The One Universal Human Struggle
There are plenty of friends and colleagues of mine who are motivational speakers. Men and women who speak before large audiences in the hope of disrupting and disturbing your current level of thinking. Their intent is to inspire and motivate you to see and act differently in a way that generates positive results.
The professionals who excel in this craft are always hoping and praying that their words from the stage land with soul-stirring emotional force and carry real impact. They really want you to leave the arena, auditorium or hotel conference centre and actually DO something to move your dreams forward.
Sadly, less than 3% of any audience will ever ‘do’.
Even if the speaker’s message is bang on. There are a number of reasons for this alarmingly low activation rate. But, at the very top of that list is the universal human struggle. Commitment.
Motivation may be the flickering magic that gets you started. The burning flame of Commitment is what keeps you going long after the initial moment of magic has passed.
Embarking on any life or career dream requires a moment of Inspiration. Staying on that crooked, uncertain path demands courage.
The metaphorical bridge that connects those intangible forces is the strength of your Commitment.
On a recent trip to San Francisco I was reminded of an iconic story that symbolizes how fusing the trifecta of Inspiration, Courage with Commitment still represents progress and ingenuity to this day. Those same forces also came together 40 years ago this month when a rag-tag collection of individuals made a commitment to serve a higher purpose at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Games. Their unlikely feat is still regarded as the greatest sports upset of the 20th century.
In both cases, the construction of an iconic Bridge and an epic hockey game remind us yet again that Commitment is the foundation of any great accomplishment.
And here is the best part.
You don’t need to be a super-talented engineer or a gifted hockey player to make the same magic work for you.
So, here is the question before you today. What might happen to you and the pursuit of your dreams if you could somehow cross that Golden Bridge of Commitment on this edition of Leaders & Legends?
We should be dreaming. We grew up as kids having dreams, but now we're too sophisticated as adults, as a nation. We stopped dreaming. We should always have dreams. HERB BROOKS
PS...
People ask me all the time, “who is the genius behind the camera making your videos look so good?”
Rather than just throwing out his name and linking you to his website, I would want anyone to know the story behind the founder of Defiant Astronaut Media.
In many respects, 21-year old Josh Parlee is showing the world how anyone can cross that metaphorical bridge between talk and action by making a commitment to grow something bigger than themselves. The small business he launched at the age of 19 has seen him help clients and companies all over North America to the point where some of the biggest names in the professional speaking industry are anxious to secure a spot on his production calendar.
Luckily for me, he was able to inject his artistic flair for the video that outlines one of our more popular speaking programs that tackles the very subject we’re exploring this month; linking the very best of our intentions to a rock-sold commitment to take action and move forward.
A FEW UPDATES...
If you are a CEO, Senior Executive or Business Owner who has attended one of our speaking events, consider this as an open invitation to schedule a 20-minute Discovery Session. It's a great way to bounce ideas just to see where they land.
NOW BOOKING FOR 2020/2021
The language of brand speaks to humans in a way that is metaphorical, meaningful, emotional and symbolic BUT the language of business communicates in a way that is logical, literal, mechanical and analytical. How then, does a business leader – in any industry – any product/service category become fluent in BOTH of these vitally important languages?This keynote/workshop (and preview of the forthcoming book) is designed to challenge accepted notions of how long-term brand-building really works these days. It challenges leaders to rediscover what is possible and the role they play in creating modern-day legacy.