Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
There came a time in my life when I felt as though I was not improving and was not able to change that stagnated situation. We usually call this “hitting rock bottom”. There may be other ways of putting it too, but we may face this as individuals, and it also occurs in teams.
When faced with such a situation, it is easy for individuals to fall into depression, become apathetic and lose hope when we should be able to pick ourselves up and keep chasing our dreams or the goals of the team. It is so important for each member of the team to have similar energy and commitment to finish assignments. On our own, it’s almost impossible, but with the help of a group coach and especially a motivational or inspirational talk, hope returns.
“The victory is not when I stand up. The victory is when I realise that I can’t do it on my own.” Nick Vujicic
Nick Vujicic voices this by saying “The victory is not when I stand up. The victory is when I realise that I can’t do it on my own.” There is comfort, therefore, and insight in knowing that someone else was where you are at, and they managed to change and improve their situation.
When I heard internationally renowned motivational speaker Nick Vujicic for the first time at a recent conference, he revealed exactly how he overcame the above scenario. During that motivational talk, I lost count of how many “tears of laughter” came from my eyes. I also found myself soul-searching (weeping at times) as his stories helped me reflect on my own struggles and stagnation, both individually and the team I was working with at the time.
His words left an indelible mark on my life, “I am going to try and try again because the moment I give up is the moment I fail”. Today I press on through a plethora of difficult circumstances, both personally and financially and in the teams I work with, resolute in my thinking, not to give up and not alone. As an active partner of the Swiss Leaders Group, and a member of the John Maxwell Team Mentorship Program – upwards and onwards we march.
3 Advantages of Listening to Motivational Speakers
The John Maxwell Team’s motivational speaking arena is flooded with very prominent and diverse speakers such as Nick Vujicic, John Maxwell, Paul Martinelli and many others, the list is too long to mention all of them here. Some of them prefer public talks and storytelling, while others write books, e-books, and even do podcasts and webinars, among other modes. You do not have to spend thousands of dollars to listen to a motivational talk today. One can start searching for these talks on social media, through platforms such as YouTube or Instagram, or by training through Swiss Leaders Group. However, I do exhort you to encourage team members or teams who face struggles to do more fun activities as a team or go to a motivational speaking conference together.
The following are some of the advantages of being acquainted with motivational speakers.
- It helps us understand the importance of failure: Most people fail to realise that humanity is doomed to failure. Thus, whether we like it or not, we will ALL fail in one way or another. The most successful people and teams have had to hit rock bottom for them to motivate themselves back to success. In reality, failure is just a disguised form of success and necessary for our growth and development.
- It improves our listening skills: Speakers spend most of their time trying to get their points across without realising that “listening” is an important component of communicating. Good speakers listen. That’s how they determine the need to be met while speaking.
- It helps us learn how to strategise when faced with a similar situation again: Most motivational speakers like to give examples from their own life’s experiences. Listening to such motivational and inspirational talks helps you learn from other people’s mistakes.
Why Becoming A Motivational Speaker Can Be the Answer to Staying Motivated
I am guessing your first thoughts are, “that’s not me, I can’t speak. This is going to cause even more stress in my life.” Don’t worry – read on, and you’ll understand why you can do it. Motivational speakers are able to deliver passionate talks on any topic that they deliver an interest in. You are unique and have unique interests. However, there are a few of many steps that one has to go through to become a successful speaker whether to large audiences or within your team. Here are 3 basic ways to help you become a better speaker. After speaking to groups or doing a little pep talk to my small landscaping team, I always feel 10x more motivated.
They include:
- Choosing your topic and knowing the audience: This is a crucial stage applicable to your situation. Your audience or team should be able to relate to the topic you deliver. Relate your passions to the topic. Summarize your topic to make it more accurate to your audience, passions, and time limit. Develop some expertise on the topic at hand. Read, research, study, and acquire current information about the subject you are presenting.
- Speaking skills: Have you ever presented before a large crowd before? My largest was in the military, with an audience of 2500 high-ranking officers, soldiers, like myself and their families. If you have, then you probably know that you are prone to experiencing to some degree, stage fright and nervousness. That’s normal, but it’s advisable to take some speaking classes prior to any presentation you would like to make. You can also record your trial presentations. Watching them will help you know when and how to improve your speech.
- Promote your skills: We all still need to learn how to promote ourselves. Generally, one would locate a relaxed and amazing venue that can fit the audience size you wish to attract or want to speak to. A change is as good as a holiday so take your team or your event away from the office or your work environment. Set a date and market it through flyers, social media, signs, e-newsletters, and even brochures. I am sure you can allow your audience to give feedback on the show. This in turns helps you to improve your content and approach to the topic at hand.
Resources
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