The need and importance for Inspirational Speakers have risen with the digital boom. In addition, the global pandemic has pushed all of us around the globe to the very limits. And it’s not easy for some of us to cope with the negativity all by ourselves. Though you always have the support of your family and friends, sometimes all you need is an inspirational story to latch on to.
All of these inspirational speakers have overcome extreme hurdles and lived on to inspire people with their stories. These life coaches have motivated young people worldwide through their motivational videos on social platforms, their motivational speeches in big seminars, or even via authoring essential self-help books. Let’s look at some of the best inspirational speakers around the world that you should listen to –
1. Oprah Winfrey
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey
Credits – Vic / Flickr. Copyright @ 2011
Oprah Winfrey is an American actress, talk show host, author, and philanthropist. Oprah is among America’s greatest success stories. She was raised by a single mother in a poor household and was a victim of molestation from a tender age. Today, she is one of the biggest inspirations for women. She is widely popular worldwide for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show which focuses on self-improvement and inspirational stories.
Today, she is among one of the most influential and famous female motivational speakers in the world. Her motivational speeches are powerful, and she advocates finding a way to serve fellow humankind and always do the right thing in any situation.
2. Eric Thomas
“Pain is temporary. It may last for a minute, an hour a day, or even a year. But eventually, it will subside. And something else takes its place if I quit. However, it will last forever.” – Eric Thomas
Credits – Karl Phillips / Wikipedia. Copyright @2011
Eric Thomas is among the top motivational speakers, best-selling author, and minister. He was born to a single teenage mother in Chicago. Due to some altercations with his mother, Eric left his education and lived on the streets of Detroit for two years. Later, he met a minister who convinced him to complete his education and inspired him to leave a mark on the world. After completing his education, Eric became a minister and a preacher.
Since then, he has authored many motivational books, including The Secret to Success in 2011. He is widely popular for his energetic, motivational speaking and also for his motivational hip-hop music.
3. Les Brown
“Shoot for the moon, and if you miss, you will still be among the stars.” – Les Brown
Credits – Dominick Brady / Wikipedia. Copyright @2009
Les Brown is one of the best American motivational speakers globally, known for his Georgia Dome speech. He was born into a low-income family in Miami and was given up for adoption when he was just six weeks old. He was declared mentally retarded while in grade school, which broke his self-esteem. Les’s life took a turn after an encounter with a teacher in his high school, who inspired him to chase his dreams and not let people’s opinions affect him.
He became one of the most inspirational public speakers, author, politician, and TV Host. He voices his story to inspire people to always be hungry for their dreams and strive to become a better version of themselves.
4. Chris Gardner
“I am strong because I’ve been weak. I am fearless because I’ve been afraid. I am wise because I’ve been foolish.” – Chris Gardner
Credits – Angela George / Wikipedia. Credits @2011
Chris Gardner is an American businessman, a world-class motivational speaker, and one of the most remarkable American dream stories. After surviving a troubled childhood, he lost his mother, who was his only inspiration. There was a time when Chris was homeless and had to sleep at church shelters or under his desk at work. However, his life changed after securing an internship at a stock brokerage firm, and eventually founded his brokerage firm.
Chris decided to publish his memoir to inspire young people, which was turned into a popular motion picture, ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’. After his wife died in 2012, he decided to travel worldwide to motivate people and spread positivity. He encourages everyone through his speeches to always be optimistic about their situation and use his life journey as a source of inspiration.
5. Muniba Mazari
“I don’t know how my story will end, but nowhere in my text you’ll ever read I gave up.” – Muniba Mazari
Credits – Stfm1234 / Wikipedia. Credits @2014
Muniba Mazari is a Pakistani activist, painter, model, singer, and motivational speaker. Due to a road accident at the age of 21, she was forced to be wheelchair-bound. She was divorced by her husband and abandoned by her father due to her disability. But she gathered herself soon and fought her way gracefully and also, took care of her son alone.
She started painting from her hospital bed and later started her art brand and exhibited her artworks in exhibitions all across her country. As a result, she was named Pakistan’s first female Goodwill Ambassador to promote equality and women empowerment. Since then, she has been actively vocal in spreading awareness against gender discrimination and child abuse and empowering women worldwide.
6. Nick Vujicic
“Risk, then, is not just part of life. It is life. The place between your comfort zone and your dream is where life takes place.” – Nick Vujicic
Credits –
Christliches Medienmagazin pro / Flickr. Copyright @2011
Nick Vujicic is a painter, swimmer, skydiver, and one of the most famous inspirational speakers in the world. He was born with a rare disorder called ‘tetra-amelia syndrome‘, characterized by the absence of arms and legs. He had to face a lot of bullying while growing up due to his special needs.
Eventually, he accepted his shortcomings and wore it like armor to fight against all the prejudices that stood in the way of his dreams. As a result, he has authored eight bestselling books and travels worldwide to inspire young people with his story.
7. Arnold Schwarzenegger
“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
Credits – Governo do Estado de São Paulo / Wikipedia. Copyright @2019
Arnold Schwarzenegger is an actor, bodybuilder, politician, and motivational speaker. He was born in a poor and abusive household in Austria. However, he overcame all the obstacles and tragedies that came his way. Arnold eventually went on to win the Mr. Universe title seven times and be the greatest-ever action movie star courtesy of his iconic role in and as The Terminator. He also served as the governor of California and finished his last term in 2011.
Today, he is considered to be among the biggest global icons of inspiration from Hollywood. He makes motivational videos on the importance of self-belief and inspires young people to have a burning sensation for their passion.
8. Aisha Chowdhary
“If you can’t change your own life, there’s always someone else’s.” – Aisha Chowdhary
Credits – INK talks / Wikipedia. Copyright @2013
Aisha Chowdhary was a young Indian author and motivational speaker born with severe combined immunodeficiency, which later led to the development of a fatal illness called pulmonary fibrosis. Her book, My Little Epiphanies, was published a day before her death. However, even when taking a breath was a struggle, she went on to give Tedx speeches and INK speeches and inspired the world to fight and always be grateful for the time you have.
A Bollywood movie, The Sky is Pink, brought her story to the masses in which Priyanka Chopra Jonas plays the character of her mother.
9. Iyanla Vanzant
“Everything that happens to you is a reflection of what you believe about yourself. We cannot outperform our level of self-esteem. We cannot draw to ourselves more than what we think we are worth.” – Iyanla Vanzant
Credits – G Static / Wikipedia. Copyright @2017
Iyanla Vanzant is an American lawyer, author, life coach, and inspirational speaker. She was born in a very humble background and was subjected to domestic abuse in her first marriage. She later completed her education, authored self-help books, and was named one of the 100 most influential black Americans in the year 2000.
She is widely popular for her appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show and for hosting her show Iyanla: Fix my Life, which aims to help and inspire people to overcome their difficulties.
10. Molly Fletcher
”Inside of each day, we have 1,440 minutes. Fearless people maximize those little moments by leaning into discomfort and taking calculated risks. They know that fearlessness isn’t just a mindset; it’s about taking action.” – Molly Fletcher.
Molly Fletcher is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, author, and a former revolutionary sports agent. She managed and represented some of the biggest names in sports like Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz and basketball championship coach Doc Rivers.
Along with being an extraordinary diplomat and negotiator, she has also written five books to inspire young people to strive for greatness and be the winners of their lives. A pioneer in a male-dominated industry, her motivational speaking has inspired women worldwide to rise and be successful.
All the above inspirational speakers have overcome so many hardships to live on to share their inspirational stories with the whole world. But, unfortunately, words of wisdom often sound hollow when the speaker doesn’t have a real-life story to cement his opinion.
Listening to these inspirational speakers will fill your spirits with an arsenal of all the grit and perseverance needed to chase your dreams, and hopefully, leave a lasting impression on this world.
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Last Updated on by ritukhare
