Monday Motivation: The Key to Life – Running and Reading
Have you ever wondered what the guy who saved the world from an alien invasion (more than once), would say were the keys to life?
If so, you’re in luck! I have recently come across Will Smith’s “keys to life.” They’re simple and useful, and I think you’ll get something out of them.
A little while ago Will Smith won a children’s TV award. Rather than rambling on about something stupid, Smith decided to use his platform to share his “keys of success” with the youngsters who were in attendance and watching at home.
I couldn’t find the video of the entire original acceptance speech, so here is a video that intersperses the speech with some music and a few other quotes. It’s not too long, and it is definitely motivational:
His premise is that the key to success is running and reading…
Running
Smith advises kids to run not because of the physical fitness benefits (thought that would probably not be a bad thing).
Rather, he talks about the little voice that pops up in your head when you are running. The one that says, “I’m tired, I’m so hurt, there’s no way I could possibly continue.” If you can learn how to deal with that voice in your head when you are running, you will learn to not quite when things get hard in your life.
Reading
According to Smith, “there have been millions and billions and billions and gazillions of people who have lived before us.” (his numbers may not represent statistical data…) “There is no new problem you could have…that someone hasn’t already solved and written about in a book.”
Obviously, he’s talking to kids and the types of problems he is referring to involve the basic issues – parents, teachers, bullies, etc. So sure, if you’re problem is that the latest version of Windows isn’t working, maybe no one’s written about it yet. Although, at the speed with which people post online, chances are you can find an article on the internet that has the answer to your problem.
How about you?
When you dig past the motivation and inspiration, he’s really just talking about one thing: the ability to solve problems.
As I talk about in my Ding Happens! keynote speeches, anyone can do well when everything goes right. What separates people who succeed from those who fail is how well they deal with problems when they arise (and they will!)
Will Smith is right; to solve problems you need two things: the persistence to keep working until you solve them and the ability to find the answers you need.
For you, it may not be running and it may not be reading (though those are great places to start). But ask yourself, “how persistent am I? How willing am I to push through the pain and discomfort to get what I really want?” And, “How good am I at tapping into the existing knowledge in the world? How good at I am reading books, searching the web, finding and asking the right experts for help?”
Once you develop your persistence and your ability to find solutions, (i.e your “running and reading” skill) there will truly be nothing you can’t accomplish.
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About
By Avish Parashar. As the world's only Motivational Improviser, Avish uses techniques from the world of improv comedy to engage, entertain, and educate audiences on ideas around change, creativity, and motivation. Connect with Avish on Google+