Your weekly dose of mental sunshine...

At this time of year we’re often inspired by the concept of a new year, a clean slate, a fresh start. It can make us feel like starting a new project, taking up a challenge or doing something different.

This week’s Mental sunshine is designed to help you with that feeling of inspiration.

One thing that really helps me to get motivated is watching inspirational videos.

There are thousands of inspiring videos out there, but here are a few to get you started:

Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams by Randy Pausch - Also known as “The Last Lecture,” this was Pausch’s last lecture before he died in 2008. In it he discusses his childhood dreams, lessons learned, and how to enable the dreams of others. Very inspiring.

That one is quite a long one; if you need something a little shorter to get you going, try Al Pacino’s speech in Any Given Sunday or the Seize the Day speech from Dead Poet’s Society.

Arthur’s Transformation is a truly amazing example of what can be achieved with dedication and determination.

In the US, universities have a tradition of hiring someone well-known to give a “commencement speech” to graduating students.

Many of these have been recorded, and are well worth a watch. Some of the best ones are by Steve Jobs, JK Rowling and Jim Carrey - but there are lots to choose from.