Archive for December, 2007
by Craig Harper
In the course of my work (helping people create their best life), there’s a place I’m always educating and warning my charges about. It’s that place beyond the adrenalin rush. You’ve been there. We all have. Some of us go there ten times a year. Some of us get there in a day or two, and for others, it takes much longer. It’s that place beyond the excitement, beyond the euphoria, beyond the initial rush of blood and beyond that temporary ‘feeling’ of motivation. I call it the Self-Help Danger Zone; the place where dreams are destroyed or realised, where momentum is gained or lost, and where we grow, learn and adapt, or crawl back to our destructive old ways.
Too often, it’s the place where the chronic under-achiever and the habitual giver-uperer (a word) returns to his/her safe, boring, familiar, frustrating little box (habits, attitudes, behaviours, destructive relationships). And sometimes, but not often enough, it’s where those people who are desperate for, genuinely ready for, and totally committed to, change, leave their emotional security blankets and psychological anchors once and for all.
That’s right, forever.
Not for a while, but for the rest of their life.
By the way, do you know how many people who make decisions and set goals actually create forever change? While I don’t have exact data on it, I can tell you with some certainty, not many!! And how many people invariably end up back where they started, or worse? Sadly, the vast majority. For some, once they hit the Self-Help Danger Zone it’s all down hill. Every time.
They are champions of the short-term change. They can do anything. For a week or two.
“I’ve given up smoking ten times.”
Actually, you’ve never given up at all, you’ve just taken a few breaks. When you give up smoking, you’ll never do it again. Ever.
The ‘Zone’ is a very real place, and in our quest for our best life we will all end up there at some stage. It’s what we do when we get there, which will ultimately determine success or failure. Many of us have a history of ‘nearly’ doing great things but once the euphoria and the excitement have died down (and they will), we start to ‘find reasons’ to stop whatever it was that we started.
Here’s the cycle:
We get motivated. We make a decision. We change a behaviour for a while. We lose motivation. We revert to our old behaviours. Three weeks later, we start again.
Beyond the adrenalin rush (the excitement of starting something new) is a kind of an ‘Emotional Bermuda Triangle’ and we usually find ourselves (or maybe I should say, ‘lose’ ourselves) there, anywhere from three hours to three months after we make that decision to change something significant about us, our life, or part thereof. We lose motivation and focus, our mindset changes (for the worse) and gradually, our excitement is replaced with indifference. Our momentum comes to a grinding halt, and like many times before, we throw in the towel. We give up. Again. And like every other time, we rationalise it, we explain it and somehow, we make ourselves feel better. “Now’s not the right time for me.” Funny that.
We all have the ability to create incredible outcomes in our life, but many of us continue to find new and creative ways to under-achieve; to sabotage ourselves and to waste more time and potential. But panic not, there’s always next Monday; the official day we start stuff.
In order for us to create forever results, it’s imperative that even when the excitement, the euphoria and the adrenalin have worn off, we keep doing what we need to do to create our best life.
Some stuff to chew on:
1. Most people who start a diet don’t last two weeks (more than half).
2. The majority of people (about 85%) who join gyms don’t use their membership as they intended when they signed up (they don’t go!).
3. The vast majority of people (nearly 100%) who do lose weight, regain it.
4. Every New Year millions of us make all kinds of resolutions that never result in genuine change, even though we desperately want it. Not because we don’t have the potential or ability, but because we simply don’t finish what we start.
I know we’ve had similar chats to this before, but it seems that some of us keep making the same mistakes and repeating the same behavioural patterns. Lately I feel like I’m constantly re-living the same conversations, about the same issues, with the same people!! Don’t make those decisions and don’t set those goals unless you’re absolutely prepared (mentally and emotionally) for the realities and the challenges of life beyond the adrenalin rush. It’s ain’t about the next month, it’s about your life.
The key to life-long change is this:
Doing what we need to do, irrespective of how we feel on a given day. Always finding a way. As I’ve said before, it ain’t about motivation, it’s about commitment and perseverance. Don’t give me the talented person, give me the person who will talk less and do more. Give me the person who will get that shit done. Once and for all.
Are you that person?
Craig Harper (B.Ex.Sci.) is the #1 ranked Motivational Speaker (according to Google). He is a qualified exercise scientist, author, columnist, radio presenter, television host and owner of one of the largest personal training centres in the world.Motivational Speaker - Craig Harper
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by Robert Pardon
Alcoholics and drug addicts know despair like few others do. When we are in the middle of our disease there is not one aspect of our life that is not despairing. We are some of the most hopeless people alive.
I remember from early on in life that something didn’t feel right. As dysfunctional as my family was I knew my mom and dad loved me so my despair came from somewhere else. I found myself, as early as five and six years old feeling that I didn’t fit in and how much it hurt just being me.
My father used to always say that God is love and I know now that he was right, but it only confused me back then. If God is love and He loves me then why do I feel this deep despair and loneliness? At the time, I had 3 older and 2 younger siblings (that would later grow by 1) and yet I could not shake this feeling of despair that I just didn’t fit.
As time would go on I became very active in my neighborhood and I had plenty of friends and even played on sports teams down at the park and in school. Yet, I learned that one could not mistake activity for happiness. No matter how good or how bad my day was the result was the same. I would lie in bed before I went to sleep and wonder if life was so good then why did it hurt so much being me. My despair would grow as I did.
Then along came alcohol and then drugs and the despair seemed to go away. It seemed if I could do a little this and a little of that I could find the right measure to make the despair go away and believe that it was perfectly okay right where I was at. But, of course, that didn’t last very long. By the time I was 18 my usage became daily and by the time I was 25 I was a chronic alcoholic and daily drug user. Despair, once again became the order of the day.
That is no longer the case because I was lucky to stay alive long enough and my despair drove me to Alcoholics Anonymous and my life has never been the same. I found out the despair I was feeling was common amongst people like me and they seemed to find a way to overcome the despair without drinking or using and matter of fact these were the most fulfilled and happy I ever met.
They had found a reason to live and be grateful for who and what they were. They were grateful that their addiction didn’t kill them. They were happy, get this, for every bad thing that got them to AA. They said it takes what it takes to get where they were and they were grateful that the doors of AA were open when they arrived.
I thought WOW! This was so simple to be grateful for something so important, yet so simple. I began to view life a little differently. Instead of thinking of myself as alone filled with despair I began to look outside myself and see life for what it is. Granted, life it always fair and it is true sometimes bad things happen to good people, but there are many things for each of us to be grateful. Our obligation to our self is to find what they are.
Today my despair has been replaced by a deep sense of gratitude for everything around me. I am even excited when I go to turn on the hot water and it is hot. It can be that simple. Going from despair to gratitude is a choice and the choice always has been and always will be yours. Surround yourself with others who seek to be grateful, just as you are seeking and if you honestly seek you shall surely find.
Robert Pardon is founder of becomingwellnow.com, a website that offers recovery information and solutions for those who suffer from alcohol and drug addiction.
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by Jfheller
The first thing to understand about risk is that there is no single thing that we can point to and say it is a risk for everyone. What you consider a risk may only be a moments thought for me. What I consider a risk may be totally off your radar screen and you wouldn’t even be thinking about it in passing. Risk can take the form of stepping out and fighting for something — a relationship, a job, your family, a friend. Risk may mean facing your own personal issues — self-worth, facing your emotions, feelings of inadequacies.
History is filled with people who stepped out in faith even when the odds were against them. Christopher Columbus had to face his fear and the fears of others about sailing off the edge of the world if they sailed west. Martin Luther confronted a massive medieval institution when he nailed his ninety-five thesis on the church door at Wittenberg challenging the corruption and unbiblical tradition in the church. Rosa Parks faced the wrath of a deeply ingrained culture when she refused to give up her seat on a bus simply because she was black. Nearly everyone noted for a great ‘first’ faced enormous odds. Of course, that is the reason we remember them.
We might as well admit that there are some people out there in life that are risk-takers. They jump out of planes and wait until the last second to open their parachute. They bungee jump, white-water raft over rapids that look more like Niagara Falls to me, or the new phenomenon of zip-lining over rivers, through the jungles and down the mountains. But for most of us, risk is a scary thing. When it comes to our safety and security most of us are quite conservative.
So, where ever that ‘risk’ line is for you, does it stop you from becoming or doing something great? Many people want to change their lives or their circumstances but they are afraid to take the risk to become someone greater than they have been in the past. We have been taught through the years to just go along with the flow. Don’t cause waves. Get a job, stay there for thirty years and then retire. Develop that corporate mind-set.
There are people who see a great business opportunity but are unwilling to take the risk needed to become successful. These are the people who say, “What if I fail? Do I get my money back?” Nothing great ever achieved was done without risk.
Maria Vargas was willing to take some risks as she began an internet business. Elle Drake took the risks of displeasing her parents to pursue her dreams. Dwayne Golden risked leaving the corporate world to begin his own business. We all have to face the risk that is between us and the life we would really like to live.
James Heller
I worked in the corporate world for 15 years - oil & gas taxation, payroll account. The next 27 years have been spent in church ministry. Internet Marketing is allowing retirement. www.podcastingbzonline.com
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by Jfheller
How many of us ever stop to realize that nothing is ever accomplished without it first starting as a dream in someone’s heart and mind? I’m not all that sure that most of those dreams really started in their minds as ‘wild, far out fantasies.’ Think back through some of the dreams that people had and what the reaction of the general population was. Fulton dreamed of a ship driven by steam power. The public called it “Fulton’s Follies.” People stood on the banks of the river and waited for the ship to either sink or explode. They had come to watch a foolish old man with a scattered-brained idea and laugh at him when it didn’t work.
Thomas Edison imagined and dreamed of providing light by using electricity. His dream was so powerful he did not know what the word ‘discouragement’ meant. Ten tries. A hundred tries. A thousand tries and still no light. Ten thousand tries later he found the right combination of elements to produce the light bulb. Talk about a person having a great dream!
Do you remember the Pete Maravich story? He was a young man who dedicated his whole life to one dream: playing pro basketball. He would practice eight to twelve hours a day. He dreamed of being the first basketball player to receive a million dollar salary. This was back in the 70s and 80s when those levels of salaries were unheard of.
“Maravich wasn’t the first player to dribble behind his back or make a deft between-the-legs pass. But his playground moves, circus shots, and hotdog passes were considered outrageous during his era and, perhaps because he cultivated a freewheeling image, some basketball purists felt he was more style than substance. But Maravich produced huge numbers, first as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history and later as a potent force for both the Atlanta Hawks and the New Orleans Jazz.” NBA Encyclopedia Playoff Edition.
There is tremendous power in a dream. A dream is not a wish. A dream comes from the heart and is not stopped by what appears to be insurmountable problems. Dreams are not stopped by those who want you to join them on the sidelines of life and watch others on the field. Dreams that come from the heart are not stopped by those who are all too willing to say to you “who do you think you are?”
After Van Cliburn had played Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata a woman came up to him and said, “I wish I could play like you.” Van Cliburn replied, “No you don’t. You are not willing to spend the long hours, days, weeks and years learning how to play the piano. You only want to do the performance, but you are not willing to do the work.”
So, what is in your heart? A dream or a wish? How many people sign up for a home-based business with only a wish to become successful? When the sales and the sign-ups don’t happen right away eighty percent of the people quit and blame the opportunity. They will not take responsibility for the failure. They will not take advice. They will not take the training and mentoring. Instead they post a blog on the internet telling you how they were ripped off by ????? All you have to do is put any business opportunity in the search box and the first thing that comes up are all the ‘failures.’
Dream great dreams! Dream from the heart and not the pocket book. Only then will you have the reason to get up every day. Lil Callahan has great dreams. She is not only dreaming but she is acting and working and planning. Frominternet2cash com. Myron Golden is also a great dreamer. He went from The Trashman to The Cashman. When are you going to add your name to the list that is growing day-by-day of those who are accomplishing their dreams?
James Heller
I worked in the corporate world for 15 years - oil & gas taxation, payroll account. The next 27 years have been spent in church ministry. Internet Marketing is allowing retirement. www.dreamweaverplus.com
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by Peter Murphy
When you are motivated, you approach your tasks with energy and enthusiasm. A lack of motivation can make everything seem like hard work. You will feel like your driving force has gone and you just can’t be bothered to do what you need to.
Sometimes you can’t be bothered to do anything at all when you lack motivation. This feeling can hold you back and stop you achieving your best, which in turn lowers your motivation even further.
With a lack of motivation you can often come up with excuses to blame for not getting down to doing what you need to do, but this just increases the problem as you dig yourself deeper into a pit of lethargy.
Why do you suffer from a lack of motivation?
It may be that you lack confidence so you don’t feel that you will do well at something so it is far easier to explain this away to yourself with the excuse that you didn’t try anyway and that if you had tried you would have been fine. A lack off effort is easier to bear in oneself than a lack of ability.
Perhaps it is not ability you lack, or feel you lack; perhaps you don’t have enough interest in the project at hand to really put your full effort into it. Perhaps you don’t perceive the task ahead as very important; many of us would lack motivation to do something which we considered to be pointless or at least that there are far more important things to do.
If there is no incentive for you to do something, then very often you will lack motivation to do something. That could be as simply solved as you needing to look a little deeper into the project to understand it better.
Very few people are just plain lazy for no reason but perhaps that could explain your lack of motivation too. More likely, though, procrastination and putting things off has just become a habit for you. If you are scared about what people might say about your efforts you may lack motivation to complete a task and have it open to scrutiny. If you are stressed or nervous about tackling something, that saps your motivation to begin it.
All of these reasons can lead to a lack of motivation and enthusiasm, bug it is important to recognize that they are only excuses which you make to yourself to stop yourself acting. You can learn to overcome any of these reasons for a lack of motivation if you recognize them within yourself; like with all problems, you need to recognize them before you can change them. Only then can you learn to think differently and re-discover your motivation.
It is much easier to become enthusiastic and motivated again if you are able to decide what is important to you in your life. This can be little things that you enjoy doing every day or it can be long-term plans you have. If something is important to you, it is much easier to maintain the motivation to complete the task.
It may be that you are motivated by extrinsic rewards or by intrinsic satisfaction; you will need to think about what works for you, so that you are receiving some pleasure for getting things done. That is where your motivation lies.
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: http://www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/special.htm
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by Deanna Mascle
Necessary reasons to keep your desire to learn. Have you ever dwelled upon how key learning is to your life in terms of your ability to not only survive but also to thrive both professionally and personally? Becoming a lifelong learner is important to your health, your success, and your happiness, but if that is not enough reason to learn more then consider these three key reasons to keep your desire to learn and to live and learn.
Change is healthy. Change is healthy for your diet, your physical well being, your mental state, and your brain’s health. While change is not always comfortable its benefits usually far outweigh its challenges. We know change is good for us but that doesn’t make it easy to force ourselves to change.
Learning can decrease your weaknesses. Most of us spend a lot of time and effort trying to conceal or compensate for our weaknesses when that time would be much better spent simply learning more about that particular aspect of our lives and learning how we can decrease that weakness. Perhaps with time and effort that weakness can become a strength.
Learning keeps your mind sharp. Study after study shows that when it comes to the brain it really is use it or lose it. Challenging your brain by learning new skills and experiencing new things can foster brain growth and development no matter what your age. One of the reasons why young children’s brains grow at such a rapid rate is because they are constantly learning new things. As we grow older we tend to slow and even stop learning which is damaging to our brains.
These are just three key reasons to keep your desire to learn that should give you food for thought and hopefully start you on the road to learning more and improving yourself today, tomorrow, and all the tomorrows to come. Now go forth and live and learn so you too can reap the benefits of becoming a lifelong learner!
Find more words of inspiration story and quick inspirations at http://wordsofinspirationonline.com/
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by Jfheller
I can’t say that I was always a reader of great books. I read more for the fun of it. I read the comic books of the early 50s. Then I went on to read paperback books particularly those dealing with air battles of World War II both fiction and non-fiction. I do have to confess though that I read these books because my older brother bought them. I wouldn’t put these books in the category of great books but they did inspire my imagination. The books always had a hero. Someone who saved the day or won the battle. Perhaps they were a stepping stone on to the books that would really matter and shape my life.
Since our thoughts determine our life we need to give close attention to what it is that is fuelling our thinking. Books become a very powerful influence to our thinking patterns. What do books do for us?
1. Great Books Broaden Your World. Read biographies and autobiographies of great men and women past and present. These books will help us to lift our eyes to see that other people have faced challenges in life and have succeeded. You’ll see that people have found a need and were willing to do everything they could to fulfill that need. Cameron Townsend was challenged by the fact that people did not have the Bible in their own language. So he founded Wycliffe Bible Translators. These true stories will encourage you to look around and see what would help people and then do it.
2. Great Books Sharpen Your Mind. We need to read books that will challenge our thinking. I have read books where I could only read one or two pages a day. I was trying to understand the concept and the philosophical position of the author. I did finally finish the book. My wife asked me why I bothered and I told her it makes me think outside my usual realm of thought. It sharpened my thought processes.
3. Great Books Ignite Your Heart. When you read books of people who have accomplished great things it inspires me to think that I can do it also. When I read books about people who have done great things in the areas that I am involved in and love my heart is ignited to see if I can do those things and even greater things. My heart begins to beat faster as I consider the possibility of seeing great accomplishments.
4. Great Books Develop Your Skills. Read the books of others who have been successful. Read the books of the people who have tried, worked and perfect it. Learn from them and their life. Let their experiences jump-start your successful life. It doesn’t matter what you are doing there are books by people who have tried things, failed trying and then succeeded. Learn from them! Don’t ignore them. Don’t think you have to make all the same mistakes. There are books that will help you shorten your learning curve but the thing is that you actually have to read them.
TV sitcoms and “reality” shows do not sharpen or expand your thinking. They only cause your mind to shut-down. Be careful on the shows you choose to watch. Even then TV will never replace the written book or today’s Ebook if you want to improve your Great Thinking processes.
Once you start improving your thinking processes you need a something where you can use your newly gained information and creativity. A new business venture or even several new ventures is a tremendous way to perfect your new knowledge. Internet marketing is the avenue of business today, are you involved with this phenomenon? Ebay is creating business opportunities for millions, are you one? Go to jfcashflow com. Or, perhaps you want to write an ebook? Ebooksnoproblem com. Do you need to improve your leadership qualities? Supersuccesssecretsrevealed com. Want to start your own business? Joannaheller com.
James Heller
I worked in the corporate world for 15 years - oil & gas taxation, payroll account. The next 27 years have been spent in church ministry. Internet Marketing is allowing retirement. www.dreamweaverplus.com
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by Jfheller
We have all heard the saying, you are what you eat. Endless jokes have been made about that statement but we also recognize that there is a lot of truth in it. You cannot have a healthy functioning body if you only eat “junk” food or have a very limited number of foods that you like. I have been amazed that the younger generations (I’m definitely not a younger generation) have a very limited number of food that they will eat. And their parents don’t seem to care or help them develop good eating habits. Yet when they kids are over weight they want to sue McDonald’s. Give me a break!
Let’s get back on topic. Since we agree that the statement has truth to it then it follows that we are what we think. John Stott has said, “Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.” We will become the product of our thinking.
Seven areas for great thoughts:
1. Think great thoughts about God. Or, whoever you consider to be that ‘higher power.’ Unless we have an understanding that there is Someone outside the realm of earth who created everything we see and us we will tend to think that we are in charge of all this. To me it would be impossible to believe that these balanced laws in the universe that can sustain life on this planet with it vast diversity of creatures and plant life could somehow just be an accidental mixture needed to create life. Trying to wrap your mind around the implications of an eternal creative God lifts your whole thinking processes.
2. Think great thoughts about yourself. There is no shortage of people who will criticize you and put you down. There is no shortage of people who will call you all kinds of names. There is no shortage of people who want you think that you are not a worthwhile person. They think that if they can put you down they will somehow be lifted up. So, you need to think great thoughts about yourself. You have all the talents and abilities that are needed to live a success, fruitful and fulfilling life. However that gets defined for you, you can have a great life. If you don’t think great thoughts about yourself, who will.
3. Think great thoughts about others. Once you grab on to number 2 the next thing is just to extend that to the people around you and those you come in contact with. It is possible to always expect the best from others.
4. Think great thoughts about life. Life is not about accumulating all the toys. Life is about using your talents and abilities. Life is about becoming the best that I can be in whatever it is that I love doing. That is when you will find satisfaction and happiness in this life.
5. Think great thoughts about your future. Somehow along the way young people have lost hope in the future. They are not sure the future is worth waiting for or participating in. But you have to think great thoughts about your future, your life, your tomorrows. Then you will have hope for tomorrow.
6. Think great thoughts about your past. Too many people are thinking thoughts that cripple them for today and tomorrow. They blame the past rather than learn from it and let the past be the past.
7. Think great thoughts about challenges. All too often we allow the difficulties that come into our lives to stop us dead in our track. We say, if only that had not happened I would be …. We get mad at people, things, events and we’ll even get mad at God. We need to get to the point where we will look at a difficulty with eyes that see through it on to a great future.
Your reality is a result of your thoughts. Look at your life and see what level you are living on. Then ask yourself what you have been thinking about. Change the level of your thinking and you’ll change the level of your life.
Julia Packman has thought great thoughts about their business which is a newly renovated gym, new equipment, affordable fees, massage therapy, juice bar, knowledgeable staff and trainers, personalized programs for individual members, etc. You are invited to check this out at myspace com/annexif .
James Heller
I worked in the corporate world for 15 years - oil & gas taxation, payroll account. The next 27 years have been spent in church ministry. Internet Marketing is allowing retirement. www.dreamweaverplus.com
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by Peter Murphy
Managers and team leaders have a responsibility for motivation in the workplace. Well motivated employees work so much better and are so much more productive and creative as they approach their work with interest and enthusiasm. As a manager, you can create such a motivated workforce.
1. You need to create an educated workforce which keeps up with the main developments in their area of work. People love to learn new things and affording your employees an opportunity to learn tells them that you respect them and you care about their development.
You as a manager can satisfy this need in staff for education by providing staff development courses and seminars or even just resources like books that are relevant to your particular workplace. If, as a manager, you want to increase the effectiveness of motivation in the workplace, you should participate in this training yourself. Lead by example.
2. You should have spent time and money helping your employees to become educated. You should make the most of the opportunity by allowing your staff to share what they have learned with the rest of the workforce. As well as sharing knowledge, this will have several other great motivational elements to it.
People will feel valued and trusted if they are allowed to educate others; they will see the point of having undertaken the training and other people will be motivated to undertake training because they will see what that can lead to for them.
3. Allowing and actively encouraging staff to put into action what they have learned is a great motivation. Your business will feel the benefit of the new ideas in the short term and in the long term it will benefit form having better educated staff.
For the employers, they will feel motivated to work harder for a company which values enough to train them up and this will increase their productivity and creativity. Having a manager ask you what you learned on a course you attended makes you feel valued and respected as an employee and people ten to react well to that.
4. To motivate your staff, you need to know them quite well. You need to know their strengths so that you can utilize those effectively and have them pass on that expertise to others. This will make them feel respected. You also need to create a culture of trust within the workplace where people are not afraid to share their weaknesses too. These weaknesses should be addressed sensitively and supportively.
If this happens, you will strengthen your workforce’s capabilities and thus the performance of your company. The weaknesses can be addressed so they don’t hamper progress and productivity and the employees, if this is done sensitively, will appreciate the support. This addressing of weaknesses has to be done in an environment where people don’t feel that admitting weaknesses will count against them.
So if you create a culture where individuals feel their efforts and talents are appreciate and you allow employees to train and to learn from one another as well as providing support for employers to develop and grow, you should have a positive impact upon motivation in the workplace.
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: http://www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/blog.htm
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by Kevin Kelly
Career in Motivational Speaking
How to develop a career in the motivational speaking market is a question I have been asked many, many times around the world over the past two decades.
At the highest possible level it comes down to one word - Congruence.
Have you achieved PhD status in the University of Life - the one and only true test of your ability? Have you walked the path of your philosophies?
To become a motivational keynote speaker, I believe you need to have demonstrated from your life that you have dreamed big dreams:
In 1996, having achieved a “D” grade in English in all my school exams, I set the goal of writing a best-selling book. The facts that no Irish person had written a book of this genre or that I hadn’t got a publisher or indeed that two award winning journalists told me I was wasting my time didn’t stop me from following my dream. That book became a triple best seller.
As a motivational keynote speaker,
you need to show that you have taken big risks:
In 1998, I decided to turn my back on a lucrative business consultancy to focus exclusively on keynote speaking on my three areas of expertise: Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Motivation. This resulted in a drop in my income from a six-figure turnover to less than the average industrial wage for a few years. In the process, I remortgaged my house and set sail for foreign lands! Those years of financial challenges provided the best personal training experience of my life. By continually focusing on my dream, and learning from failures, I am now enjoying working around the world, while simultaneously following my bliss.
A motivational keynote speake needs to be personable and vulnerable — you are after all human!
Be vulnerable and share the failures as well as the successes — focusing on how you learned from both and came closer to achieving your dreams. People respond best to normal people, not robots.
Overall, a congruent motivational keynote speaker will infect audiences with his/her energy and enthusiasm. Indeed their story will bring people “to the door” without even speaking a word! Remember and always honour the Chinese proverb — “teachers open the door but you must enter by yourself.”
So what makes me different from any other speaker in the world?
My answer is simple but obscure! It’s my energy, drawn from living life to the full, and walking the path of each of my philosophies and strategies. I know my ideas work because they have worked for me at the highest possible level internationally.
This resonates for audiences worldwide who are now becoming more and more sophisticated and want someone who has learned from life, not from a book.
So what is the message for would be motivational keynote speakers?
Work on yourself. Totally engage in life. Build up an anthology of stories based on your own life, not what you may have read somewhere. Reality is so much more persuasive and life-changing for the audience.
Start the journey today. Trust me, it is one of magic and adventure.
About Kevin Kelly
Described as the “coach behind Ireland’s Celtic Tiger,” Kevin Kelly is one of Europe’s and Asia’s leading authorities on motivation, entrepreneurship, leadership, communication, and personal excellence.
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Described as the “coach behind Ireland’s Celtic Tiger,” Kevin Kelly is one of Europe’s and Asia’s leading authorities on motivation, entrepreneurship, leadership, communication, and personal excellence.Copyright: This Article is Copyright protected. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.
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