The Inspiration Game

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us... As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others,"- Marianne Williamson

This quote by the author, also used in the movie Coach Carter, truly is one of the most inspiring and powerful words spoken in recent times. Not only does it help us understand the human psyche, but sums up why we love listening to motivational speakers.

With the inception and popularization of a myriad of social media platforms, it has been noticed that people, especially the younger generation get easily de-motivated. They fall prey to peer pressure and are lost in comparing their lives to that of others.

At times like these, when people are running low on self-esteem and need proper guidance on how to take the first big step forward into the world, people tend to go to inspirational speakers like G. Sumdany, Ayman Sadiq and many more.

"I believe that people seek refuge in them because of how easily they can connect with these inspirational speakers. They see themselves one day reaching the pinnacle of success just like them and mostly take their advice because they know that they will be able to lay down the best guideline for them to accomplish their goals," said Asheque, one of the organizers of Tedx, North South University.

One of the biggest reasons why events like Tedx have caught popularity amongst people (especially youngsters) is because of how easily the audience can interact with the speakers. They can ask questions and get answers right away. In addition, the fact that they are able to watch and hear the speakers live helps the audience develop a trust towards them and feel as if the speaker will empathize with them better.

"Most of the people of the new generation don't want to work in corporates; they want to be self employed. However, they're scared to take that leap of faith. Hence, they go to inspirational speakers so that they can offer words of encouragement and give them tips of what to do and not to," said Silony Islam, a bookstagrammer (@biblionomad) who earns a living through blogging.

How do you prepare the night before your exam? How should you write your CV? What is a TIN certificate and how should you get it? Answers to questions like these are somewhat impossible to find. If you fall back to your parents seeking answers to the aforementioned, you will most likely receive a solution which has become outdated for today's time. In addition, in a survey conducted by yours truly where students were picked out at random and asked if their teachers had been of any help when it came to finding answers to these questions, 3 in every 5 students said that their efforts went in vain.

"We are taught all there is to know about the subject, but not taught how to get into the industry," complained Zabir, an undergraduate student of International University, Bangladesh.

Having started from scratch and working in renowned companies across the globe, inspirational speakers can provide all the information required to get into those industries and know how one should prepare for them. They simply do not motivate us but help us bring our lives to discipline by sharing anecdotes from their lives or asking us to practice activities at home religiously.

Inspirational speakers have found a great way to connect with us especially by making great use of social media. They know exactly where to find us and so they upload short and informative videos on social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram; providing us with words of encouragement, tips on getting that job we so desire, doing well in studies, staying positive and mentally strong and many more. They are the beacon of light in our generation as they are correctly named, inspirational speakers.

They teach us a crucial lesson, the importance of time. Apart from having dedication and determination to achieve our goals, we require discipline in our lives. Motivation is temporary; it will give us a short burst of adrenaline however, it will not last forever. Having discipline allows us to complete all those tasks required in accomplishing our goals timely and efficiently. Or else, Sulaiman Shukhon would never have emphasized so much on caring for time in most of his talks.

Maybe if you come to think of it, it is we who stand between attaining success and us, maybe we are our biggest obstacle. We need to change ourselves to change our destiny. This is where inspirational speakers step in. They were once in our place, making the same mistakes we did and thus know our circumstance the best. They know how to cope with it the right way. Maybe that's why their contribution has been paramount in our lives. Whoever said "Not all superheroes wear capes" could not have been more right.