On Motivation

 Greetings,

    Just the other day, I had a discussion on motivation, and the different types of motivation. How many different types of motivation are there? There are three. I will go one by one and touch on the positives and the negatives of each approach. 

    I will start with the overly-motivated. The overly-motivated, borders on the side of the extra. Just as excess of any one thing is harmful, so is the excess of motivation. The analogy I will present is that of a small fire that you have created. The overly motivated will burn through his motivation quickly. It is unwise for any human to expect to keep an overly motivated outlook going in a sustainable manner. This is because life will, without a doubt, happen. When you are overly motivated, you do not have the focus on the outer workings of life which would prepare you for any curveballs that may be thrown your way. Imagine walking over to your small fire, and pouring gasoline on it. Your small fire will turn into a large fireball, and it will surpass even your own height, just to go down as fast as it went up. Your motivation will inevitably run out. 

     The second type of person is the periodically motivated one. This person lights their flame, only to let it wither out, before another discovery makes them relight their flame, only to let it wither out, and the cycle will continue on. Their motivation is not fueled by inner desire, but by what their eyes deem is worthy. The human eye deceives. They get motivated, try, get bored, find something new, try, get bored and so on and so forth. Although this behavior is not desirable, this type of person actually does have a chance in the long run. Because, by chance they could come across their "reason for being". 

    The third type of person is the one who internalizes his motivation. This person feeds the flame routinely. His motivation comes form a desire to better himself. He puts small to medium branches on the fire as he learns the intricacies of his craft. What he does, he does in order to get better and out of respect for his craft, regardless of the outcome. 

    Motivation must come from your love of what you do, and who you are. One cannot be motivated before making peace with oneself. A father/mother is motivated out of the love for their children. There can be no motivation without the love and dedication required to make a difference in your life. 

Farewell,