Motivation

Eric Thomas is one of the most powerful motivational speakers in this day. He came from a very rough past, didn’t have parents, and found a way to become successful when his friends, family, community, and society were against him. A few years ago he gave a speech to a group of college kids on how to be successful and ways to get things done. He starts off with a story of a young man who contacted a successful person (guru) and asked him how he can be successful, the guru told him to meet him at the beach at 4 am. He met the guru at the beach dressed nice expecting a nice lecture, and some good intel and what not. The guru had other things in mind and told him to walk out into the ocean until he got to his neck. When he got to his neck the guru met him out there and shoved his head in the water and wouldn’t let him up. After struggling and fighting to get out of the water the guru let him up and said one thing. This is one of the most famous sayings around. He told the guy “if you want to succeed as bad as you want to breath, then you’ll be successful.” This analogy is so crucial and real, the guru is making it clear to the kid, by basically drowning him, then letting him up at the last second and making the point that as much as you wanted air and to breath right now, that’s how bad you have to want to be successful at what you’re doing. He tells him that once you have that desire to be that successful, then you will be doing whatever it takes to be successful whether thats.

Eric Thomas goes on to talk about the desire you have to have to be successful, most of us would like to be successful, and he gives us a few points on how we need to think. “Most of you don’t want to be successful as bad as you want to party, as bad as you want to be cool, most of you don’t want success as much as you want to sleep”. He tells a story about 50 cent when he was filming his movie, that he was doing that all day, then when he wasn’t working on film, he was working on a soundtrack. He had a ton of people almost concerned about him and asking him when he sleeps. 50 cent has but one response, he says “sleep is for those people who are broke, I don’t sleep, I have an opportunity to make my dreams become a reality.” Eric Thomas is trying to tell these kids as well as us, that if we are that determined to have success in our lives, we are going to have to sacrifice things. Things that we enjoy, games, movies, friends, parties, he even goes as far as saying sleep. If we really want success we have to be willing to give up our sleep. The quote by 50 cent is very inspiring, because he is one of the most famous rappers ever, and when he states that he “has the opportunity to make [his] dreams become a reality.” He is telling us that he was truly willing to do anything to be successful, and that is exactly what he has done.

He gives inspiration by giving many examples of what successful people do/say. He gives an example of Emmet Smith, the star running back of the Dallas Cowboys. After he had won a Super Bowl the next day he was in the gym working out very hard, and someone saw him and asked him what and why he was at the gym and not taking a break or taking time to celebrate. Emmet Smith looked at him while benching, and in between reps said “ I won a super bowl so now I can rest.” Then paused for 2 seconds before doing 8 more reps. This gives us an inside on the sports side. He is now motivating the athletes that winning once isn’t good enough, having one accomplishment isn’t good enough, until he did it again, and again he wan’t going to be satisfied. Emmet Smith is famous for a saying where he said “All men are created equal, some work harder in preseason.” After his experience winning the Super Bowl and the very next day getting back to work and working every single day until his next season (months away) he is showing that he is willing to out work everyone so he won’t be on the same level as everyone. That has inspired many football athletes of all ages to always work hard, even when no one else is.

He finishes his speech by giving a few examples/sayings to be successful.

1. “It doesn’t matter where you came from, who you are, or what your background is, if you want to be successful you have to have heart.” He is directing this to the people who have been raised in rather harder circumstances and giving them hope, because he himself made it from those same situations and it was because he had heart and he never gave up.

2. “To be able at any moment, to sacrifice what you are, for what you will . become.” He goes on to tell us that the way we make sacrifices is when we really want to do or watch something, or when things intrigue you, you have to have the willpower to say no, and to keep focused and be reminded of what you are trying to accomplish. He gives a few examples that relate to us in this day. He talks about giving up our cell phone, that most us spend way too much time on our cell phone, and that time could be used for your success. He talks about excuses, when people say their not good at writing or at math or at reading. He talks about the reason your not good at those things, is because you never do them, they’re hard for you so you shy away from them. Then he challenges us to use a tutor, go in to talk to the professor, do what you don’t want to do so that one day you will be who you want to be.

3. “Pain is temporary, it may last for a minute, an hour, a day, or even a year, but eventually it will subside, and something else will take its place, if you quit how ever, it will last forever.” He talks about how he was homeless and his parents both left him, and how he was in pain for years and years, it took him 12 years to get a 4 year degree, it was very hard for him but he was able to get through it and still get his degree. He talks about how we need to all start taking responsibility for ourselves, and when things get hard, don’t quit, go through it. “at the end of pain, is success.”

He gives many examples, and many quotes we can remember on an every day basis. His main message is, don’t be afraid to do things you are scared to do, commit yourself to whatever you want to be successful in, you need to eat it, breath it and sleep it, and until you do that you won’t ever be successful, but once you do, the world is your and you can accomplish anything you want.