Motivation is an essential aspect of everyday life. It is so easy to forget what is important and get lost in our thoughts in our very busy lives. There have been many proven benefits of inspiration. The University of Rochester found that inspired individuals view themselves as being more creative and their self-ratings of creativity actually increase over time. A study by Milyavskaya and colleagues showed that students who viewed themselves as more inspired were more likely to set more inspiring goals than those who were less inspired. It might not be easy to feel inspired however we have collated a list of videos that may help you along the way.
Amy Cuddy – Body Language TED Talk
Good for preparing for interviews, meetings and presentations. Amy talks about the effect our body language has on judgement, which can sometimes predict meaningful life outcomes. She also notes that our own body language influences our thoughts, feelings and physiology therefore something as simple as changing our posture can positively influence the way we feel about ourselves.
- In his moving presentation, “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” Pausch talked about his lessons learned
and gave advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals. Randy Pausch said obstacles serve a purpose: They “give us a chance to show how badly we want something.” Confronted with incurable cancer, he devised a last lecture that became an Internet sensation, a best-selling book and a celebration of a life spent achieving his dreams
Matt Cutts – Trying Something New for 30 Days
- Brilliant short video on adding a new challenge to your life each month. Cutts shared that 30 days is the perfect amount of time to add something or subtract something for your life for it to become routine. He said these challenges made him more adventurous and feel more optimistic. He noted that because he made small, sustainable changes, they were more likely to stick.
Barack Obama Tells Story of Famed Chant
- A great example of storytelling as well as a great story. Obama talks of how famed chant can encourage teamwork and positivity. “It just goes to show you how one voice can change the…world”.
TV2 Advert – All That We Share
- Short and moving video on realising the power of seeing past our first impression. This advert explains the danger of “putting people in boxes”. We have more in common than we realise
