very meaningful. All of the lines in groups of three were great mottos, such as thinking, laughing, and crying every day. However, in my opinion the best line in the speech was “What's important in life to me are these three things: where you started, where you are, and where you're gonna be.” This line is powerful because it incorporates my whole life into one sentence. My past develops who I am as a person now. I learn from my mistakes. When I take a look at where I started it lights up a clear path for what I strive to do and who I inspire to be. I also believe that every person I meet plays a part in my life, and so looking at my past helps me recognize who shaped who I am today. It's important to look at who I am in the present. When I look at where I am, I can see if I've changed from who I used to be. Sometimes this is a progressive change, but other times I find that I'm not becoming the person I want to be; in this case I change my direction so that when tomorrow comes I'm not regretting my past. I have a dream of who I want to be and what I want to do in my life, and this dream shapes my entire life. Especially in American society, life is focused on the next thing rather than the present moment. There is always a next step in reaching a goal, or a new goal when the previous is reached. In a society so focused on the future, I am constantly bombarded with decisions that I make based on experience from my past. The choices I make in the present then effect my life in the future. Past, present, and future are significantly intertwined. Since it's impossible to know how things will turn out and how choices will effect my life, I believe Jim Valvano's line is very genius. Looking at my past self, my present self, and what I hope will be my future self can give me motivation and confidence in my life. This simple line can help me aspire to be the person I imagine and be successful in the world, and all I have to do is think.
Response to Question #1
Jimmy Valvano was a great speaker who touched many people with just his words. His speech at the 1993 ESPY awards was probably one of his best. Throughout that speech he made the audience laugh, think, and cry just like he had said to do. Jimmy tells us to cherish our time and to never give up no matter what you are up against. Jimmy’s speech had some memorable lines and these are some of my favorite.
“Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.”
“If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.”
“I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have”
My favorite part of Jimmy Valvano’s speech was him remembering the first time he spoke to his team at Rutgers University. Even though it was a long story he kept the audience’s attention by constantly saying little things that would make the audience laugh and being very enthusiastic the whole time. He ended it flawlessly with the perfect the perfect tone that just made the audience just crack up.
Jimmy Valvano was a great speaker and a great man who was taken before his time. The things that he said should be remembered to help teach future generations to cherish the time we have and never give up. We should all try and live like Jimmy did.
“If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day.” According to this statement made by the late Jimmy Valvano, I have had the unique opportunity to experience a “heck of a day”. It was three years ago, and I was, once again, standing on a pool deck. I had little to no self-confidence standing up there- I was a skinny, cold twelve year old who just learned how to swim without the support of the lane line. And I was nervous. Knees wobbling, I walked over to my coach Miss Kathy, and frantically began to explain in great detail why I could not jump off of the block. Crying, I told her that the other swimmers were better, that I had just learned how to swim butterfly, my goggles snapped- anything to get me out of racing. Slowly, Miss Kathy sank down to my level, looked me in the eyes and said, “Chloe, if you don’t get your butt on that block in thirty seconds, you will be not be racing a 200.” Relief rushed through me. “But, before you get too excited, I want you to know that instead you will get to swim a 1650.” At this point I started to cry again. Miss Kathy was normally a tough-as-nails coach, but she did relent to help me. She began to tell me that she believed in my swimming abilities. I do not remember exactly how she got me to race, but I do remember that she made me think about it. Miss Kathy gave me a choice and I chose the shorter distance. So I swam the race, and to my astonishment, I dropped around thirty seconds and won my heat. I got out of the water laughing with relief and thanked Miss Kathy. Her pep-talk gave me the self-confidence I needed to help me through the race; the talk may not have been the longest, most eloquent speech ever, but it was exactly what I needed her to say to me.
I think I pretty much have a full day consistently. While I may not physically show that I laugh, cry, and think, I still do them. More often than not, I spend a large percentage of my time thinking. Seeing as I am a student, do I really have a choice? (Not that I object.) However, crying and laughing a little more difficult. Feigning sadness or happiness is quite easy. I, personally, am quite adept at both. So one must be careful at what they laugh at and what they cry for.
Most of the time I think about what I can do better. What is there to improve in my life? Perfection is unattainable (at least I hope) and one can always continue to improve. How could I have scored higher on that test? How could I have gotten first place as opposed to second place? These are all questions that I ask myself and only I can answer.
Laughing is more difficult than it appears. Before you laugh at something, you have to consider, is this really a joke or is it real and possibly insulting if you laugh? However, most people make it pretty easy to tell when it is a joke or not. This makes our lives a little brighter and little funnier every day. And for you joke of the day, I will invoke Mr. Charles Schulz: "Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia."
As for crying, this is probably the easiest and hardest at the same time. It is always easy to cry for yourself but is it really worth it? Do you deserve that much self pity or are there other things that require your tears and thoughts more? Perhaps those who are suffering due to war, disease, or any one of a thousand and one things that we humans do to destroy this world. Overall, there is always something to cry about and I hope to see the day that we don't have to cry anything but tears of joy.
One of my favorite lines in the speech is “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day.” I think this quote gives motivation and encouragement to live life to the fullest and to try to succeed. The quote points out that joys as well as sorrows should be encountered in each day to allow us to truly appreciate everything in life. The quote points out that we have to challenge ourselves to overcome struggles in life and when we succeed in doing that, the rewards we will reap will be great. Another powerful quote in the speech was “You have to have a dream, a goal. And you have to be willing to work for it.” This speech is an inspiration to young people to find their path in life and to pursue it no matter what. Although we may face difficulties in life, we still need to focus on our goals so that we can succeed in life. Valvano was a powerful speaker who could crawl into the minds of others and give them the encouragement and motivation that was in them all along. Valvano’s speech was one of great inspiration to his players and also others.
During the ESPY awards ceremony, Jim Valvano, head coach of the North Carolina State Wolfpack basketball team, gave an amazing speech upon receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage award. When I first listened to Jim Valvano’s speech, I couldn’t help but wonder, “Have I heard this before?” Maybe I have heard some of the parts of the speech before, but I didn’t hear them the way that Jim delivered them. This brings up an important point; my favorite part of the speech is his deliverance of his message. Jim says his speech without any notecards and speaks from the heart, and that has a great emotional force behind it. He talks as though he’s giving his last words, and that’s because, of course, he has cancer. Also, he puts enormous emotion behind the heart-touching moments of his speech, which makes it that much more tear-jerking. His speech was meant to make the audience laugh, think, and cry, the three things that Jim says that everyone should do every day. That section of the speech is one of my two favorite parts. It makes me think how laughing, thinking, and crying encompasses a whole day in a nutshell. We laugh when we see or hear something funny; we think beyond just ordinary thoughts; we cry about what troubles us and the world. The second part that is my favorite is when he talks about the book he read and how he tried to mimic part of the story. This section of the speech is probably the only part that is meant to only make you laugh. Jim recalls that he read an influential book about a coach that mentions his first pep talk to his football team, and Jim uses that pep talk for his basketball team. Unfortunately, Jim fails at pushing the door open dramatically and saying the three most important things for an athlete to focus on in order to succeed. He says that, when he pushes the door, it doesn’t open and he fell over. The team helped him up and he listed the three things that were important to his team: family, religion, and the Green Bay Packers. His team was actually Rutgers Basketball. Oops. At that point, everyone in the audience was cracking up. He means to create a moment of comical relaxation before he continues his speech.
Jimmy Valvano’s speech appeals to almost every emotion on the human spectrum. It truly does makes you think, laugh, and cry, as he says you should do every day. I cannot say that I can relate to his impeccably difficult and emotional battle with cancer, but I can relate on a much smaller and less looming scale. Jimmy says in the beginning of his speech that three things are very important to him. He says these are: Where you started, where you are, and where you’re going. I relate this to when I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when I was six years old. I was six; I didn’t know what was going on or why I felt so tired and so unlike myself. It wasn’t until my mom took me to the wonderful doctors at AI DuPont Children’s Hospital that I found out that I have Juvenile Diabetes. I took insulin injections with syringes that I barely knew how to maneuver. I matured a lot faster than all the other kids my age. I constantly had to monitor how I felt and what I ate, so unlike the carefree nature everyone else had. But somehow, that never bothered me. Not once did it ever cross my mind to complain because, after all, I was alive, and I was happy. That’s where I started. Right now I have the Medtronic Insulin Pump so I no longer have to take shots. I know so much about my condition and I have embraced it as a part of what makes me who I am. It will be the ten year anniversary of my diagnosis this June and I can’t even express in words how far I’ve come. As for where I’m going—I know that I want to be a Diabetes nurse educator so that I can teach other children diagnosed with my same condition how to take care of themselves to be everything they want to be. I want to help them to be brave, and to never let anything get in the way of their dreams. As Jimmy Valvano said, “How do you go from where you are to where you wanna be? And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. And you have to be willing to work for it.”
On March 3, 1993, shortly before his death, he spoke at the first ESPY Awards, presented by ESPN. Jim Valvano’s speech was incredible. His speech literally shows what a great guy and inspirational speaker he was. He also kept the audience attentive and alive, captivating them with his words. His speech and his outlook on life matter today, because he taught all of us how to live life well. Although he knew his time was short, he advised all of us that we needed to remember to laugh, to think, and to have our emotions moved to tears either through happiness or joy. In his speech, he announced the creation of the Jimmy V Foundation, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for cancer. He announced that the foundation's motto would be "Don't give up don't ever give up.” His famous words, “Don’t give up…don’t ever give up,” are not only a motivation to those battling cancer, but also serve as encouragement for those who want to help in the fight against this terrible disease
In my opinion, his speech has touched me, and probably has touched thousands of people in the world. Jim’s last statement is truly the best quote not only in inspiring me, but others.”Cancer can take away all my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever."
Towards the end, he declared, “I’m going to fight my brains out to be back here again next year for the Arthur Ashe recipient. I want to give it next year!” Sadly, Jim Valvano lost his fight with cancer just eight weeks after that memorable night. He poured all of his heart, soul and mind into that speech. And no one can, or ever will, take that away.
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