When I was in high school, we had speakers from different career fields speak to us. One thing that really stood out for me was how they used real life situations to encourage us. They reassured us “no’s” are part and parcel of the journey.

I must admit I used to love the days we had speakers — not because it was an opportunity to learn something new and gain free motivation, but because we would have to skip some classes. Sometimes we had prominent speakers, and the school would arrange for drinks and refreshments, which would mean free food for us.

At UNA, Radio/Television/Film Professor Patricia Sanders also brings speakers to her classes. In all the classes I had with her, she invited people from local radio and television stations to speak to us. This always helps us to learn how it is in the real world when we have people who are in the particular field come and speak to us.

In my COM 470 Media Management class, we had Bliss Bowman-Wade and Darrell Miles from WAFF-48 come speak to us. One thing Miles said to us that stood out to me was, when it comes to sales, we should treat our clients like we would when dating. We should pursue our clients (in a professional manner).

We learn best and grasp more around ages two or three, according to an article on Rand Corporation.

“There is increasing recognition that the first few years of a child’s life are a particularly sensitive period in the process of development, laying a foundation in childhood and beyond for cognitive function; behavioral, social, and self-regulatory capacities, and physical health,” according to an article on Rand Corporation.

One lesson that caught my attention was learning to take advantage of all opportunities that came my way. Some people wait for opportunities to come their way. Wouldn’t it be better and faster to create your own?

Some speakers really stressed this. Job opportunities in Kenya are scarce. If a person waits on the government or someone else to employ them, they might start growing gray hair before they get a chance. This is the reason the speakers encouraged us to be creative, create our own opportunities and be entrepreneurs.

In life today, people use a lot of quotes by various philosophers and motivational speakers to encourage them. This shows having someone instill positive information in your life has a lasting impact.

“Inspirational speakers come from diverse backgrounds and have different levels of education, experience and expertise,” according to nobullying.com. While some speakers may focus on business topics, others may gear their talks to personal development, social issues or the challenges of the youth.

“Speakers who are extremely talented in business may speak at business seminars or workshops. Those who have a gift for talking to children or teens may give speeches in community centers or schools,” according to nobullying.com.

Anyone can be a motivational speaker. Our delivery methods are quite different, but that should not be a hindrance when it comes to encouraging someone.

A little word of encouragement can go a long way. The same way I was encouraged is the same way I encourage you to speak positivity into someone else’s life.