Although I am often classified as a “motivational speaker”, I am the first to admit that this could be yet another example of false advertising. The truth is, I can’t motivate anybody. To even try would prove to be an exercise in futility.
That being said, we all need a little stimulation now and then. We all need to re-energize our creativity, and reintroduce the bounce back into our steps. With life’s path representing a sine wave, we all exhibit mood swings that go up and down mirroring our feelings. We all need a periodic boost to get us moving back “up” again. So where does this motivational impulse come from? The answer may fool you.
Let me share with you my latest flirtation with motivation.
I was recently “surfing” the internet when I came across Netflix. This is probably not a new concept to you, but it was to me. I decided to test the waters and took them up on a 30-day trial membership.
I registered. I browsed the available movies. I spotted a familiar name in Apollo 13 with Tom Hanks. I clicked. I began to watch. Very cool indeed.
It wasn’t ten minutes into the film when I found myself becoming motivated. A few short sentences from Tom Hanks was all it took for me to recharge, rethink, rekindle and revitalize my near future.
Tom was looking up at the moon in his backyard following a “moon-walking party” at his home. Fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong had put foot on the moon before reciting his famous line, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” (That was not what motivated me.)
Tom Hanks then said. “They call it a miracle. It is not a miracle. We went to the moon because we decided to go.”
Wow! What a great line. I want you pause for a moment and think about these twenty words. See if you don’t become motivated just reciting them to yourself.
Your success will not come as a result of some miracle. Your success will come as a result of you deciding exactly what you want and then making it a reality. The fickle-finger of fate will have nothing to do with it.
Some clever, silver-tongued motivational speaker won’t get you to the promised land. Hard work and determination will. Experimentation will. Trial and error will. Persistence will. Planning will. Failing will. That’s all you need. But you also need to “connect” with your objective and then, be on the lookout for input that will feed your connection.
I may say the words, but you have to make the connection.
I can’t motivate you. Nobody can motivate you. Only you can motivate you by connecting with words and ideas that make sense to you and serve as a propellant to drive you toward your goals. I introduce the idea…you do the motivating.
Let me leave you with a few more words: You did not get this far by accident. You got to where you are today because you made it happen. Don’t stop now. Pick another target. Take aim. Fire away. Understand and believe that you are your own master motivator.
Mike Marchev freely shares his experiences, strategies and observations with travel professionals in an effort to keep them on top of their game. For a complimentary copy of his 12-Word Marketing Plan send him an email at mike@mikemarchev.com.
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