Superman is a Lousy Role Model

If you had to pick a superhero as a role model who would you choose?

If you chose Superman you might be setting yourself up for failure and tremendous disappointment.

Why might you be tempted to choose Superman as your idol? Well, he is perfect. He is all-powerful, all knowing, always wins and always does the right thing. If that is your standard you will always feel inadequate. How can you hope to compare?

Superman is the strongest guy on the planet – maybe even this side of the galaxy. Comparing yourself to Superman is like comparing your net worth to Bill Gates and wondering where you went wrong. It is just not worth the pain.

Superman is invulnerable. Nothing, with the exception of the rare element, Kryptonite can hurt him. It’s not fair. All kinds of things can hurt the rest of us. And I’m not just talking about bullets, bombs and missiles. Falling down the stairs can put you in traction for weeks. Fender benders can send us to the hospital. My buddy is allergic to bee stings. Even peanut allergies can kill some people.

Superman never gets sick. No common cold for him. He wears glasses in his secret identity as ClarkKent. But he doesn’t need them. He’s never had the mumps or measles. No embarrassing pimples for Superboy. You will never hear of Superman suffering from diabetes or cancer. It’s just not fair.

Superman can fly. I wish I could fly. But flying scares the heck out of me. I’m not sure how I would handle it. Again I lose. Damm that Superman.

Superman can see through things with his x-ray vision. Just imagine how that power might have helped you write your school exams or avoid buying that lemon of a car.

Superman has super hearing. If you could hear what other people are saying you would know the right price to offer, the magic words to say and the perfect card to play.

Superman has incredible endurance. The guy doesn’t tire. He can fly around the world or run around the world within minutes. I remember how many hours it took and how much it hurt to run my marathon. It’s just not fair.

Superman has a few enemies and some people who hate him. But he knows who they are and he is capable of dealing with them – physically, mentally and emotionally. My enemies are few, and people who hate me are few – but many people who don’t even know me seem to be out to destroy me mostly through their ignorance. I am powerless to ferret them out. And when I discover them they don’t seem to tremble at my might. Not fair.

The Fortress of Solitude. I want one. How do I get one? And what realty taxes does Superman pay for that prime real estate?

How did Superman become super? Easy. He was born on another planet.

What kind of message is that to send to our children? You could be perfect if only you were born on another planet. You were born on Earth so you don’t have a chance at greatness. Talk about being born with a platinum spoon in your mouth – like Ken Thompson or Donald Trump. Sure they both made some millions – they both started with millions. I know people who started with nothing and still have nothing. That makes them even.

So is Superman a real hero? No, he is a fantasy. I love Superman – the imaginary hero. But he is not my role model. I know better.

Superman is too perfect. Superman is too close to – dare I say – God. How can you model yourself against God? The Greek, Roman and Norse gods showed human flaws. It’s a lot easier to identify with them than with Superman.

Superman is a wonderful comic book superhero but a lousy role model. I think that Batman is the better “superhero” to choose as your role model. He has no god-given powers, only discipline, determination and skills.  He turned a tragedy into his good-doing. That is a true hero and a better role model.

When you are looking for superhero inspiration, look to Batman instead of Superman.

© George Torok has no super powers. He is a professional speaker who was a shy student. He learned, developed and honed his presentation skills to superior ability. He coaches and trains business leaders to deliver million dollar presentations. Visit http://www.Torok.com to learn about his programs.  Call 905-335-1997 to arrange a speech or training program.

Come Back Off the Ledge

Perhaps you’ve seen the TV shows or movies where a police negotiator convinces a frantic person to “come back off the ledge” of a skyscraper. “Take my hand. Don’t jump. You have so much to live for.”

Now imagine that you are that negotiator striving to bring a depressed person back off the ledge.

What would you say to the person who justifies their planned suicide with:

“I can’t find a job. Nobody wants to hire me.”

“My wife left me. I thought we would be in love forever.”

‘I hate my parents. They don’t understand me.”

“I ran out of money. I can’t pay the bank.”

“Cancer. Why me? Why suffer any longer?”

“The love of my life died. I’m alone without him.”

“I’m a loser and nobody cares.”

“Everyone is against me.”

You have the opportunity to save this person and bring them back off the ledge. Say the wrong thing and watch them dive to their death.

What would you say?

I suggest that you think about these scenarios and plan your plea. Why? Because you might save a friend some day and you might save yourself.

Add your own “ledge crisis” to this list and search for the answer because maybe the jumper you need to reach is yourself.

Be ready to motivate yourself with the “come back off the ledge” speech.

George Torok

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Business Speaker

I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas – video

This silly and light song has got to make you smile – and maybe dance a bit.

Enjoy Your Christmas – smile, laugh & dance

George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

Confidence: Did you see it?

Confidence is the currency of success. Like money – the more you have the more you get. Unlike money, you can’t borrow, trade or steal it.

Confidence is at the DNA level of every successful person. Yet, they can’t explain, share or give it away.

Confidence is a powerful asset. But it can’t be measured, catalogued or repossessed. It’s intangible.

Confidence is in the mind of the individual. No one else knows your confidence nor can they take it away from you.

Confidence is not perpetual. We often doubt ourselves. Our confidence can jump up and down throughout our day. That’s normal.

Confidence is internal. We can’t control that. Others judge us on the external. We can control that.

Confidence can’t be seen yet we know when we see a person with confidence.

Success is less about luck and more about confidence because that drives persistence.

George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

Who Owes You?

Do you have a list (mental or written) of people who owe you?

When something good happened did you respond with “That’s about time.”?

Do you have hopes and dreams that depend on someone else doing things?

When asked about the status of your current project do you respond with, “I’m waiting to hear back from…”?

Are you waiting for your phone to ring?

Do you believe that the world owes you one?

If you answered yes to any of the above then you have a problem – and no one can help you except you.

The first thing that you need to accept is that no one owes you anything. No government, company, organization, friend or family member owes you anything.

The only one who owes you is you.

You owe yourself to get off your duff and do something to get what you want. And when it doesn’t work the first few times, you owe yourself to try again – and again – until you get what you want.

Who owes you? Only you!

George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

Daniel Pink on Drive

What motivates people? Is it money? If so, in what circumstances does money motivate improved performance?

George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

Interviews with business leaders

Don’t Accept The Posion

Would you willingly ingest poison? Probably not.

Yet maybe we drink poison more often than we think we do.

I was hunting for a spot in the parking lot. Suddenly a car appeared from a lane to make a left turn across my path. The driver was looking the other way. I braked and gently tapped my horn to warn her. She stopped and looked at me in surprise. Even though I had the right of way I couldn’t proceed because her car was blocking my path so I waved her through. I shook my head in displeasure.

To my surprise and annoyance she stuck her left arm out of her car and gave me the finger as she completed her turn.

I felt angry and abused.

However, I was about to meet with a prospective client so I deleted the poison of this incident from my mind.

There was no win in holding on to this poison.

George Torok

Muhammad Ali – the Greatest!

A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.
Muhammad Ali

A rooster crows only when it sees the light. Put him in the dark and he’ll never crow. I have seen the light and I’m crowing.
Muhammad Ali

Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are.
Muhammad Ali

At home I am a nice guy: but I don’t want the world to know. Humble people, I’ve found, don’t get very far.
Muhammad Ali

Boxing is a lot of white men watching two black men beat each other up.
Muhammad Ali

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
Muhammad Ali

Frazier is so ugly that he should donate his face to the US Bureau of Wild Life.
Muhammad Ali

Friendship… is not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.
Muhammad Ali

Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn’t matter which color does the hating. It’s just plain wrong.
Muhammad Ali

He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.
Muhammad Ali

I am the astronaut of boxing. Joe Louis and Dempsey were just jet pilots. I’m in a world of my own.
Muhammad Ali

I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.
Muhammad Ali

I figure I’ll be champ for about ten years and then I’ll let my brother take over – like the Kennedys down in Washington.
Muhammad Ali

I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.
Muhammad Ali

I hated every minute of training, but I said, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”
Muhammad Ali

I know I got it made while the masses of black people are catchin’ hell, but as long as they ain’t free, I ain’t free.
Muhammad Ali

I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want.
Muhammad Ali

I never thought of losing, but now that it’ s happened, the only thing is to do it right. That’s my obligation to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life.
Muhammad Ali

I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world.
Muhammad Ali

George Torok
Motivational Speaker

Hot, Hazy & Humid

The last few days were hot, hazy and humid. The next few days look like the same.

I don’t want to go outside on these days. I even feel lazy while inside. I went for a run early this morning and didn’t accomplish much the rest of the day.

If you feel that way – don’t beat yourself up. We are sensitive to the influences around us.

The good news is that all of it is temporary. Hot changes to cold and cold to hot.

Allow yourself to experience down moments, hours or days. And be prepared to spring back. The secret is to spring back.

George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

Confidence the root of success

I believe that we all battle with diminshed confidence from time to time. I know that I do.

These thoughts are for me as much as you.

Success does not preceed confidence. Self confidence is the seed of success.

Nothing that you buy or own can give you confidence. You grant yourself permission to be confident.

You have all the confidence that you need inside of you. You must give yourself permission to let it out.

To look & feel more confident, focus on your strengths. Your strengths define you more than your weaknessess.

Look confident and others believe you to be more successful.

To feel more confident – smile more.

Confidence means taking responsibilty for what you can do and accepting the randomness of what you don’t control.

Confidence is the ability to look good when you don’t feel good.

George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Motivational Movie clip

It might be cliche but here is an entertaining motivational movie clip. The theme is highschool football and the message can relate to anyone who has ever given up too soon. (That includes me.)

George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

What is the Secret of Success?

What is the secret for success?

That is a a question that I have asked often. Of myself, of the hundreds of guests that I have interviewed on my weekly radio show, Business in Motion and of the universe.

This is what I have learned about the secret to success.

Success comes from doing little things, consistently well, over time.

There are three important parts to that formula:

Little Things
It’s the little things that make or break you. It’s not about the lucky break or the big idea.

Consistently Well
You don’t need to be perfect or give 100%. And let’s be realistic, 110% is mathematically imposssible. You only need to be consistently well – as compared to the competition.

Over Time
This is likely the part that defeats most people. It’s not about having a good day. It’s about doing it every day for a long time. How long? Until you get where you want to be. Many overnight successes took many years.

Want to be successful?

Do little things, consistently well, over time.

George Torok

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Motivational Business Speaker

No one else can make you feel inadequate

When I started my radio show over 14 years ago – I noticed that I felt very inadequate in the presence of some of my guests. I aimed high in the quality of my guests yet felt inferior to them. Mike De Groote was one who was quite gracious yet I made myself feel less than him. After all he was a billionaire – I was nobody. I sweated while interviewing him. Yet he was so down to earth.

The first author that I interviewed was Nuala Beck, (Shifting Gears). Again she was gracious – yet I felt small.

It took a friend of mine to point this out to me. After he listened to a tape of this interview he said, “George, you usually sound more confident.”

That woke me up and made me examine what I had been doing to myself.

After a talk with myself I came to the realization that the only way for me to approach it was to consider all my guests as equals. I was equal to them.

Not equal in net wealth – but simply equal. They were very good at what they did and so was I. So we could have a conversation as equals.

Funny how strange I felt when another billionaire expressed how impressed he was by me because I was an author. He wasn’t an author – just a billionaire.

After that epithany – my interviews became much more comfortable, natural and interesting.

George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

Canadian Motivational Speaker

I love the sound of the trombone

Sounds of the Trombone

Like most people I enjoy music.

I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s so I love rock and roll. It moves me, grabs me and touches my soul.

I appreciate the depth of classical music.

I find jazz a welcome refreshment.

But there is one distinctive sound that always catches my ear and lifts me no matter what genre of music. That is the sound of a trombone.

I played the trombone in the high school band. There were better trombone players that me. Sometimes the music teacher centered me out to play a solo or replay a misplayed part. That opportunity to solo was a mixed blessing because I was excited to play the solo and anxious about making a mistake.

Even when I messed up and felt embarrassed – I still enjoyed playing the trombone.

When you are feeling good almost any music that you like will feel good.

But when you are down – only the music that you love will lift you.

On your playlist add a directory for “Make me feel good”. That’s the songs that change you from down to up.

Play them as often as you like and need to hear them.

George Torok

Former Trombone Player

Motivational Business Speaker

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Try is a lie

Trying is often an excuse for failing. How many times have you heard a reluctant person say “We will try” or “At least we tried”.

They usually hang their head in doubt or shame.

You might know the line from Yoda in Star Wars, “Do or do not – there is no try.”

You might enjoy this anecdote from my friend.
————————–
At our tai chi class, I heard our instructor use a little verbal
trick that you might be able to use.

Instructor: I want you to hold your hands like this.
Student: I’ll try.
Instructor: No, don’t try.
Student: I shouldn’t try?
Instructor: You should not try. “Try” means “lie.” Don’t try to do it.
Simply do it.
—————–

Wisdom from Yoda and Tai Chi instructors.

George Torok
Motivational Business Speaker

Follow me on Twitter
https://twitter.com/georgetorok

Not your fault – but are you responsible?

Where are the responsible people when we need them? Could you be one? More of us need to ask this question of ourselves more often, “What am I responsible for?”

This question is not about laying blame. It is a question about accepting ownership of your thoughts and action. You control your thoughts and that determines your actions.

None of us can change what happened yesterday. We only control how we think now and how that might influence our future. We can’t control the future. We can only influence it. Even billionaire Jim Ballsillie can’t control what happens to his dream of a hockey franchise. However he can control how he reacts to the obstacles thrown in his path. The bigger the obstacles the more responsibility he seems to accept.

I believe that successful people are successful because they accept more responsibility than others. Successful people don’t waste time and effort blaming others. In a weak moment they might lament about a particular hardship – but they don’t stay there long. We are all human and subject to human frailties. The challenge and reward is to face and accept our own responsibilities.

You don’t need to be rich to take responsibility for your thoughts. Both Gandhi and Mother Teresa demonstrated this principle and they certainly were successful.

Too much of our society is positioned around blame. Unions blame management. Management blames unions. Executives blame the economy. Voters blame the politicians. Politicians blame bureaucrats and other politicians. Bureaucrats blame the politicians and the public. Have you noticed that our elections seem be more about blame than about responsibility. It seems that no one rushes to accept responsibility.

Why are so many people screaming, “It’s not my fault.”?

Three youths trashed several cars at a north Hamilton service centre. Two of the youths could not be charged because they were under age – not their fault. One of the parents asked police to “lock my kid up” – not my fault. The other parents seemed to be silent on their obligation – not my fault.

That business owner can easily argue that he was the damaged party. And yes he was. But I read that the youths entered the compound through a hole in the fence. And that the keys to all the cars were in the cars. My questions are: How long did they ignore the hole in the fence? And what have they done to prevent this incident from happening again? Why didn’t they do that sooner? What will they do to prevent this from happening again?

The issue of accepting responsibility is not about accepting or laying blame It is about considering the possibilities and what you can do to work that in your favour. Sometimes the responsible thing is simply to learn the lesson from the hardship.

The restaurant hostess led us to a table that had obliviously just been wiped. She placed our menus on the wet table, then stated, “The table is wet.” as if it wasn’t her fault or responsibility. I picked up a napkin and started to wipe the table. Following my example she did the same and wiped half of the table. After she walked away, I wiped the rest of the table dry. Not her fault and clearly not her responsibility.

The parties in Caledonia seem to blame their actions on others. They claim that it’s not their fault. Someone else did something 15 minutes or 100 years ago.

Life for all of us isn’t fair. Stuff happens. It’s your choice. Where do you want to live – in the past with blame or in the now with responsibility and future with success?

Stop blaming. Start taking more responsibility for how you think and what you do. It can be a scary concept and a big step to a more successful future for you.

George Torok is a motivational business speaker. He has hosted the local radio show, Business in Motion on 93.3 CFMU for the past 14 years. Visit his website at www.Torok.com

Luck is the residue of design

“I like, and have adopted Mr. Branch Rickey’s way of looking at things. He was an old accomplished baseball executive. History knows him best for breaking the colour barrier for Jackie Robinson, in 1952. He said, “Luck is the residue of design”. Here’s the full quote.

“Things worthwhile generally don’t just happen. Luck is a fact, but should not be a factor. Good luck is what is left over after intelligence and effort have combined at their best. Negligence or indifference are usually reviewed from an unlucky seat. The law of cause and effect and causality both work the same with inexorable exactitudes. Luck is the residue of design.”

I totally agree with you and old man Rickey. We’re all lucky if WE choose!! It’s true, we make our own luck. Attitude plays a major role. I’ve worked hard to be where I am, and with out the work, luck wouldn’t matter much.

Take care,
Tom”
———————

Enjoy this insight from my good friend Tom on the topic of luck.

George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Lucky You

Luck is more a matter of perspective than it is the roll of the dice.

 

If luck is a matter of random chance then mathematically every one of us is equally lucky. Whether you think you are lucky or not is irrelevant. The real question is how lucky do you feel. Because, how you feel, will determine your actions and outcome.

 

Consider the passengers of the plane that crash landed in the Hudson River – were they lucky? You can imagine that there were moments during that scary nightmare that they cursed their luck. Yet upon the perspective of reflection they considered themselves extremely lucky.  If you are afraid of flying you might consider yourself lucky for not being on that plane.

 

We are all lucky. It just depends on how we see it.

 

George Torok

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Motivational Business Speaker

 

Motivation is like oxygen

Motivation is like food, water and oxygen.

We need it every day.

We consume it.

It powers us.

Like oxygen we don’t give it much thought because we assume that it will always be there.

We notice it mainly when it appears to be in short supply.

Depending on our state it can appear as a cheap commodity or a priceless treasure.

Most of us don’t spend much time thinking about it or analysing it.

 

George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Motivational Speaker DNA

What is the DNA of a motivational speaker?

As I was preparing for a media interview today about being a motivational speaker, one of the things that I asked myself was, “What are the critical elements of being an effective motivational speaker?”

I came up with three things.

Understanding pain

Everyone is experincing some pain. The motivational speaker must recognize and understand the pain of the audience. In addtion the speaker must demonstrate that he had experience a similar pain. Nobody wants to be lectured by someone born with the silver spoon in their mouth. Paris Hilton would not make an effective motivational speaker. Show me how you suffered.

 

Appreciating the power of hope

Everyone wants hope. And every merchant is selling hope. President Obama is a good example of one who is doing that very well. We want some part of our life to be better. An effective motivational speaker presents the better future as attainable.

 

Using perspective to make the transition

The transition from pain to hope is perspective. What was the “ah-ha” moment that changed your life? How is that transferable to others? Who else has been through something similar?

 

George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Motivation for Motivators

Everyone needs to be re-motivated from time to time.

As an entrepreneur I am motivated about growing my business.

As a life long learner I am motivated about learning new concepts.

As a creative thinker I am motivated about discovering new ideas.

As a motivational business speaker I am motivated by delivering my presentations and the feedback to them.

As a business author and writer I am motivated by publishing my articles and the occasional comments.

As a professional speaker I am motivated by attending the convention of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. I just returned from the annual CAPS convention. I’m recharged and eargerly preparing for 2009. I know that it will be a challenging and rewarding year.

 

George Torok

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Toronto Convention Speaker

Motivate your job search

Motivate your job search: HAPPEN

HAPPEN is a non profit organization that helps job seekers find and land their next job.

I delivered a motivational and instructional presentation to HAPPEN group today. I speak to HAPPEN once or twice a year and I have been doing this for close to a decade. Why?

I consider this as part of my community service. I don’t get paid for this annual gig but I’m happy to do it. I am told and I believe that my practical and motivational message helps them.

I suffered the pain of job loss and frustration of job search early in my career in the downturn of the early eighties. That pain and frustration is a big part of my success today. I want to ease their pain – or at least tell them that the pain can be endured. As a marathon runner, I know about enduring both physical and mental pain.

Every person’s pain is individual. No one can claim to understand “your” pain. However they might have felt something similar.

As I spoke today, two very different people caught my attention – one a recent college male graduate and the other a well dressed 40-something woman.

Both took no notes. Both failed to engage with me when I looked directly at them. One conveyed a “I don’t need this crap” body posture and the other glared, ” leave me alone”.

I felt sad for both of them. They had an opportunity to learn and to be inspired – but they refused to partake. Perhaps they had not yet matured in their grieving process to be ready to grow. Perhaps they were still wallowing in “Why me?” I don’t know their pain. I only offered a way forward. It was up to them to accept or decline.

George Torok

Motivational Speaker

Deadlines motivate

Deadlines Motivate

Have you noticed how motivated you can be when you have a deadline?

Why is that?. A deadline indicates a recognized shortage of time. A stated shortage of time reminds us that we only have a limited amount of time. If you tell someone, “Take all the time that you want.” They won’t be highly motivated to tackle the obstacle. If you have forever to do something – why do it now?

My neighbour is dieing from cancer. He seems to be fading quickly. Considering how active and spry he had been it is upsetting to witness how frail he now looks.

He has a deadline – as do those around him. The end date is not known for sure but it is clearly measured in months and not year. It’s interesting to note the many visitors that have stopped by in the past couple months. It good to see them visit. I guess they only needed to be motivated.

What would you do if you thought that you were running out of time?

George Torok

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Motivational Business Speaker

Motivation:It’s Cold outside

Motivation: It’s Cold outside

It was time for me to get up and go for a run. But it was cold in the room and warm in the bed.

I wasn’t motivated to get up because I was comfortable and getting up would disturb that comfort. So I laid in bed a bit longer. Enventually I got up and went for my run. The transition from warm comfortable bed to cold room and then even colder outside was still uncomfortable.

Once I was moving – it was easier to keep moving. I needed the motivation to move – to make the first moves. That was the hard part. We only need motivation to do things that are uncomfortable. Then we are surprized at how easy it is to keep moving.

I needed motivation to escape the warm bed and open the front door to the cold outside. Once I started those first steps little motivation was needed to keep me running.

We need motivation to change to make those transitions from comfortable to uncomfortable. The transition might only last seconds or minutes.

George Torok

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Doing motivates

Doing things motivates

Resting does not motivate. Yes we all need to rest regularily. But rest does not motivate – it simply heals and calms.

I enjoy cooking so naturally cooking motivates me. It gets me excited and makes me feel useful. Eating a well prepared meal pleases me but preparing the meal excites and motivates me.

What excites you? Are you doing it often enough?

George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Motivational Insights B

 

 

Bad days

Even Superman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman have bad days.

 

Barriers

Ask yourself, “What one thing should I do that will help me move forward that I have avoided doing because I am afraid?”

 

Belief

Sometimes against all logic the little voice in your head says, I think I can. The little voice is probably right.

 

Brain

Your brain is like a muscle. Use it, exercise it, challenge it – and it responds by growing.

 

George Torok

Motivational Speaker

Canadian Motivational Speaker

 

Motivational Morning in Niagara Falls

Motivational Morning in Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is one of my favorite places. Yet, when I woke up this morning in the Sheraton Hotel in Niagara Falls I was reluctant to go for my planned run. After the “first night of lousy sleep” in the hotel I was still tired when my 6:00 am alarm buzzed me awake.

After laying in bed for another 20 minutues I finally dragged myself out of bed and dressed for running – but not enthused.

A morning run always motivates me – espeically one in another city. I treasure my morning runs in cities across North America.

Three other things triggered my motivation this morning:

1. Running alongside the Niagara River and the Niagara Falls was awe inspiring.

2. There was a refreshing mist in the air.

3. As I approached a young couple near the falls the girl stoped me and gushed as she asked me to take their picture because “He just proposed to me.”

All this and I found myself both smiling and taking larger and swifter strides as I ran back to the hotel.

I’m glad that I got out of bed early this morning. Imagine what I would have missed.

So what motivated you today?

George Torok

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Canadian Business Speaker

Motivational Olympic Games

Olympic Games

Motivational Olympic Games

 

I think it is impossible to watch the Olympic Games and not feel motivated. I always feel stirred by watching the events. It’s very different from watching a professional baseball, football or basketball game. I find it difficult to relate to a professional multimillionaire sports star. I find it much easier to relate to an amateur althelte competing on behalf of their country.

I watch professional sports for entertainment. I watch the Olympic Games for motivation – for hope.

There are enough different events that something will resonate with you. I enjoy the fluidity of gymnastics, the mano a mano of boxing, and the splash of swimming. ( I was a high school water polo player.)

The best athletes in the world are competing. They worked their butts off to qualify. They are bursting with pride to represent their country. Only one gets the gold in each event yet all who compete are winners. (That’s am important motivational lesson in itself.)

The Olympic Games takes place once every four years. If you want motivation – watch the Olympic Games – not all of it – that would simply make you a couch potato. Instead focus on the sports that interest you. Observe the efforts, skills and sportmanship of the contestants. Admire the best that you see in people. Ignore the scandals, politics and misunderstandings.

Consider the motivation required by each Olympic Athelete. Then re-examine the motivational challenges in your life to get you to the next step.

Remember – “Swifter, higher, stronger”

Go for the Gold.

George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Motivational Places: Banff, Alberta

George Torok in Banff, Alberta

Motivational Places: Banff, Alberta

 

I bet that there are places that you would love to visit. If clients or prospects called you to visit you would jump to visit.

I have my lists for Canada, North America and the world. Some are places I have been before and some are virgin territory to me.

On my top ten list for favourite places in Canada is Banff, Alberta. So when a client asked me to go to Banff this fall – guess what? I was already thinking yes before I heard the details.

George Torok

Canadian Motivational Speaker

Motivational Business Speaker

Choice – motivational words

Thoughts on choice from Motivational Speaker, George Torok

 

Choice

You can do anything you want to do – you just can’t do everything you want to do.

 

Choice

You can do anything you want to do. The hard part is – deciding what you are willing to give up to get what you want.

 

Choice

There are always options. You might not like some of them but they are there.

 

Choice

If you enjoy it, it doesn’t hurt anyone and you are good at it – do it.

 

The above quotes are from motivational speaker, George Torok. Feel free to distritbute and repeat. Please be sure to quote George Torok as your source.

George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

Canadian Motivational Speaker