My Favorite Motivational Speaker

             My Favorite Motivational Speaker

The motivational speaker who is my favorite is Les (Leslie) Brown, born on February 17, 1945.  He has a twin named Wesley Brown. They were adopted by a cafeteria worker named, Mamie Brown, who did not have much in the way of money. Les Brown grew up just outside of Miami living in the low economic end of town. (“Les Brown”, n.p.)

            Les Brown tells the story that he was told by teachers that he was an educable mentally, retarded child.  He started to believe this. When he talks about this, he tells his audiences not to let others’ opinions of you become your reality. He talks specifically about one high school teacher who changed his mind about himself. This teacher told him to go up to the board and follow his instructions. Les Brown responded that he could not because he was educable mentally, retarded. The teacher got upset with him and told him to never say that again!

             He goes on to say that our own negative self-talk stops us from doing a lot of things in life. The more I thought about this concept that he mentions, the more I realized how correct he was. After graduating high school he “became a morning radio talk show host in Ohio promoted to broadcast manager; from community activist to community leader; from political commentator to three-term legislator; and from a banquet and nightclub emcee to premier keynote speaker  only to become a nationally known speaker telling about the obstacles he had to overcome. (“Les Brown”, n.p.) 

          I am drawn to listen to him. I want to pay attention to him because of how good his personal story is.  In 1989, he received the National Speakers Association's highest award - the Council of Peers Award of Excellence, making him the first black man to ever receive such a prestigious award. He then became the highest paid motivational speaker. (“Les Brown”,n.p.)
              I am so drawn to this man because he too faced adversity. He has no problem talking about his situation just as I have no problem talking about mine.  But I would have never in a million years guessed that he struggled in life.  The fact that teachers labeled him as an educable mentally retarded child bothers me, because he was not mentally retarded.  When people say things about me that are true, it stings little, but it hurts even worse when what they are saying is not true.  This is why I encourage people to just come ask me if I do something they are curious about.  I do not want them to make up a story in their heads.  I want them to come and ask me, please.  I will give them the most truthful answer that I can or I will get back to them after I ask one of my doctors.

I would have never guessed Les Brown’s teachers had labeled him as educable mentally retarded because he is very well spoken and confident.  I am glad that I researched my own favorite speaker, or I never would have known about Les Brown.

            I would like to encourage you to find whatever it is you are interested in, find your motivation or inspiration in one of the experts in that field and learn something about that. Do not take someone else’s idea of the best at that subject. Go out and do some digging of your own and find your favorite!

Works Cited

 Brown, Leslie (2013)  Get Motivation. Retrieved on February 28, 2013

            from http://www.getmotivation.com/    

"Les Brown Biography." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 February 2013. <http://biography.yourdictionary.com/les-brown>.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXS4tWHtItY