One Way Which Motivates You 10X More Than Listening To Motivational Speeches.
Motivational speakers are overrated.
We all need inspiration, but how often? Daily, weekly or monthly? I would say “at least once every day.” Or perhaps every morning, evening, and afternoon or whenever you do any work.
Let’s admit it, every day, at some point, you feel like giving up. You encounter tons of doubts. Like your efforts will not be worth it. And you are beating your head against the wall.
It also causes you to get hard on yourself. You might also think about what every third motivational speaker says,
“You don’t need motivation; you need discipline to succeed.”
I agree with this statement, but not completely.
It’s hard to stay disciplined when you don’t see the desired results. It’s hard to be disciplined when people of your age, even those younger than you, are miles ahead while you still make useless attempts.
It seems impossible to succeed when you grow up hearing that your dreams are weird.
And if you are a writer, it’s hard to be disciplined when facing an intense creative block. I feel you.
But Is the only problem not working hard?
Let’s agree that not everyone has a robust support system around them. Some of you are alone in their journey. It doesn’t mean you are not ready to work hard. Or you are finding excuses like “I have no motivation.”
Rather, man is a social animal. Society’s approval of our actions shapes us. We need human role models. We crave words of encouragement.
And see, that’s why you are reading this. Perhaps it is the reason you love Medium. You want to read something that makes you feel like “I am not alone.” Or, “I want to find people as weird as me.” Isn’t it? So don’t lie. We all need motivation.
What’s the best way to get motivated ?
You’ll see many people, even your friends and family, suggest you best-selling self-help books. Or they recommend you listen to Steve Harvey, Stephen Covey, Dale Carnegie, or Jordan Peterson.
They are inspirational. I listen to them quite often, and you should also. But is that the best way to have the motivation? I would say no.
I don’t think motivational speaking is a profession. It’s not the duty of some particular person to motivate us. Instead, every one of us must contribute to the growth of the people around us.
For instance, you can ask your friend how things are going on their end. Perhaps you can send them a heartfelt or inspiring note, telling them they matter. Their efforts are not in vain, and they aren’t alone. And you can ask them to stop having doubts because you believe in them.
Stop making false assumptions.
Many people believe they lack motivation because they don’t have a vital purpose in life. Or you might not read enough self-help content.
But that’s not the only reason. Sometimes you don’t have anyone who has your back.
You see a lot of motivational posts posted by your friends, family, and colleagues on their social media or WhatsApp stories. But why do we only give voice to the words of others? Why don’t we become the voice?
Everyone is going through so much inside that you have no idea how a word of encouragement can make someone’s day. It has a hundred times greater effect than watching a motivational video of someone we have never met and know in person and would never be. Plus, you can’t relate to their stories as you can with a person you interact with.
But we don’t have the time to provide a listening ear to our loved ones who desperately need it. Perhaps we all feel shy or assume that if a person doesn’t ask for help, everything is okay in their life. And it’s weird for you to ask, “Hey, do you need motivation?” or “What’s the one thing you are struggling with these days?” I’m here to tell you you’ll nail it.
But you have no idea. The other person might pray for someone to acknowledge them but never say a word, thinking nobody really cares. People will judge. And perhaps nobody will ever understand them.
That’s quite true to some extent. No matter how hard you try, you can’t put yourself in someone’s shoes. But still, you can share positive vibes.
You can be just a good listener, if not someone who can give good advice. That’s enough sometimes.
Should you rely on motivation to succeed?
The purpose of this post is not to make you dependent on others for motivation. We all love freedom. People don’t always stay the same. You’ll not always find people there for you in your hour of need. But you can be that person. You can be a source of motivation for your friends, family, and acquaintances.
Never mind sending a cold text. Your loved ones need it.
And if you can, just hug them and tell them they are more than they think of themselves. Don’t be someone who reaches out privately to congratulate others on their success. Be the one who is there to encourage others personally.
Trust me; there’s peace in knowing you are heard and acknowledged not by the emotionless, cold, and blank paper of your journal but by a living human. Even being a great achiever is not a requirement. You only need to be human to inspire your fellow human.
Final Thoughts:
I don’t despise motivational speakers. They serve a great purpose. But I'm not too fond of it when people consider it a profession for specific people.
We must try to be someone who pushes others to grow instead of suggesting which motivational speaker they should listen. It works wonders.
