Motivation is the propeller of emotions and it propels actions. Since motivation plays with emotions, it establishes an instant connect with the people who hear a speech. Motivational speakers often use emotions to touch the heart of his audience first before influencing their minds.
My English Professor had shared with me an interesting story of about the iconic Antony’s Speech after Julius Ceasar was killed by Brutus, starting as, “Friends, Romans Countrymen, Lend me your ears……..” The speech was so powerful, the crowed lynched a man whose name was also Brutus who had come to hear the speech! Motivation propels actions, undoubtedly!
It is said that when Mahatma Gandhi was thrown out of a running train in South Africa because of the colour of his skin, he said, “Today, you threw me out of a train; I will see to it that you would be thrown out of my country!” It propelled an entire nation into action.
Is motivation alone enough? Consider this; you have an idiot sitting before you and you motivated him. Now what you have is not an idiot, but a motivated idiot!! Transformation cannot come just with motivation alone, is it not so?
Motivation is a trigger…it is like battery; when charged up, people continue to work. But when it goes discharged, they stop working. Motivation requires constant charging. On the other hand when inspired, people don’t give up….they refuse to give up. Inspiration, therefore, is a onetime charging lasting for an entire life-time.
Transformation happens through four stages of education, “Learn, Understand, Recall and Apply”. What is not learned cannot be understood; what is not understood cannot be recalled and if knowledge cannot be recalled, it cannot be applied! Without applying knowledge, one cannot bring ‘Transformational Changes” in life!
World is full of talented people and yet several of them are living failures. Success therefore takes more than knowledge, talent and the ability to apply knowledge. Often, those who have excelled in life are the ones who are motivated and remained so. So all knowledge minus motivation resembles a fine car without wheels!
There are several studies to back this fact. Angela Lee Duckworth whose TED Talk attracted more than 16 million views talks about “Grit” the power of Passion and Perseverance” https://youtu.be/H14bBuluwB8?t=8 If one takes a closer look, he can see that the “grit” cannot be built if one lacks the ability to remain motivated.
Motivation therefore has an important role in life and it goes much beyond the knowledge. Our very own Hanuman and the mighty Arjuna are the ‘living examples’ of what motivation can do to mortals in helping them to achieve goals.
Educationists have not so far been able to device a tool for measuring a perfect ‘learning outcomes’ in students because it goes much beyond IQ and Talents and such being the case, measuring the ‘transformation’ in a person is going to take a while.
C Devidasan,
Vice President, WOW Factors