A true gentleman must be able to wear many hats and choose between them carefully and confidently given any situation. One hat whose fit should be perfected is that of a motivator. When one thinks of motivators, the mind often reverts back to high school when a dorky public or motivational speaker took the stage in an attempt to retell some cheesy story to convince some angsty teenagers to be less angsty. But the truth is, you don’t need to be a motivational speaker or a professional speaker of any kind to be a good motivator. Often, you can be a good motivator by simply being a good friend.

Try to more thoroughly support your friends. Giving your friends the support they need to challenge themselves and make changes in their lives is one of the greatest gestures you can make for those you care about. Personally, the overwhelming support that I have received from my fellow gentlemen at WIAG as well as my friends watching from afar has inspired me to continue running this site. This, in turn, has pushed me to reciprocate and back them in their endeavors. Support can come in the form of words of encouragement, monetary backing, or simply being a good listener and serving as a trustworthy source to which friends can outwardly express their thoughts and emotions. As you can imagine, this may not always be a cakewalk. It takes commitment and dedication to those who need it, but the juice is almost always worth the squeeze.

Try pushing your friends. Challenge those around you to take their job, their dreams, their relationships, or their life goals to the next level, even if you aren’t ready to do the same. Sure, you may run the risk of sounding like a hypocrite, but people grow at different paces and the friends you are engaging with should understand why you are content in your current position. Surrounding yourself with passionate friends who are dedicated to personal growth motivates you to grow in return, and we help others grow through motivation. Motivation is truly cyclical and contagious.

Why not sit down with a good friend this weekend and ask them about their goals? Try to motivate them to take the next step, offer to help, and follow through with the offer if it’s needed.