Without motivation, there is nothing impelling us to reach for anything more than
we have. A great motivator for me was always setting lofty goals. When I reached
my goals, it became extremely difficult to motivate myself to get through the hard
times. Your motivation is tested in the most difficult times. At these times you
learn the most about yourself and how motivated you are. You realize that you may
have to change your outlook to keep your motivation. The most highly motivated people
will always excel, despite how much others try to invalidate their goals. Many of
these successful people actually use the negative words to motivate them more. They
still find a way to reach their goals in the face of all the nay-sayers. Proving
people wrong became fuel for my fire.
The hardest thing about motivation is finding a way to sustain it. I work with a
charity that uses sports for development for children in Africa. Every time I travel
to Africa I am extremely motivated to appreciate life more. I am still motivated
to give back to these children months after I leave, but I wish that I could continually
be reminded to appreciate what I have. A successful motivational speaker not only
motivates and inspires you during their speech, but they can help you stay motivated
once you leave. A true motivator helps you sustain and expand your motivation even
after they are gone. This is why I leave all my attendees with a list of tools,
tactile reminders, poems and stories that will keep them inspired long after I leave.
There are too many people that are continually searching to "find" motivation in
their lives. I don't think that motivation is something that you find. I think motivation
finds you. Make sure you are open to accepting it.