"What Motivates You?" Win Tickets to Hartford Seminar: Colin Powell, Steve Forbes, Rudy Giuliani, Laura Bush, Joe Montana, and more!

What motivates you?  Share your thoughts with Literary Unleashed in 100 words or less.  The first 20 people to respond and adhere to the word count criteria will win two tickets to the 2009 *Get Motivated!* Business Seminar in Hartford, CT at the XL Center, One Civic Center Plaza, Hartford, CT.  Event is Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009 from 8-5:00 pm.  Doors open at 6:45 a.m. 

Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City will speak on Perseverance.  General Colin Powell will talk about Leadership.  Steve Forbes, President and CEO of Forbes, will speak about Business Skills.  Joe Montana, the former NFL quarterback, will present a talk on Teamwork. Former First Lady, Laura Bush, will be a special guest speaker.  Zig Ziglar will give a talk about Motivation, and Tamara Lowe will discuss Sales and Negotiation.

Many people find that DEADLINES motivate them!  Your deadline to share your thoughts on "What Motivates You" ends on Friday, Sept. 4th, 2009 at NOON. 

Winners will also receive a workbook, free downloads to some of Zig Ziglar's motivational materials, and a chance to win door prizes including $10,000, A Disney World Vacation, and a Big Screen TV.  Don't miss out!

http://www.CaroleFlynn.com

Carole Flynn is the author of Literary Itinerary and Literary Unleashed.

 

 

Comments

[Krista Richards Mann]

Nature is my greatest motivation. The frontier that stretches beyond my front door reminds me that everything I do, everything I say or write or choose not to do impacts all of us in some small way.

[Robert Flynn]

My family motivates me. They give me the inspiration, the drive, the desire to bring everything I can to each and every task. The joy I see in their eyes is golden.

[Gwenn Wilson]

When I get stuck in the rut of procrastination, what jump starts my engine is the three-word, eight-letter phrase that Nike made famous twenty-years ago….“Just Do It”! When used as a mantra and combined with a group of positive-minded "go-getter" friends chanting my favorite phrase, what could be more effective? I’d be off my keister in no time at all! Those three little words have helped me overcome fear and tackle some of the most unpleasant, overwhelming and/or odiferous tasks of my days here on earth! I guess I’m just a sucker for advertising slogans!

[Don Davis]

I am motivated by knowing that all problems can be solved. It takes belief, commitment, and focus. There are numerous examples of problems thought to be unsolvable actually being resolved. From traveling across the ocean to find another route to China, to flight, to splitting an atom, to an African American as the President of the United States, to people with severe spinal cord injuries being able to walk again. Our faith and vision is limited only by our inability conceive. That’s what motivates me everyday.

[Robin Gooch]

Recognition,greed and fear of retribution,
I confess have served as impetus for my past contributions.
But now that I'm older, wiser, better --
and behind the ears, a little less wet(ter),
what moves me to act, to move, to feel affected,
is remembering that to whom much has been given, much is expected.

[Liz Crook]

Genuine, robust conversations with intelligent people always seems to motivate me. I love to be enlightened by a well-supported POV. And that typically leads to some sort of action!

[Germaine Marie Lang]

What a loaded question! I'm motivated by many different things, the likes of which are heavily dependent on the situation at hand. However, I will respond with the first answer that emerged out of the mist that is my psyche. More than anything, I am motivated by the opportunity to make people’s lives a little better than they were before I entered their presence. Whether it be as fleeting as eliciting a smile from a previously sullen visage or as permanent as helping a new homeowner paint over a previous homeowners’ stenciled life-sized topiaries (SERIOUSLY???).

[Laurie Flanagan]

I am motivated by the love and support of my family and friends that they provide on a daily basis. They are constantly challenging me to take risks and push myself to accomplish tasks I may have thought impossible. It is humbling and overwhelming to see that others believe in my abilities; even when I may not. I am thankful for their guidance and lucky to have such a strong support system in my life.

[Andrea stalf]

Dessert.

Dessert on my own plate but near others. On a round table with a tablecloth and not too much light. With my boys when not too sleepy. With my friends when not facing anything more than a coffee and a nice drive home.

[susan klosowski]

You cannot imagine how long I had to think about this. At first I thought I was motivated by a continual need for balance. And I do think that is one major force behind much of what I do. But in the end as corny as it sounds, I think almost everything I do is motivated by love. Love of life, love of family, love of friends.....

[Carole Flynn]

Thanks to all of you who responded on Literary Unleashed. Whether it be nature, family, Nike's iconic slogan, the optimistic viewpoint that all problems are solvable, the wisdom of perspective which allows one to realize "to whom much has been given, much is expected," robust conversation, the desire to improve lives, sharing dessert, or the love of life, family, and friends--your thoughts have inspired me.

I was equally gratified by the outpouring of emails I received on the topic of motivation. Thanks to the many people who emailed me about their dedication to family, particularly their children (a common theme), a pregnant young woman who is motivated by the upcoming birth of her son, a new mother who is motivated by "diapers and death," the many writers who are motivated by good writing, and the local author who is motivated when she "steps out of her [writing] bubble." These thoughts also inspired me.

I am motivated by passion, creativity, and generosity. Like many of you, my highest aspirations are for the well-being of my family and my friends. I am personally motivated to do my best for them. I hope that I approach each day with as much passion, creativity, and generosity in these relationships as possible. And when I fall short, I hope to arise the next day with more strength and determination to do my best.

Professionally, I am inspired by unpublished and published writers. It is a privilege to work with unpublished writers, to be allowed the honor to help shape their writing, to be exposed to writing that the rest of the world has not seen (yet): to learn and teach at the same time. These writers’ stories cohabitate deep in my psyche alongside the many published writers whose work I admire. They have helped shape my writing, but more importantly they have shaped me into a more compassionate mother, wife, daughter, and friend.

I am particularly motivated by the art of a well-told personal story. I am motivated by memoir.