Nationally renowned motivational speaker talks to Goodnight Middle School students about choices

Goodnight Middle School students received a positive and inspiring message from nationally renowned motivational speaker Juan Cangas.

Cangas spoke to Goodnight sixth and seventh graders on Tuesday, March 21. He shared his life story, telling everyone about his failures and successes and how the students could learn from him.

“A lot of people call me a motivational speaker, but honestly, when I think about what I do, I don’t really try to go out and motivate because motivation comes from the outside,” Cangas said. “What I’m going to try and do today, and more than anything else, is inspire you because inspiration comes from the inside. Right? And really, what I see myself doing is I go around the country and I don’t really talk, I just have real conversations with people. Honest conversations about what they want to do with their future. Honest conversations about what their dreams are. Honest conversations about the obstacles and the challenges that they’re facing.”

Cangas spoke about how he found his motivation in life, overcoming barriers such as drug addiction, gang influence and hopelessness. He also shared how his desire to make his mother proud helped him become the first person in his family to attend college.

Cangas has eight years of experience inspiring young people across the United States. He co-founded the THRIVE Leadership Club — an after- school program which has a mission to help unite and equip students from all different backgrounds and empower them to become servant leaders in their communities.

During his presentation, Cangas reminded students that the friends they choose impact their lives, and the decisions they make now will affect them throughout their lives.

“The most important thing about relationships that you have with people is you trust them, and when you trust people you’re willing to go to scary places,” said Cangas. “And, let me tell you young people, all those scary places, they’re not the worst places in life. There’s some scary places that you want to go to, like college. That’s a scary place if you’ve never been … You need mentors and teachers and speakers and other individuals and friends to help guide you through those scary places. But let me tell you what, you’ve got to know what you want. You’ve got to know what you want for your future, because if you don’t have a vision for your future, sometimes you follow the wrong person and you end up with no future.”

Cangas told the students they can accomplish their goals if they persevere through life, but it all begins with the decisions they make.

“I’ve made my decisions,” said Cangas. “Now it’s time to make yours.”