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Motivation

It’s Oh Dark 30 here at the Coral Gables High School track.

The sun just came up. I was waiting for a little light so I could film this for you.

I got up this morning at a little bit before 5 AM, 4:45, and it was cold.

It was 53 degrees.

Here in Miami, we call that 17 below.

I know it’s not cold for you, wherever you live, Nanook of the North, but I was born and grew up on a tropical island.

So, for me, it’s super cold.

I got out of bed. I put on my gloves, my tights, my sweatshirt. And I came out here to meet my running group.

Why?

Because Tuesday’s track day, and this is where we meet at 5:30 to do our miles.

While I was running, I was thinking about what it took to get out here, and I was thinking about motivation.

You know, I speak at conferences around the world. I speak on building brands, and messaging strategy, and how people get what they want. And when I’m done, it’s often very nice that people come up to me and they tell me that I’m a motivational speaker.

And I always push back.

I tell them, “I’m not actually a motivational speaker.” I’m giving them the tools they need to accomplish what they want.

But the motivation comes from within.

Motivation

First of all, the word motivation starts with M and the best motivators in the history of the world, their names also started with M:

Martin Luther King.

Mahatma Gandhi.

Maya Angelou.

Muhammad Ali.

All M’s.

My name doesn’t start with M.

But second of all, I don’t believe people can motivate you to do anything.

You have to do that yourself.

Let’s say you hear a speaker who’s going to motivate you on how to run a marathon. They’re going to give you all the training tips you need, and then they’re going to give you a bunch of adages.

“Pain is temporary, but success lasts forever.”

“No pain, no gain.”

“You can do it if you reach deep inside.”

And that’s great.

And Monday, you’re going to run, and Tuesday, you’re going to run, and Wednesday, you’re going to do your three miles.

But then, on Thursday, the alarm goes off. It’s 50 degrees outside. It’s raining.

You’ve got to go run 17 miles, and the bed is nice and toasty.

You know what?

Chances are you’re staying in bed.

Unless you have a few things. Because I believe if you want to get something done, if you want to be motivated, you need to have these things.

And it’s not just for running.

If you want to start a business, if you want to get in shape, if you want to go on a big trip, if you want to write a book, you need to be motivated.

Motivation

First of all, you need friends. You need support staff. I’m here at 5:30 in the morning because I know my buddies are going to be here waiting for me. And guess what? They show up at 5:30 because they know I’m going to be here waiting for them.

So you need a team, the wind beneath your wings.

Second of all, you need a reason.

You need purpose.

That could be for your family.

It could be for your spiritual beliefs.

It could be for your religious beliefs.

When people ask me why I run so much, I tell them I do it for my grandchildren. I’m training for my grandchildren.

They always say, if they know me,

“You have grandchildren?”

“Of course, No, I don’t, but I hope I do one day (you hear that, kids?)

And so, I’m out here staying in shape, so when that day comes, I’ll be ready.

And third of all, you do it because as Augustus McCray said in Lonesome Dove, you have to “Learn to love the little things.”

Loving the big things, winning the marathon, selling your business, doing the IPO, getting married, buying the house, that’s all great.

But those things don’t happen every day, if at all. You gotta love the little things.

Showing up, running a lot better than the last time, maybe going a little bit faster, maybe doing something that hurt that you didn’t think you could do.

If you have those three things: purpose, relationships, and some sense of enjoyment, guess what?

You’ll meet your goal, and you won’t need a motivational speaker.