Today’s Motivational Speakers travel the world addressing auditoriums and convention centers full of ambitious adults of all ages. In their presentations, they try to promote the theory of success coming from within rather than bestowed upon their audience. Speeches such as these inspire those in attendance to be emotionally charged and eager to share with coworkers and/or their employees at work the following day.
One of today’s fastest growing population is the 24/7 caregiver; however, because of their obligations to loved ones and numerous other factors, these dedicated souls often have been forced to withdraw from the professional community out of responsibility to their ill elders or loved ones. Thus they miss untold opportunities to get “fired up” as a result of professional presentations.
do, however, have to find a source of motivation or they would not be successful at their task. The endless responsibilities of a caregiver do not come naturally in most cases but are assumed as being necessary. We read articles or news bulletins often on a daily basis regarding caregivers, but statistics matter little to the daughter changing a mother’s diapers or the wife patiently feeding the husband who no longer recognizes her. And we often perform these tasks automatically without dwelling on the discomfort, inconvenience or expense. We just DO. With this knowledge understood, caregivers should take the time to look inside themselves to understand what motivates their actions, feelings and attitudes.
Motivation is synonymous with goals. We become motivated to seek goals. With caregivers, often the goals are centered around the comfort and caring for their loved one. Caregivers place value on their goals, and their lives are carefully arranged around schedules. We find ourselves willing to give up pleasures that used to be important to us. We fight the urge to give up and quit as we know most of the time there are few options open to us. Our loved one who needs us becomes the center of our world, and all of our choices, of which we used to have many, become fewer and more limited as time goes on.
Persistence is an attitude, and caregivers seem to be able to continue in their course in the face of adversity due to their goals and feelings of responsibility. Many trust in a Higher Power to assist them in their persistence. At no time does the Bible or any spiritual reading say “give up”. All caregivers suffer through periods of failure, and if they have no Higher Power they often feel no choice but to quit or give up. Those who can draw upon their spirituality from within realize that the threat of defeat happens to make them renew their strength, which is similar to what audiences feel after hearing hours of inspirational words from renowned motivational speakers. The men and women who travel the world in their attempt to share knowledge and emotional support to audiences are a tribute to their profession, but caregivers have no reason to feel excluded from opportunities to experience motivational speeches, for they are the greatest example of determination.
Patricia St Clair
