A motivational talk from February 4, 2016 about racing across America and the mindset needed to finish. The speaker emphasizes self-confidence, inspiring children to believe in themselves, and what entrepreneurship teaches about leadership.
Apologies to the men in the audience about the gruffy voice. And I hope the women like it. My wife actually likes it, so I hope I actually retain it. I'm going to start with the first question that I always get asked with whenever I talk about the Race Across America. I've now done three solo races across America, consecutive. So the video clip that you just saw was from 2007. I did the race again in 2008 and I've just finished it again in June this year, each time going quicker. But the question I always get asked almost immediately when I come up stage is a classic question, which is why, why do you do it? So I thought I'd just share with you the why as to what inspires me why I do it. I have a passionate belief that everyone on the planet has greatness inside them. And one of the things I do in my spare time, like Sibiro, is I actually go around to schools in the UK and talk to children to inspire them to believe in what's possible. Just out of interest, I wanted to make this a little bit interactive instead of making sure that no one's sleeping after lunch. I'm just curious as to how many people in the audience have got kids here. Can you just show your hands? Not actually here, but they've got kids here. Okay. How many people used to be kids? Okay, great. And how many people want to still be kids? Yeah. Okay. The reason I ask you that question is that it's interesting. There was some data done about 20 years ago and they took 105 year old children and they measured these 5 year old children's self confidence and their self esteem. And what they found which was really exciting was that 95% of those children had phenomenal self confidence and self esteem. The frightening thing is that they followed those same hundred children and remeasured their self confidence and self esteem when they were 18. And the frightening thing was that actually only 5% of those same children had the same levels of high self confidence and high self esteem. I guess what you're talking about is the conditioning. They've been conditioned. These young witness Nefers at 5 had a phenomenal self esteem and self confidence, but by the time they got to 18 that was almost conditioned out of them. And like Birol, I perhaps passionately believe that their greatness hasn't gone anywhere that's just been suppressed over time. And I started a not for profit organization called Team Inspiration which is all about inspiring children to believe in what's possible. So the why do things like the Race Across America and push myself to extremes is really more about a normal guy with six kids. I have six kids myself. Proving to the world that actually anything's possible with the right mindset and the slide. And shout it out loud for me, if you could. Are you happy to do that? Children, opportunities. Okay, so, yes, it reads two things. Opportunity is nowhere, which I heard mostly from the audience, and opportunity is now here. And I guess really for me personally, if I relate what I do to the business world, I work in the corporate world myself. It's actually grabbing this. You know, if you're an entrepreneur, entrepreneurs get the opportunity is now here. That's all they're looking for all the time. You know, when things don't work, they're not looking for who. Who's responsible for that. They're looking for. Okay, so what can we do to resolve it? Let's focus on the solution as opposed to what caused this happening. Let's move on, let's learn from it, and let's do it differently next time. So opportunity is now here is absolutely any budding entrepreneur, any business in this environment or any environment, really. The key is mindset. It's having the right mindset. And both previous speakers, and I'm sure the speakers this morning, that was a common theme in their talks. And without a doubt, without the right mindset, you can't do something like the Race Across America. My belief is I could take any of you in this route and train you to compete and complete at least an ironman. Now, I'm not suggesting that you. I'm trying to encourage you to go out and do that. I'm just suggesting that if you had the right mindset, you can actually do more than you at the moment think you can. Not just physically, but in other aspects of your life as well. Key message I leave with children when I'm speaking to them at school because this is the thing that stops them. You know, if they have a belief that they can't do something, then they won't even give it a try. If they believe they can, they'll take the next step and then the next step. And without a doubt, I suppose the key message that I really want to leave you with you is that actually my experience as a parent, seeing my children grow up, a lot of the corporate stuff I do one on one with some very senior people in the corporate world and the leadership development stuff I do, and me physically doing some of these races that I've competed in, I absolutely know without doubt that most of us are only really just scratching our full potential. We can do more, we can be more, we can have more in our lives. But a lot of it is down to the mindset that we actually apply to life. And it was really. I just really want to finish off with this final quote, which is I do have a passionate belief that we are all built for greatness. And I suppose the question I really want to leave you with this afternoon is, what, Mark? Are you going to leave? Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen.
