Over the past few weeks there has been a video going viral and circulating the web of Jim Carrey delivering a commencement speech with a bold heading “This One Minute Video Might Change Your Life.” Incase you missed it, you can watch the video below.

This was an incredibly powerful speech, but there was so much more to his commencement speech that the video failed to mention. I think these lessons are incredibly valuable for everyone, but some are particularly meaningful for those in the fitness industry so I decided to break down the most important 7 lessons that he talked about that I believe apply to those working in this industry.


Lesson # 1 – “The Effect You Have on Others is The Most Valuable Currency There Is…”

This was one of the most inspiring parts of Jim Carrey’s speech and it is the one that is so incredibly true for the fitness professionals of this world. With everything you do, you’re making the world a happier and healthier place.

Each and every day you train with your clients you’re helping to transform their lives… And it’s not just the lives of the clients you train, the work you do has an impact on so many other people in their lives as well.

There’s a ripple effect to what you do that often goes far beyond what you will ever know.

As Zig Ziglar once said, “You will get all you want in life, if you help enough people get what they want.” and this is what you do – as a fitness professional, each and every day.

In Jim’s commencement speech he asked the question, “How will you serve the world? What do they need that your talent can provide?”

It’s time to write these things down. Grab a piece of paper and write down all of the things you can do to help people reach their health and fitness goals, and help change their lives.

Always remember that you have the skills and knowledge to help those around you and the effect you have on others is the most valuable currency there is…

Never ever give up on your mission and your dreams because you’re making a MASSIVE impact on people’s lives, day in, day out.

Lesson # 2 – “You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”

Take a chance and fight for what you want and what you love to do. No matter what path you take, whether it’s taking a “safe job” as Jim described it, or building a fitness business you love, there will always be risks and challenges that you’ll face. There will always be pros and cons and there’s always a chance of failure (truth is, it’s never really failure – it’s simply feedback to help make you more successful).

Just remember – you weren’t put on this world to spend your life doing something you don’t love doing. If you could wake up every morning and love what you do every day you would live an incredibly fulfilled life. So do that. Chase that dream. Do anything and everything you can to build your business and make this dream become a reality.

So many people love working in the fitness industry because of the difference they can make and the lives they can change. But a lot of them take the easy road and they don’t challenge themselves to build a life and business around this passion. Unfortunately a lot of them stop working in the industry and move into something else which never really fulfils them in the same way. Don’t let this be you. You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well give everything you’ve got to doing what you love.

Lesson # 3 – “Your Need for Acceptance Can Make You Invisible in This World… Risk Being Seen In All Of Your Glory…”

From a very young age people have been conditioned to fit in. In society we often grow up with so many ‘rules’ and ‘regulations’ and we often do everything we can to fit in, because standing out is often discouraged. But why are you trying to fit in, when you were born to stand out?

Playing small doesn’t serve anybody. When you get to the end of your life and look back, I highly doubt you’ll say “I’m really glad I chose to play small and never fully express myself. I’m leaving the world a better place because I didn’t rock the boat.” Now is your time. Be proud of who you are and don’t let anyone hold you back from being the real you.

It’s your time to stand out from the crowd. Don’t be a sheep, waiting to be prodded by a shepherd. Don’t spend any more time worrying what other people think of you if it doesn’t serve you… A lion doesn’t concern himself with the opinion of a sheep!

Lesson # 4 – “Let the Universe Know What You Want, Work Toward it and Let Go of How it Will Come to Pass…”

During Jim’s speech he said “So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality. What we really want seems impossibly out of reach and ridiculous to expect, so we never dare to ask the universe for it… your job is not to figure out how it’s going to happen for you, but to open the door in your head and when the doors open in real life, just walk through it.”

You can get anything you want in life. If you stay focused on the end result and do one thing everyday that moves you towards what you want then the world will take care of the rest.

Sometimes things can seem a little overwhelming at first and sometimes anxiety can stand in your way and prevent you from achieving everything you want. Don’t let this get in your way. Take everything one step at a time and don’t focus on how it’s going to happen, just know that if you do what you need to do, then the rest will take care of itself.

Lesson #5 “Life doesn’t happen to you it happens for you”

I loved the part of Jim’s speech when he said “Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you. When I say this, I really don’t know if it’s true. I’m just making a conscious choice to perceive challenges as something beneficial so I can deal with them in the most productive way.”

This is one of the most important lessons I’ve ever learnt. No matter what happens in life, there’s always something you can learn from it and it’s up to you to find the positives in any challenges you face. Always choose the thoughts that serve you best and remember “he who thinks he can and he who things he cannot, are both right.”

Lesson # 6 – You are ready and able to do beautiful things in this world

Often when you want to make a big change in your life to reach your fitness goals, life goals or business goals, you think you need to get something or do something before you will be ready to make your dreams come through. You think you need to wait until you’ve got x amount of money or you’ll start once you’ve paid off a mortgage. Truth is though, you are ready right now if you want to be. You’ve got everything you need right now to start making all of your dreams come true and to start doing beautiful things in this world. Don’t put it off for another minute. You are ready right now. Think about it carefully, and you’ll find a way.

Lesson #7 – “You Only Ever Have Two Choices – Love or Fear – Choose Love.”

Jim said it perfectly when he said “Fear is going to be a player in your life, but you get to decide how much.”

You need to make sure you don’t go through life being controlled by fear. There will be things that will scare you and that’s okay, but it’s time to respect it and embrace it.

It’s your decision whether or not you let this fear hold you back from achieving everything you want in life. Fear is one of the biggest barriers to living a joyful and fulfilling life. If you spend your energy avoiding failure or rejection then you will spend your energy trying to stay safe instead of being able to spend your energy creating the life you truly want.

Instead of letting fear scare you, let it drive you and excite you. Get outside your comfort zone. As the saying goes – “If you want something that you don’t already have, you’ll have to do things that you haven’t already done”

Jim finished his speech with this message which I think is so incredibly important… “you will only ever have two choices: love or fear. Choose love, and don’t ever let fear turn you against your playful heart.”

If you take anything from this post remember these seven points.

1. The Effect You Have on Others is The Most Valuable Currency There Is
2. Do what you love
3. Dare to dream and stand out from the crowd
4. Decide what you want in life and take small steps everyday toward your dreams, and the world will take care of the rest
5. When you experience challenges, remember to focus on the positives and the lessons learnt.
6. You are ready to take on the world right now. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month. You’re ready now.
7. You only ever have two choices – love or fear – choose love.

Thanks to one of my mentors Peter Shaw from ScaryandExciting.com who inspired this article and allowed me to write it with their permission and of course Jim Carrey for delivering such a passionate and inspiring speech.

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Jaimee Maree