On Becoming a Man: I Am Not A Motivational Speaker!

Wow! This is the 17th post in the OBM Series!! Just to think that this started out as short random musings published at irregular intervals. Special thanks to you all who read them and also make insightful comments. I am blessed to have you around and I often go back to previous posts to read again all that I wrote and all that you have said. This experience has indeed been rewarding, so much that I feel obliged to share my thoughts and reflections with you every fortnight.

I observe my environment a lot and often reflect on issues. This usually shows in my writing as evidenced in the last post in which I talked about the rainbow. Someone I know (a regular reader), after reading my last post, said she loved it and that I had finally found my voice. But, she didn’t stop there; she then told me that, with an expression that smirked cynicism, she knew where I was headed – She thinks I have a tendency to be a motivational speaker!

Truth be told, the OBM series has taken a rather motivational streak recently, but what I would say is that I believe in the use of motivation as a tool. There is so much negativity around these days and every minute of life is precious. I’d rather sign up for the positive side of life.

Maybe I just don’t like that tag – ‘motivational speaker’. In this clime, we seem to always be super-cynical about ‘those guys’. Many who do that for a living are seen as swindlers and deceivers. Like the reader I mentioned earlier in this post said to me (I paraphrase), “I can motivate myself! How in the world would I pay someone money just for them to tell me”, she even went further with perfect elocution, “Yes, you can make it! Look inside of you!!!…” Of course, many of them go overboard, with so much drama and effect, but really there is about nothing new in this world!

Have you ever come across the phrase, “repetitive emphasis”? Have you ever wondered why even religious parents who chastise and admonish their children about secular songs would still shake their heads to the same tunes? You soon realize that you now know all the lyrics to the same songs you abhor and deem vulgar. Thanks to our radio stations, TV stations, DJs and even the audio-visual merchants who keep us occupied as long as we are on to our devices or in transit around town.

Repetition is a very powerful tool that we can harness in getting things done and I believe that one thing that makes motivational speakers sell, is their ability to connect with you. Sometimes they say things you have not heard before in a striking way; at other times they simply tell you what you have always heard. The principle is simple: have it play in your head so much that it becomes part of you and poof! You are already acting out the message.

So, in conclusion, let me ask you one question – when was the last time you consciously flipped on the light switch when you entered your bedroom, for example? That is just a tip of the iceberg of what this principle of repetition can do for you. So, I urge you, no matter what you think about motivational speakers, to apply this principle to your day-to-day life.

I am Gbenga Awomodu and I am not a motivational speaker. See you in a fortnight!

Photo credit: www.theabpro.com
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Gbenga Awomodu is an Editorial Assistant at Bainstone Ltd./BellaNaija.com. When he is not reading or writing, Gbenga is listening to good music or playing the piano. Follow him on Twitter: @gbengaawomodu | Gbenga’s Notebook: www.gbengaawomodu.com | Facebook Page: Gbenga Awomodu