Actions Speak Louder than Words of Encouragement

“Motivation alone is not enough. If you have an idiot and you motivate him, now you have a motivated idiot.”-Jim Rohn. Life is full of ups and downs and sometimes we seek some form of inspiration, in motivational quotes on pinterest or speeches on youtube but these motivations are inevitably useless. Do not get me wrong, there are moments when hearing someone’s story is all we need to clear our minds and remember that we can get past our obstacles; but what is the point of a motivational speech if you do not act on it and only use it as temporary revelation? In these cases,  motivational speeches result in more disappointment rather than give inspiration.

The after effect of a motivational speech is far worse than what it is intended to be. “You wake up the next morning and the inspiration is gone. You're still the same old you. And you may even feel worse about yourself because, after the previous day's inspiration, your failure to take even one small step towards your goals is all the more glaring,” explains Jim Taylor, a psychology specialist and motivational speaker himself. There is no assurance that the motivation you felt will get you to accomplish any tasks you had set aside. It is far more likely for the inspiration you felt to wear off. I’m sure that many, if not most people have been in this situation before. 

The motivational industry has become fueled by the attention they are receiving and has now become a multi-billion dollar industry. Everyone is a motivator and charges thousands to stand in front of a group of uninspired individuals and elicit short-term stimuli. Matt Meyer, an American attorney, entrepreneur, and former diplomat shares that “fee ranges for most motivational speakers typically fall anywhere between $10,000 to $100,000 plus and are largely dependent on experience, recognition, and other variables.” That is a hefty price to pay for something that is not guaranteed. 

These videos and people give the illusion that you are accomplishing something by watching them. When in reality, all you are doing could be compared to watching television. Expectations of yourself begin to rise and failure to stand up to the challenge is, as previously stated, bound to happen. Real motivation should come from within, because you are the only one who truly knows what you need. 

When I was in ninth grade, my school brought in a motivational speaker to tell us about her life and inspire us to take the next years seriously. She grew up with nothing but would study everynight in her mother’s car, where they had lived at the time. At that moment I felt like I could conquer the world; if she could do it, so could I. Which is a true statement, you are capable of doing anything you set your mind to, but having the mindset to do something is not all it takes. One must actually get up and do it. I decided to wait until the next day to put my study plan into action, and I never ended up studying everyday for a set amount of time. I wish words of encouragement was all it took to transform oneself into something better but it’s never worked like that for me and it might not be different for you.

Motivational speeches have no use but to make us feel temporarily proud of ourselves for taking actions we have yet to take. They are like presents given on Christmas only to realize the boxes are empty. Words can only do so much. There must be a point where you realize that actions speak louder than words of encouragement and for something to happen, it must begin with you, not those around you. 

Work Consulted

Meyer, Matt. “Tuesday Tip | How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Speaker?” Executive Speakers Bureau, 3 December 2019, executivespeakers.com/blogdetails/tuesday-tip-how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-speaker.  Accessed 13 May 2022.

Taylor, Jim. “Personal Growth: Why Inspirational Talks Don't Work.” Psychology Today, 7 September 2011, psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-prime/201109/personal-growth-why-inspirational-talks-dont-work.  Accessed 13 May 2022.