I saw three "motivational" speakers this past month who were humorless, gruesome, fraudulent, reptilian IQ-challenged low lifes groveling for money and just as serious and stentorian as any minister howling for the death of witches back in Salem.
What set them apart from real people was their absolute lack of humor or joy or fun. They preached about passion and power and authentic journeys to a place called success and fulfillment, but you could tell that it was not a very happy place. I mean, not if they themselves were living there. Because the "humor" they tried to impose on the audience was grotesque and forced, and had no lightness of spirit in it.
Yet people were taking notes nodding to each other saying they were on a journey too. What fakes we all are.
There is only one journey.
And here it is:
This journey is the only one I can believe: Just a small town girl livin in a lonely world, she took the midnight train goin anywhere.
Here I am with my dog Jim:
You can see how I love him. But for almost all my life I could not be in the same room with a dog. Ever since I was two years old I had a phobia/psychosis/mania/allergy whatever. But that was cured for me by my friend Michael Neill who is a miracle worker but sometimes pretends he's not. I flew to his home where he performed a stunning ritual of hypnotic neuromancing reprogramming and the next thing you knew I was cuddling up with his retriever and his rottweiler. Not long after that I invited the amazing dog Jim into our lives.
Being brave is different than being fearless. Being brave is a kind of forced suppression of fear. Being fearless is nothing like that. When you are fearless you are just free. You float like a dream through life, ....it's like sharing a pillow with Jim.
Thanks for this wonderful essay! As a witerr and educator who temped my way through college, I did some of my best thinking at a desk while in command of a switchboard. What are you doing April 27, Mr. Robles? You are cordially invited to be a classroom speaker at our Career Day. Email me for more details.Quarry PakWellness CoordinatorGeorge Washington High School PS Mr. Chandler still volunteers at Wash he is still charming as ever.
Posted by: Bedava | October 28, 2012 at 02:18 AM
Steve,
Love this post, love your honesty … humorless, gruesome, fraudulent, reptilian IQ-challenged low lifes groveling for money…love the kids, love the song, love the dog, love you with the dog, love you… Kathy
Posted by: Kathy Eppley | March 28, 2010 at 12:27 AM
Motivational speakers rules!
Posted by: Anne Ramsy | March 25, 2010 at 12:35 AM
"Become again like little children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven"
Posted by: tom | March 24, 2010 at 09:42 PM
Thanks for some valuable food for thought, and for being a force for good, as always.
A quote comes to mind: "Into the hands of every individual is given a marvelous power for good or evil - the silent, unconscious, unseen influence of his life. This is simply the constant radiation of what man really is, not what he pretends to be." — William George Jordan
Posted by: Steve Lahey | March 24, 2010 at 05:46 PM
Thank you for sharing this video! I first saw it a couple of weeks ago and continue to get chills when I look at those little faces and listen to the wide open passion in their voices. It's a reminder to me that even though I may not have a great singing voice, there might just be someone who can appreciate that I share my authentic and inspired "song". Joni Liebel (www.joniliebel.com)
Posted by: Joni Liebel | March 24, 2010 at 03:34 PM