Inspiration makes changes to a person internally whereas motivation is more external.
A question I get asked a lot as a speaker: What is the difference between an Inspirational talk and a Motivational talk?
It’s probably not often that someone will jump onto Google and search for an Inspirational speaker rather than a Motivational speaker but when the difference is explained and understood I think a lot more people would.
At first glance there doesn’t seem to be a lot of difference between the two however the ramifications and effects for the people listening are very, very different.
I’ll explain below:
I have always tried to explain it as motivation is to lecture much like a teacher would and expect people to follow the teacher’s route whereas those, like myself, seek to inspire people into irresistibly changing, finding and following their own route.
The former is rote whereas the latter is unlocking an individual’s potential.
Inspiration also speaks to creativity. It is defined as an act which influences people mentally and emotionally to step into the creative space and become creators themselves.
On the other hand motivation is a process of stimulating a person to act in a prescribed way to achieve a particular goal.
Inspiration pulls people forward so they feel propelled whereas motivation drives them and they feel compelled. Inspiration makes changes to a person internally whereas motivation is more external. Those who are inspired find change & changing effortless and exciting whereas motivation, because it is driving them to change, is often met with resistance. Inspiration is spontaneous, motivation involves far more deliberate actions (the teacher/pupil analogy above).
When someone is struck by inspiration it is a natural calling coming from deep inside them and the result will stay with them and last forever. Motivation is more short lived and is normally born from either self or society expectations, obligations or peer pressure (sounds like hard work doesn’t it?).
I watch and listen to an awful lot of motivational talks, it’s part and parcel of my job, and I always enjoy them and learn something new when listening to a really good speaker or presenter.
However, unless they spark off my own train of thoughts and ideas and inspire me to explore further, I find they are forgotten over time. A bit like going to the gym – I know it’s good for me and I have been told the exercises to do but I’m not really enjoying it, especially when I have to do it during the dark and cold months when it’s tough. My doing them dips and wanes and quite often drops off altogether.
The ones I do remember are the inspirational talks that speak to the core of me. These I can recall instantly, and come to deeply admire the speaker/presenter who recounted their experiences. Their story has such a deep effect that I permanently change or adapt some of my own behaviours, alter my course or follow a new line of thinking. There is no effort involved and it’s only when I look back I realise how profoundly that particular talk helped me change things for the better.
So the next time you jump on to your search engine looking for an exciting speaker who is going to light a new energy spark in your attendees I’d suggest you type in Inspirational speaker first, or just give me a call 😊
People know when you speak from the heart & I love seeing that spark ignite in their eyes.
