My Motivation

 Motivation by Orin Howell

Before the break of day, I begin with quiet promise

To leave the world slightly better than it came to me.

Not with grandiose gesture, but with small ripples.

To touch a life, with steady hand, or a reminder 

that they matter. 

I think of George Parks. An untrained professional

who worked tirelessly to document the essence of activism. 

Silent, strong, and defining. An advocate for those who

struggled for their voices to be heard.

I think of Felix Masi, walking duty roads with a camera

and a purpose. With quiet resilience, capturing the dignity

of everyday lives in ordinary faces. An everpresent 

reminder to be genuine, spontaneous, and present. 

I think of Stacy Pearsall. Camera steady, compassion 

ready, listening with her lens as she shows Veterans 

who they are - not forgotten stories but the courage 

of the individual. Showing that a difference starts at seeing

another human as human, with honesty, respect, integrity, 

and fully.

With these pioneers in mind, I try. For my family, for myself,

and for the world I someday will leave behind. I try to be someone 

whose footsteps soften the earth, whose words lift rather than weigh, 

whose days will echo with meaning, even in the smallest of ways.

If I can be real, I can be kind. If I can light one corner of someone's 

dark room, then maybe I will have lived the way I had hoped to.

One of the most influential people I can possibly think of in my short time on this spinning rock would be Barack Obama. He was able to accomplish so much while maintaining a "down-to-earth" attitude of being a regular person, despite having such a profound impact on so many people.

My initial prompt: I'd like you to take on the persona of Barrak Obamaand help me motivate myself to finish my college degree in nursing. I want you to do this in a motivational speech format and use Obama's speech patterns and talking points that he would most likely use to keep me motivated.  

ChatGPT response: Here is a motivational speech crafted in the style, rhythm, and spirit of Barack Obama—uplifting, thoughtful, steady in tone, rooted in hope, responsibility, and the belief that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. It is not a copy of any real Obama speech, but it reflects the cadence and themes he is known for.

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My friend… let me tell you something.

When I think about the future of this country—its strength, its resilience, its capacity to overcome any challenge—I don’t just think about generals or presidents or CEOs.
I think about people like you.

People who are willing to step forward, roll up their sleeves, and dedicate themselves to the hard and necessary work of caring for others.

Because the story of America has always been written by individuals who chose service—not because it was easy, not because the path was smooth, but because they knew that somebody had to do it. Somebody had to show up.

And that’s what you’re doing by pursuing your nursing degree.

Now, I know—it’s tough.
You’ve got responsibilities.
You’ve got pressures.
You’ve got days where you’re exhausted, where you feel like you’re falling behind, where the finish line seems miles away.

But here’s the thing:

Every step you take, even the slow ones, especially the hard ones—
they’re bringing you closer to the person you’re meant to be.

And let me be clear:
You can do this.
You are capable.
You have already shown grit and determination just by coming this far.

When I was president, I met people in hospitals—patients, families, nurses—who taught me something profound:
Healing isn’t just about medicine.
It’s about presence.
It’s about compassion.
It’s about the simple but powerful idea that we are all each other’s keepers.

And nurses… nurses represent the very best of that idea.

So when you get tired—remember who you’re doing this for.
Remember that somewhere out there, years from now, a patient will breathe easier because you didn’t give up.
A family will feel hope because you walked into the room.
A community will be stronger because you chose to finish what you started.

Let me say this as plainly as I can:

Your journey matters.
Your effort matters.
You matter.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that change—real change—
happens because ordinary people summon the courage to keep going when it’s tempting to stop.

So take a deep breath.
Square your shoulders.
Keep moving forward.

Not because the road is easy,
but because the goal is worth it.

One day, when you walk across that stage, degree in hand, you’ll look back on this moment—and you’ll know this was the point where you decided to rise.
Where you decided that doubt wouldn’t win.
Where you chose to bet on yourself.

And that choice—
That’s how you change your life.
That’s how you change the world.

Yes, you can.
Yes, you will.
Now let’s finish this together.

While I felt this response was adequate, I feel as though current day Barack would be slightly less formal with a bit more jesting to his talk. So I adjusted the prompt a bit to refine how I wanted the response. 

My prompt: Can you make the speech geared towards a rally type address, less formal, and more genuine. Specifically use a post-Presidency Obama style with more subtle jokes and relaxed tone to inspire and encourage motivation.

ChatGPT response: Absolutely — here’s a more relaxed, rally-style, post-Presidency Obama–inspired motivational speech, with a warmer tone, subtle humor, and that uplifting “let’s do this together” energy he often brings to community events and grassroots gatherings.

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Hey everybody—
great to see you.

Now… I want to talk to one person in particular today.
You.
Yeah—don’t look around. I mean you.

Because you’re out here working on this nursing degree, juggling life, responsibilities, stress, maybe a little chaos, and still trying to move forward. And that’s… well, that’s something worth talking about.

You know, since leaving the White House, I’ve met a lot of folks out there trying to get through school. And they all say the same thing:
“President Obama… this is hard.”

And I always tell them—
“Yeah… that’s why it’s worth doing.”

Look, if it were easy, everybody would do it.
If it were easy, you wouldn’t be standing up late at night with your laptop, wondering why your professor assigned threechapters when you barely had time for one.
If it were easy, you’d already be done.

But here’s the deal:
You’re not doing this because it’s easy.
You’re doing it because you’ve got a purpose.

And nursing?
That’s not just a job.
That’s a mission.

It’s service.
It’s compassion.
It’s courage on the slow days and the hectic days and the “I didn’t sign up for this shift but now I’m here anyway” days.

Now, I know there are moments when you feel worn out—when you wonder if you’ve got what it takes to push through the exams, the labs, the clinicals, the whole thing. And hey, I get it. I’ve been tired before. I was President for eight years. I know what exhaustion looks like.

But here’s the really important thing:
Every time you keep going, even when you don’t feel like it, you’re building something stronger inside yourself.

Call it discipline.
Call it resilience.
Call it the “I’m too deep in this to quit now” spirit.

Whatever name you give it, you’ve already got it.

And let me tell you—
somewhere down the line, there’s going to be a patient who needs you.
A family who needs you.
A scared kid, or an exhausted parent, or an older gentleman who won’t stop pressing the call light—
and you will walk in, and they’ll feel just a little bit safer because you’re there.

That’s the impact you’re headed toward.

And yes, it’s okay to laugh a little along the way.
It’s okay to have days where you’re like, “Why did I do this to myself?”
We’ve all been there.
Michelle reminds me of those days all the time.

But don’t forget to remind yourself of this too:

You’re capable.
You’re smart.
You’re tough.
And you’re not done yet.

So let’s make a deal—
You take the next step.
Just the next one.
And then the one after that.

And one day, sooner than you think, you’ll walk across that stage, they’ll hand you that degree, and you’ll say,
“Damn… I really did it.”

And you did—
because you didn’t quit.
Because you believed in something bigger than the hard days.
Because you kept faith with your own future.

So keep going.
Keep pushing.
Keep showing up.

You’ve got this.
And I’m proud of you.

Well, I've got to say: i was not let down by the second response. Here is a link of my process, where initially I wanted to use a different motivational speaker however, changed to someone more recent and impactful to my life. This was co-created by ChatGPT on November 24th 2025.