BY SHEENA BLAKE
What gets you motivated? Is it a speech or a post or is it watching others succeed? What awakens your internal drive?
Lately, I’ve been underwhelmed by what “motivational speakers” are doing for me (rather, by what I allow their words to do for me). I am no longer “pumped” to listen to someone tell me that I can do it and that it is possible. Of course, I believe that both of the former are entirely true; there is just something that is no longer getting me moving anymore.
I want to put out a disclaimer to state that each and every human being out there knowing that it is their life’s mission has the right to motivate others and is important to the world. What this post is about is the shift and trend that seems to be drifting away for the motivational speaker who speaks to the entrepreneur who does.
Of course, speaking and teaching are essential to the growth of future generations, but I want to emphasize here that listening to someone speak, getting excited and pumped to get moving towards one’s vision for a few weeks and then losing momentum and falling flat is a thing of the past.
What’s my point? My point is that motivation is no longer the “thing” that people need. There is a motivational coach, speaker, intuit on every corner of the internet just waiting to move you. What we need now, during these times of politically and emotionally triggering times, are people who speak to and live in tandem to maintaining momentum.
These speakers are not there to tell you to get up and go. Their intentions are to remind you of things that you know internally, innately. They are there to speak to that part of you that is truly human so that your skills can be acknowledged, honed and utilized allowing who you are to be developed enough to move towards your dreams.
The #momentummaintainer is the type of speaker who, while preparing for a speaking engagement, is still primarily concerned with building his/her own empire and is continuing to ask for guidance from others who came before them, stay up late working on their craft and acknowledging when they need rest.
Their intentions are to build and maintain momentum through practicing what they preach. Also, they often aim to awaken the parts of their listeners that not only get them dreaming again, but those parts that acknowledge what it takes to be great as often as possible (to one’s self, not to anyone else).
All of us are in the same boat (at least in this country; although racism and prejudice are real things-I’m referring only to the base of all of our existence). We all have twenty-four hours; we all have needs and desires and wants. So, what is it that separates the person who is living the life they want from the person who is not?
The next time you are looking to be motivated, take a deep breath and practice your craft; do it even if you don’t want to. Then, when you know your direction, look for a momentum maintainer; their speeches will wake you up and remind you that you are on your way. They will remind you that you are growing. Be patient. Your empire won’t be built in one day…otherwise it’ll fall down tomorrow.
