Motivational Figures

I have a lot of people in my life who motivate me and keep me dreaming. I am constantly looking for new people to inspire me, keep me thinking about new or interesting topics and doing everything I can to succeed. Here's my list of my top eight motivators!


8) The Earth

The world motivates me no end. I know it isn't so much a 'figure' as it is our home, a planet and a beautiful creation through which ever method you prefer, but I see it as such a motivational object. Think of everything the world has seen and put up with; wars, family break ups, poverty, climate change, pollution, people throwing abuse at one another or even setting out to hurt each other or animals... and yet the parts of the world that humankind can't destroy is so beautiful to look at still, and it is all there for us to appreciate for free in nature. The world continually gives this beautiful spectacle to us and all we do is take from her. It's a lesson that however pants things seem, you're still a beautiful person inside and out and you deserve to go on succeeding.
I like to think that one day, if all goes well and I succeed in everything that I hope to, that I will be able to see more of her in the future. That's a big thing for me, and something that keeps me chugging.

7) The Beatles

This is a bit of a weird one, I know. You're probably thinking exactly what I thought when I wrote this down - that you have to be musically minded for this one to work.

Not at all!

Each of the fab four have inspired me in so many ways. I'll go through each of them individually.

John has influenced my wit, I think, more than anything. John was incredibly intelligent and funny, and it's infectious! He was clearly the most outspoken and confident of the four, what with his peacenik attitude, revolutionary beliefs and 'things wot John Lennon sed wot he should not have'... He was also unafraid to voice his opinions (now we ALL know that) and he has helped me develop my own thoughts and feelings on what is going on in the world, what I want to contribute to the world and helped me feel more able to say what I think.
Paul is a perfectionist, and that is a very good trait in a motivational figure, I think. His meticulousness and attention to detail in his work makes me want to have the career I dream of already and be doing the best that I can with what talents I have. It's admirable, and I don't see perfectionism as a bad thing so long as it doesn't turn into dictating what other people should be doing in order for you to achieve this perceived image of perfection. It's all about keeping a level head I suppose.
George - where to begin? I'm currently reading his autobiography, 'I, Me, Mine' and George has taught me so much about myself and the way I see the world. He was the person who made me interested in meditation and learning more ways to stop the whizzing thoughts in my head and just focus for as little or as long as I want on my base consciousness. Obviously I have in turn learnt a lot by reading and watching things the Maharishi said, but George was the beginning. He has also taught me to think of the time I have left as only today - meaning to LIVE NOW! Tomorrow doesn't exist yet, and we don't know if we will see tomorrow - anything could happen, really. The past has gone and it won't be coming back physically. Maybe you'll learn lessons from the past and realise what was good and what was bad about things you may have said or done, or realised what decisions you made and analyse them more clearly in retrospect, but the only real, chance you have to live is this day, TODAY. It's a wonderful message. So many spiritual ideas have awoken inside of me since finding George, and I think belief is something integral to life. Whatever you believe in, whoever you believe in - it's at least a blessing to have some form of belief rather than none at all. Even if it is in yourself and the power you possess, it's a wonderful thing.
And Ringo... A reminder that being a latecomer or less 'in your face' personality is not ain any way less rewarding than being one of those people who did/said/watched/realised something first or never stopped talking.

6) Travis Alexander

This man is incredible. I mentioned him in my last post on the One Step Ahead blog, and I don't feel bad for mentioning him again at all. He's basically, posthumously, a life coach to me and my friends! My best friend introduced me to Travis through the notorious Jodi Arias case in America. This was a case in Arizona, so it was very publicised and the media were able to film the trial as it was happening.
If you didn't read my first blog entry on here, then a) go back right now and do that, but b) I mention that Travis was a motivational speaker while he was alive. He coined phrases such as:

'The difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone is the character of the individual walking the path.'

A man with an attitude like that; who wouldn't admire him? Sadly, Travis's book was left unfinished when he was brutally murdered by Jodi Arias, his ex-girlfriend. (I won't go into detail - you can read more about that yourselves). I choose to take on board Travis's message to the world, as he would have wanted, just so that he has a legacy that reaches beyond his family members. I want people to know who Travis Alexander is all around the world, so that more and more people feel better about themselves, and also so that a wonderful man gets the respect and justice that he deserves.

5) Benedict Cumberbatch

Now, this isn't as odd a choice as The Beatles one first appeared, considering I am a studying/aspiring actress. Oh, and I'm female. But that's a different kind of admiration... ;)

No, Benedict has been a huge help to me. As I live in the UK, we always get first dibs on little things like 'Sherlock' etc. (something I know a lot of anglophiles love). I was watching the first episode of Series Three, long awaited after a two-year hiatus, called 'The Empty Hearse' on New Years Day. I won't be spoiling it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, now or in the future.
Now, I know that this may sound like I'm simply 'obsessing' or being an over the top fan-girl or something, but it's honestly only an observation on my life as a spectator to this man's work, and one day I hope that I can tell him this in person.

Benedict inspires, motivates and influences me in so many ways. Of course he is attractive too, in my opinion, but this has nothing to do with his looks. Purely his talent and presence.
He motivates me and spurs me on to succeed as an actress respectably, and keep a level head. His charm and positivity are impossible to not have rub off on me, I find, even though it is obviously purely a screen and spectator exchange.
Ben makes me feel that I can walk onto any stage or set and fit in perfectly with like minded hard workers in my field. He calms my nerves and makes my performance anxiety subside (and I understand this is sounding incredibly weird, but I don't mean it in an extreme stalker-y fangirly way; just as a performer admiring a fellow performer. I sound so gushy!)

His talent is incomparable with anyone alive at this point in time. He's the only living actor of the 21st century that is just so brilliant and captivating in his work. That's a good word. He's the only one alive at this moment in time that completely and wholly captivates me when I watch his work. The only one since Marilyn...

That's what I aim for. That's what the plan is. I want to captivate people so that they can lose themselves or escape just for that allotted time. It's a magical gift to possess and Benedict spurs me on to try and achieve even an ounce of that magic.

4) Marilyn Monroe

Basically, you can read all of that stuff about Benedict and just replace the 'he' with 'she'. They are both top of my list for acting talent and all round loveliness. I've been researching Marilyn for four years come June 2014, so I have a special place in my heart that always keeps me going, remembering her and honouring her spirit. She's the person that sparked my interest in acting, due to her misrepresented persona and how dedicated she was to her craft. She's a fascinating woman that I think you should definitely all read more into!

But yes, Marilyn inspires me for basically the same reasons as Benedict. Though a little bit more special to me.

3) My Friends and Peers

Me and my friends seem to go through waves at the same time - we'll feel great at the start of term, then we'll start slipping, and we'll be disorganised and stressed by the end of the year, and then after Summer the whole cycle will start again. Recently though, with the help of the dear friend mentioned above, Travis, my dearest friends and their circle of enthusiasm, light and love around me has influenced me to join them on the road to becoming more organised, more focussed and more work oriented. At the moment, that is all that matters as sixth former. I have student loans for University, so I don't need to worry about money massively, though it is definitely a concern. I have a family who will help me in any ways possible, so really all I need to think about is getting my work done. Everything else is merely a distraction. This is why I am cutting out things like magazines, gossip sites, randomly trawling the internet when I could be reading or learning something valuable...

They've all been a part in making me this person and I am ever thankful. Being around such hard working, motivated, like-minded people in all of my classes really helps. They know who they are.

2) People who have used their energy to put me down in life

I won't name names as I'm not one to shame anybody. It's been a mission of mine every time I am put down to turn it into a lesson or an opportunity, rather than dwell on it or accept it. I am guilty of dwelling and remembering things said to me in the past, but it is a habit I continue to try and break.

An example? I once said to somebody that I wanted to be a singer - back in 2009 I think. Whatever year The Climb by Miley Cyrus was released. This person was quite close to me and all they could say in support was 'ha! Good luck with that then, Elly!' Come 2013, I had to sing in my Performance Studies lessons, as we cover more than just drama. I would dread every lesson to my core. I would go, of course, as I'm not one to miss a lesson just off the bat, but I would tremble, I wouldn't be able to concentrate when I knew I would have to sing or even practise my song in the same room as everybody else later on... It wasn't a good attitude to be left with.
But I turned that around and realised that the person who told me, however much I love them, will be remaining on this disconnected Island for the rest of their lives, away from where the big success and possibilities lie. This isn't an ego trip, I am purely realising that these people will put me down purely because they want to be able to do the things that I am now beginning to have the opportunities to begin, explore and learn more about.
Singing was never something I was exceptional at, and of course acting is my favourite thing to do, but it didn't help at the time, as a child of 13, to be told that I would probably never get anywhere with that dream.

The lesson in it was not to listen to people who put you down, because they may just have a negative outlook on life. Our job is to help those people realise that if I can think, dream and do this, and succeed, then so can they - they don't have to be so disheartened from showing off or discovering a new talent.

Just FYI, when I sang solo for the first time in front of anyone other than my family ( by which I mean my performance studies class) I was told that I could do it, and that I had a talent that could be trained to become better. I was nervous of course, and I felt like I didn't do as well as I could have, but my worrying and anxiety was proved pointless after the comments I received!

1) My Family -

Of course the obvious, the determination to repay them for all they have done for me, make them proud...

But they also support me in all of my endeavours - as monetarily as they can, they come to see my showcases and all of my performances... I'm always being told that I CAN do something. I never get told that I'll never be able to do something. I think that's all that matters. I could say so much more.

Who influences you? Who or what really motivates you to achieve your dreams? Think really hard, you may be surprised who really, truly is a motivating force behind everything you do.

Enjoy your day!