The greatest motivational speaker I know ...

One of the questions that I get asked fairly often is: "Who's the best motivational speaker you have ever heard?"

There are a lot of close second-place answers to that one, but the person that in my mind is the best I have heard, is a professional motivational speaker named W Mitchell. You can check out his web site yourself, and do your own background research, but, put simply, if you ever have a chance to hear Mitchell ... jump at it. I'd also highly recommend reading his book, "It's Not What Happens to You, It's What You Do About It",


In a nutshell, he has overcome two life-threatening and life-changing accidents-the first a fiery motorcycle accident and the second an airplane crash. In one of the greatest motivational quotes ever Mitchell says: "Before I was paralyzed there were 10,000 things I could do. Now there are 9,000. I can either dwell on the 1,000 I've lost or focus on the 9,000 I have left." His remarkable message inspires audiences to shed self-imposed baggage and obstacles that prevent them from achieving their goals.

Motivational Phrase: "Before I was paralyzed there were 10,000 things I could do. Now there are 9,000. I can either dwell on the 1,000 I've lost or focus on the 9,000 I have left."
W Mitchell

One of the coolest things about being a motivational speaker is the opportunity to get to hear great speakers present their "stuff" a lot. Even better we get to interact with, and count as friends some of the greatest motivational speakers in the business. W Mitchell certainly is that. I first met Mitchell in 1994 when I got to speak at an event that he was the headliner for. I'll never forget how gracious he was, how accepting and complimentary, and how talented from the platform he is. But when it is all said and done, the thing that I really value about Mitchell is what a fine human being he is. He is the same person on the platform as he is off of the platform, and that to me is as fine a compliment to a professional speaker as there is.


Have a great day,
Vilis Ozols

What are you thankful for?

As a former elite athlete, I had to deal with my share of injuries. Anyone who's been injured, whether they are an athlete or not, knows that feeling of helplessness when a body part doesn't work the way it is supposed to. It's probably human nature, but when we're not injured, we can't imagine not having use of our parts, and when we are injured, it's hard to remember what is was like when everything worked properly.

I remember when I had been injured in the past, whether it was walking around on crutches, or with a shoulder in a sling, I swore to myself that I'd appreciate it more when my parts were working again. Then when the shoulder had healed, or the ankle or knee was operational again, I remember experiencing such joy at simple things, like being able to throw a ball, or spike a volleyball or being able to jump and run.

I guess here's the point. The fundamental assumption above is that when you hurt something it will eventually heal. The reality is that this isn't always the case.

Here's Your Motivational Challenge: This week is the Thanksgiving celebration. Here's my suggestion/challenge to you. When you sit down to the feast, look beyond the food for a moment and appreciate the people sitting around your table. Our tradition at the Thanksgiving Day meal, is to have everyone take turns saying what they are thankful for. The first time was a little stilted, but we've been doing this every year for years now, and everyone has come to prepare for it and to expect it.

Maybe this tradition helps us appreciate, even just a little bit, something or someone that we have in front of us. Maybe the thing you are thankful for is a "someone" or maybe it is "something" that someone does or is doing for you, maybe it's an "unappreciated contribution," someone is making, or maybe it's a "circumstance" or current event that you are appreciating, or maybe ... well ... that's for you to determine.

We all get so caught up in our hectic paces of life, that this Thanksgiving ... slow it all down, look around your table, and appreciate what you truly have ... and hopefully, you can appreciate and linger on a positive that you are recognizing you have, while you still have it, and not have to wait till you've experienced a loss to really appreciate it.

Joy does not have to be reactive. Through recognition and appreciation, it can be proactive. You don't have to wait for joy to find you, create your own joy this Thanksgiving.

What are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving!
Vilis

Yes, Mom or Dad, they are listening to you!

Have you ever noticed that every once in a while God has a way of teaching you a lesson at the time and place that you need it the most, and often from a source that maybe you least expect it? For me, lately, it has been my audiences teaching me a thing or two. I guess that's not that unusual, except that it seems that the last little while I've been getting the same message from different audiences, in different ways, enough so, that I've sat up and taken notice.

I inadvertently talk about my kids and parenting during my presentations, and as a result, I have the good fortune of attendees coming up to me afterwards and sharing wisdom they've gleaned. I have to admit that some of my best material is the result of an idea I have presented in front of an audience that then gets discussed, caressed, molded and congealed through discussions with members of the audience afterward. The message has more of their experiences and insights incorporated and it seems to create messages that have a more universal and "gut-level" appeal.

Okay, so much for the preamble, the message that I've been getting is this. I tell a lot of stories and share experiences in my talks. I can't tell you how many parents have come up to me with a version of this message: They say, "Vilis, I can't tell you how frustrating is is raising my kids, particularly when they were pre-teens and teenagers, because the communication became so difficult and strained and you think that no matter what you say as a parent, that they don't hear a word of what we say to them."

That's not the lesson .... here's the lesson. Then the parents say: "And then this is what happened. One day, when they're older and more mature, you hear your kids saying the stuff that you had been telling them, and the stuff that you had been saying, and particularly the stuff that you were so sure that they hadn't heard and that you were sure wasn't getting through to them. ... And, it is immensely gratifying."

But that's not the message ... here's the message. "It's immensely gratifying, but then there's this immense sadness, too. Because all of a sudden (and almost every parent who shared this experience with me, and there have been a few, said the same thing) you have this incredible wish ... and that wish is that you wish you had talked to them more, shared more, and told them more ... because all the time that they where giving you more than their share of that "I am a too cool teenager" attitude, deep down inside THEY WERE LISTENING WHEN YOU DIDN'T THINK THEY WERE LISTENING."

"Have you stopped sharing your message?"

I really believe that values and morals are often forged through the telling of stories, particularly in a family setting. I know as a professional speaker, I can share a truly "great concept" and it may, or may not, hit the mark. But if I can illustrate the concept or message with a story, the concept and the story will hit home with an audience member at the "gut level" and will be remembered long after I've left the platform.

Don't ever stop sharing your stories with your children, regardless of how old they are, because even when you think they're not listening ... they're listening! (okay you may have to get them to tune down their iPods) ... but they'll be listening!

Here's my motivational challenge to you: Share your values and stories with your kids. I guarantee you won't regret it!

Have a great day!
Vilis Ozols