The Unmotivational Speaker

I started writing this blog as a result of having a couple of articles published for Bob Proctor. He has built a career around coaching and motivating people. I enjoy the story he puts out every Friday.

When I am particularly impressed with somebody’s writing, I click on the hyperlink and read a bit more about them. More often than not, I see the words “motivational speaker”.

It seems that there are many motivational speakers today. If an athlete wins a medal at the Olympics, he becomes a motivational speaker. The way I see it, there must be a pile of motivational speakers out there.

Funny, but when I was younger, I don’t remember there being any motivational speakers. Didn’t we need to be motivated in those days? Why do we need to be constantly motivated today?

For a short time, I had a colleague live with me. This guy was into every bit of motivational material he could get. He changed gurus like people fill up their cars with gas. When the tank was empty, he would go to the next service station and fill up.

When I was asked to give a credit for my articles, I mentioned something about looking for my next adventure, which led to a lot of pyramid scheme builders contacting me (or as they prefer to say it, multi-level marketing). What I didn’t say was that I was a motivational speaker.

Don’t get me wrong. I hope that I brighten everyone’s day. I am happy when I do. I just don’t know how I will know that I have arrived at the place where I can call myself a motivational speaker.

Perhaps it is because I am not “up” every single day. Sometimes I feel like somebody on skates for the first time. There are times I feel downright negative and frustrated. Do I ever get confused? You bet. Do I ever want to quit? Yes.

So, since there are so many motivational speakers out there, I have decided that I am going to be an unmotivational speaker. People attending my seminars won’t rush out the door wanting to conquer the world. Rather than build them up, I will tear them down. I will tell them that success is not within their grasp. I will fill them so full of negative thoughts that they will make at least three other people miserable when they leave. They may even kick a dog or two.

I don’t think anyone will hire me, though. You see, while there are many motivational speakers out there, there are far more unmotivational speakers. My idea is not so unique after all. The world is always telling you that it can’t be done.

I remember a professor in university telling me that I shouldn’t be able to work full time at a job and go to university full time. My response was, “It is people like you who make comments like that who motivate me to do what I do.”

So, it all boils down to this. In your life you are a motivational speaker or an unmotivational speaker. And you can listen to those who encourage or those who discourage. The choice is yours.