3 Inspirational Movie Speeches That’ll Fire You Up
Inspiration is everywhere. I find there’s no excuse for dragging when you can fire yourself up by pumping great music, working out or heading out for a challenging bike ride, or by clicking on a couple of TED Talks.
Sometimes when I need an injection of inspiration and motivation, I’ll throw on a favorite movie, kick back, and let the genius of the writing and acting shake me out of whatever is getting me stuck.
Here are a few—of far too many to include here—from sports movies that I go back time and time again to get me back on track.
On Overcoming Challenges and Winning:
Rocky – Rocky Balboa
This one’s a great reminder that life isn’t always as smooth as we'd like. But those hits it delivers are essential to making us stronger and more capable. We can either succumb to them, or use them as fuel. And I love what he says about blaming others.
[Watch it here. The good stuff starts at the 2:40 mark]
“You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!
Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not be pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!”??
On Living Your Greatness:
Timo Cruz - Coach Carter
Coach Carter is a great role model for never compromising your values, no matter what happens or what anyone says. And this scene is doubly inspiring because it not only shows the impact he’s had on the team, but the poem Cruz recites packs a powerful message.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
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On Working Together and Fighting for Victory as a Team:
Coach D’Amato - Any Given Sunday?
I’ll watch Al Pacino in anything. I’d watch him read Yelp reviews. And in this speech to his football team he says more about teamwork and fighting for the win with the person next to you than any motivational keynote speaker on stage at your average business expo.
And his challenge to them at the end is the icing on the cake.
“I don’t know what to say, really. Three minutes till the biggest battle of our professional lives all comes down to today. Now either we heal as a team or we’re gonna crumble, inch by inch, play by play, 'til we’re finished.
We’re in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me. And, we can stay here—get the shit kicked out of us—or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb outta hell one inch at a time…
…Now I can’t make you do it. You got to look at the guy next to you. Look into his eyes!
Now I think you’re gonna see a guy who will go that inch with you. You're gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team because he knows, when it comes down to it, you’re gonna do the same for him!
?That’s a team, gentleman! And, either we heal,?now,?as a team, or we will die as individuals. That’s football guys. That's all it is. Now, what are you gonna do?”
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You can’t watch these and not get ready to conquer whatever challenge is in front of you. They’re some of my favorites. Let me know what movies get your fire lit. I’ll include them in an upcoming post.