Saturday, December 2, 2006

Favorite Motivational Quotations - Submit Your Own

One of my passions, pursuits and ongoing obsessions is collecting great quotations. I have to admit that one of my pet peeves is purchasing or perusing a compilation of quotations and seeing the same "stuff" over and over again. Conversely, one of my joys is coming across a quotation that is truly inspirational, insightful or motivational.

So ... to this end, for the past many years I have established a page at my web site that pulls together my top ten favorite motivational quotations. Not surprisingly, many of them are my own, or quotations that I use in my motivational speaker presentations. But one of the coolest aspects of the page is that it also has a vehicle for submitting your own quotations. Once again, I have an ingrained fascination with having others give me or suggest to me their favorite quotations. I am constantly amazed and intrigued by the quotes submitted that have significance and impact on a given person.


If you are so inclined you can submit your own favorite motivational quotation.
Go to
my top ten favorite motivational quotations page and submit your own. It may even get posted at the web site or here at the blog!



Here are three submissions that I received early this morning at 5:45 AM. The scary part is I was on the computer at the time and received and viewed them in real time. The posting was from greenhulk87 (I won't give their full e-mail).

Submitted quote Number #1: "I have been a follower almost all my life. Now, it's time for me to take the lead."

Submitted Quote #2: "Life is all about choices. If you are not courageous enough to take risks, then you will not achieve anything in life. If you are talking about risk, then think again, everything in life involves risk."

Submitted quote #3: "If you can dream it, You can do it." Walt Disney

Vilis' Comments: I have always loved the last one by Walt Disney. One of the coolest speaking gigs I have ever had, was the opportunity to present a full day seminar to the creative team at the Disney Company's Imagineering group. It was both intimidating and gratifying because they asked me to do a custom program on creativity. Apparently, some of their decision makers had seem me in a presentation and then asked for a program about how to be more creative. I have to admit, as a part of the pre-program interview process I asked them why they, Disney, the acknowledged epitome of creativity, would ask me to do a program on their area of expertise, when it really wasn't my normal topic or subject matter. There is some insight in their answer. They told me that they had loved what I did in my regular motivational program, but they really wanted their people to learn about my philosophies, research and perspectives on being more creative. They said my motivational program established me as an expert, but they wanted the "drivers" and "philosophy" behind the evolution of the deliverable. They said that whenever they can give their people tools and insight on being more creative they jump at it. Even if it isn't a set "program."


"Creativity" was not a program that I have in my typical repertoire. Boy, you talk about stepping out of your proverbial comfort zone; "teaching creativity to Disney's creative people" ... like I said both intimidating and gratifying. (For those of you that need to know ... it went really, really well! Everyone, especially me, loved the day, had a great time, and learned some really good stuff!).

The session was held in the penthouse training suite of their building. The training room had more "toys" than you could imagine; Nerf footballs, koosh balls, ... they even had a built in mini-golf layout; a very cool set-up with putters and holes in the carpet, strategically placed around the room. From the suite you have a panoramic 360 degree view of the many different parts of the Disney theme parks and the various complexes and you could see, appreciate, and truly feel the genius, vision and accomplishment that is Walt Disney's legacy. I really felt like I was in the presence of Mr. Disney.

In the center of the room, embedded into the ceiling was a sound accentuating dome, painted to resemble the sky, with Walt Disney quotations written around the base. When you stand directly beneath the dome any sound is magnified and reflected directly back to your ear drums, creating both a sensory deprivation and sensory enhancement environment. You can hear the blood coursing through your eardrums. If you whisper it is like the voice of God talking inside your head, ... and truth be told, it really felt like you could hear your own thoughts magnified back at you. What an environment!

I don't know if that is still there, but one of the Disney quotations that was written around the base of this dome is the favorite Walt Disney quotation of mine of all time. It describes who I am, what I value, and it underscores to a great extent any success I've enjoyed in my business, personal and sports career.The quotation is simply this: "When your values are clear, your decision making is easy."

Whenever I have encountered people that I admire, it is eerie how this quotation is exemplified in their persona. They never seem to have conflicts of conscience. It seems that "who they are" and "what they do" are so in harmony that both are obvious and any associated decision-making is a given; an easy, obvious, foregone conclusion.
I know I've said this before, but my favorite most motivational presentations are not the ones when the audience learns and is maybe motivated or inspired, but the ones where I learn and am definitely motivated and inspired. I guess it is because those presentations underscore that the presentation was an exchange, like a community setting, and more of an experience for everyone; for the audience ... but just as much for the presenter. (If you're enjoying this blog, maybe we'll have the chance to participate together in a motivational presentation sometime!)


Vilis' Favorite Motivational Walt Disney Quotation:

"When your values are clear, your decision-making is easy."
Walt Disney

Okay, put that in in your repertoire. I love that quote and what it represents. I hope you pull something from this posting.

Have a great day,
Vilis

PS: Vilis' Motivational Challenge: Indulge me! Submit your favorite motivational quotation.