What is motivation?
I know what inspiration is. I remember what it feels like when a new concept enters my mind. I remember what that excitement feels like. I know what satisfaction is. I know how the certainty of completion feels as it moves in my chest. I know what frustration is. I know how it lives in the back of my throat and behind my eyes. I know how it travels in waves.
But, what is motivation?
A clever, beautiful, strong-willed woman of my acquaintance is successful at family, education, and career. If I was asked to give examples of people who have their stuff together, she’d certainly be at the top of my list. Today she suffered a setback and decried that she had lost all her motivation.
It’s been bothering me ever since. I’m not particularly worried about her as she’s the type of gal that regroups and attacks from the left if the right isn’t working. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s already moved on with a well-itemized action plan to counteract the situation. What she said, however, has stuck with me.
For a long while now I’ve been struggling. “I’m having a problem with my motivation,” has been a great little sound bite for me to describe this sense of personal struggle. Yet, when I heard it come from the mouth of a woman who seems to be so—I don’t know—well-organized at life, suddenly the statement seemed…
Meaningless? Stupid? Overly-dramatic? No. It was an honest moment of frustration and I knew how she felt and I sympathized. I responded with encouragement because I wanted her to get it back. It: that mystical motivation that we apparently all know we need.
But, what is motivation?
If you peruse Merriam-Webster long enough, you will get to motive. It comes from a variation on the Latin verb that means “to move.” Literally, motivation is what makes you move.
I think it’s what’s you have when you don’t have inspiration. I think it’s why you keep moving even when it doesn’t feel wonderful to move. I think it’s what convinces us that if we keep moving, eventually it will feel wonderful, eventually we’ll get inspired again. I think it’s the metaphorical moat that keeps despair from invading.
After an unexpected and negative outcome, my friend told me she didn’t feel like moving. Oh, how I know how that feels. I guess it seemed funny coming from her because she’s not good at sitting still. She’s isn’t the type to stop moving. I guess it bothered me because I worry that I am.
Am I moving or sitting still with a lot of talk?
I suppose it’s like sanity, if you are worried that you are losing it then you must still have some left. So, I have motivation.
Anybody know where I can pick up some of that inspiration stuff?
I think when motivation and inspiration meet and can be "easily" sustained, then you've found an aspect of your very being that wants expressing or needs continued expression.
ReplyDeleteI think when motivation and inspiration meet and can't be "easily" sustained, then you've found something you should do and on a certain level enjoy once you've engaged but it's also likely to be a cause it's good for you to do thing...like for me exercise. And sometimes these change, I used to have no problem being motivated-inspired to exercise...now I can think of 5 other things I'd rather do.
As for picking up some of that inspiration stuff, I think you already have it, I think we all have it, but we hide it or cloak it, obscure it in some way...and it's when we listen and then respond in a way other then fear or excuses that the whirlwind of inspiration and motivation collide.
I like the idea that I have the inspiration somewhere, I just need to tap into it.
ReplyDeleteThanks :-d