SELF-TALK
THE RADIO TALK SHOW HOST WAS SAYING, "MY GUEST TODAY IS A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER AND AN AUTHOR IN THE FIELD OF MOTIVATION". HE CONCLUDED HIS INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAM BY TURNING TO ME ACROSS THE MICROPHONE AND SAYING, "SHAD, ARE YOU ONE OF THESE GUYS WHO GETS AUDIENCES JUMPING IN THE AISLES AND READY TO RUN OUT AND CONQUER THE WORLD"?.
I THINK MY ANSWER SURPRISED HIM. MY RESPONSES WAS, NO, I'M NOT. IN FACT, I REALLY DON'T BELIEVE IN MOTIVATION".
THE NEXT FEW MOMENTS MAY HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TIME THERE WAS THAT MUCH DEAD SILENCE ON HIS RADIO SHOW. HE HAD BEEN PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT EXCITING WORLD OF MOTIVATION, AND HE HAD JUST REALIZED THAT HIS GUEST WAS ABOUT TO SAY IT DOESN'T WORK.
BUT LET ME CLARIFY. SOME MOTIVATION WORKS. IT'S JUST THAT MOST OF IT, MAYBE 95 PERCENT OF IT, DOESN'T , I RECALL READING THE COMMENT FROM THE TRAINING DIRECTOR OF A LARGE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATON. HE WAS INTERVIEWED BY A NATIONAL MAGAZINE, AND THE TOPIC WAS ON WHAT IS NEW IN TRAINING - PRINCIPALLY IN THE FIELD OF CORPORATION AND LARGE ORGANIZATIONS. HE SAID THAT HIS COMPANY HAD DECIDED TO STOP HIRING SPEAKERS WHO WERE MOTIVATIONAL WITHOUT BEING INSTRUCTIONAL. A MOTIVATIONAL TALK, HE HAD CONCLUDED, WAS MUCH LIKE THE OLD SAYING ABOUT EATING CHINESE FOOD FOR LUNCH, AN HOUR LATER, YOU'RE HUNGRY AGAIN. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S REALLY TRUE ABOUT CHINESE FOOD, BUT IT IS TRUE ABOUT MOTIVATION. MOST MOTIVATION SIMPLY DOESN'T STICK. IT DOESN'T STAY WITH YOU.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF MOTIVATION, AND DIFFERENT KINDS OF MOTIVATORS, ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR KINDS OF MOTIVATION CONSISTS OF AN AUDIENCE OF LISTENERS, SITTING ENTHRALLED WHILE A DYNAMATICALLY ENTHUSIASTIC SPEAKER WEAVES FOR THEM A WEB OF PURE MAGIC, THE SPUN GOLD OF RICHES AND SUCCESS. FOR AN HOUR OR TWO HE WILL IMBUE HIS LISTENERS WITH A NEW SENSE IF DESTINY, A GRAND NEW VISION OF THEIR UNLIMITED SELVES, ALL OF THEM CAPABLE OF SCALING THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS OF THIER IMAGINATION, IF ONLY THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY CAN.
THE MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE ARE GIVEN A NEW LEASE ON LIFE, THE OLY PAYMENT REQUIRED IS THAT THEY BEGIN THE NEXT DAY AS THE NEW PERSON, CONQUERING ALL ODDS, LAYING WASTE TO THEIR LIMITATIONS, FOCUSING ON THE GOAL AND GOING FOR IT. IF YOU HAVE EVER ATTENDED A MOTIVATIONAL TALK SUCH AS I AM DESCRIBING, YOU KNOW THAT I MAY BE UNDERSTANDING THE MAGNITUDE OF THE MESMERIZING THAT TAKES PLACE.
COMPANIES AND GROUPS OF ALL SIZES AND DESCRIPTIONS RELY ON THAT KIND OF MOTIVATIONS TO PEP UP THEIR PEOPLE, GIVE A HIGH POINT TO THEIR CONVENTIONS AND SALS MEETINGS, AND SEND THE TROOPS AWAY, READY TO GO OUT AND FIGHT DRAGONS, CLOSE MORE SALES, FIX PROBLEMS FAST, AND REACH NEW HEIGHTS OF ACHIEVEMENT.
POPULAR SPEAKERS, DYNAMIC ORATORS, ENLIGHTENING THE FAITHFUL WITH THE CONTAGIOUS ZEAL OF THE GREATEST SUNDAY MORNING SERMONS, CONVINCE THEIR LISTENERS OF THEIR ULTIMATE POTENTIAL. AND THEY DO THEIR BEST TO DO WHAT THEY CAME THERE TO DO, TO MOTIVATE.
THESE MOTIVATORS DO A GOOD JOB OF GETTING PEOPLE THINKING. THEY PAINT PICTURES, A GALLERY OF SUGGESTED DREAMS, THAT SHOW OTHERS WHAT THEY CAN BE, AND WHAT THEY CAN DO. THEY PAINT THE PICTURE OF SUCCESS, LEADING THE AVERAGE WOULD-BE ACHIEVER TOWARD SOMETHING BETTER. THEY STIMULATE MINDS, INSPIRE NEW IDEAS, AND REAFFIRM THE RESOLVE TO GET AT IT, GET SOMETHING DONE, ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING WORTHWHILE, SET SOME GOALS, TACKLE THE PROBLEMS, AND MOVE FORWARD.
BUT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THAT KIND OF MOTIVATION. NO MATTER HOW GOOD IT IS, IT IS EXTERNAL,AND IT DOES NOT LAST.
EXTERNAL TEMPORARY MOTIVATION
ALL EXTERNAL MOTIVATION IS TEMPORARY. EXTERNAL MOTIVATION IS THE KIND THAT MAY WAY UP, BUT IT WILL NOT KEEP YOU AWAKE FOR LONG. EXTERNAL MOTIVATION IS MOTIVATION THAT COMES TO YOU FROM THE OUTSIDE. IT MAY INFLUENCE YOU TO MAKE A CHANGE, BUT IT CANNOT MAKE THE CHANGE FOR YOU. AND IT CANNOT KEEP YOU FROM DRIFTING OFF COURSE WHEN THE MOTIVATOR IS GONE. IT IS THE EXTERNAL COACH WHO SUPPORTS, ENCOURAGES, DEMANDS, AND REWARDS. BUT WHEN THE COACH IS GONE, SO ARE THE SUPPORT, THE ENCOURAGEMENT, THE DEMAND, AND THE REWARD.
LET'S SAY THAT DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, YOU PLAY SOFTBALL ON A TEAM THAT HAS THE GOAL OF WINNING THE LOCAL TOURNAMENT. YOUR TEAM IS FORTUNATE TO HAVE AN EXCEPTIONAL COACH. HE EXPECTS A LOT FROM YOU, BUT HE ALSO GIVES YOU A LOT OF ENCOURAGEMENT. HE PICKS YOU UP WHEN YOU GET DOWN, HELPS YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN WIN, AND LETS YOU KNOW IT WHEN YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB. HE'S A GREAT MOTIVATOR, AND HE TAKES YOUR TEAM ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP. HE IS YOUR FRIEND, YOUR ALLY, AND YOUR STRONGEST SUPPORTER. YOU RELY ON HIM FOR YOUR MOTIVATION, AND YOU GET IT.
THEN THE SEASON IS OVER, AND THE COACH GOES HOME. WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE HE TAKES WITH HIM? YOUR MOTIVATION. HE WAS YOUR MOTIVATION. NOW HE IS NO LONGER AROUND, YOU YOU HAVE TO GET, YOUR MOTIVATION FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE. WHY? BECAUSE THAT MOTIVATION WAS EXTERNAL. IT ALL CAME TO YOU FROM THE OUTSIDE OF YOU. AND IT WAS ALL TEMPORARY MOTIVATION.
ALL OF OUR EXTERNAL MOTIVATION WORKS THE SAME WAY. KEEP GIVING US THE MOTIVATION, AND WE WILL DO BETTER. TAKE IT AWAY, AND WE WILL MOVE, MENTALLY, BACK TO WE WERE BEFORE THE MOTIVATION BEGAN. WE MAY HAVE PROGRESSED OR GROWN OR ACHIEVED SOMETHING IN THE PROCESS. BUT WE DID SOWITH SOMEONE ELSE'S ENERGY, IT WAS NOT OUR OWN.
THAT IS WHY SO MANY OF THE HOPEFUL ATTENDEES AT SO MANY MOTIVATIONAL TALKS GET PUMPED UP FULL OF ENERGY, READY TO CONQUER THE WORLD, AND THEN SLOW DOWN OR STOP DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS WEEKS, DAYS, OR EVEN HOURS AFTER THE SPEECH IS OVER. THE INSPIRATION THEY FELT SO STRONGLY DURING THE MESSAGE IS NO LONGER THERE. THE ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM THAT WELLED UP INSIDE OF THEM IS GONE. THE MOTIVATOR LEFT TOWN. AND SO DID MOST OF THE DREAM. ALL THAT OFTEN REMAINS IS ENOUGH LEFT OVER TO REMIND THEM OF WHAT THEY COULD HAVE DONE, BUT DIDN'T DO.
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