Have you ever said, “That person really motivates me?” Maybe you read a book or an article, or maybe attended a meeting, and as a result, felt inspired to take action. Does what you hear, see or read motivate you, or do we motivate ourselves?

Certainly others inspire us and get us to consider possibilities. That has certainly been the case in my life over the years. But no one takes any action without choosing to do so; we motivate ourselves.

Motivation Is A Choice

A few years ago I was talking with a public speaker and he told me he always asks to not be introduced as a motivational speaker. “I’m not a motivator,” he told me, “I just try to inspire people, but they have to motivate themselves.” I’m sure you agree that good speakers or writers can inspire us, and be catalysts, but it’s up to us to take action in our own lives.

You and I may read or hear something that points us in a specific direction. We may even become aware of a good plan of action or method to reach a desirable goal. But it is still our own individual choice to get up and do something.

Staying Motivated

It’s one thing to get excited and inspired today and begin taking action. We might be all fired up about something, write some things down, and even come up with a plan of action. But what about tomorrow? Are we still excited and enthused?

For me personally, staying motivated depends on my purpose. What is the reason I am pursuing what I am pursuing? Without a solid, real purpose, the tasks of arriving at the destination can become boring and mundane.

Take eating healthier, for example. If your goal or purpose is to be healthier and you are avoiding fast food and instead eating more and more raw food, that might be exciting for the first day or two. But that raw baby spinach and carrots you’re having for lunch can quickly become rather unappealing, especially while craving the usual big ol’ cheeseburger and fries. Trust me, I’ve been there and done that.

The actions we take, the methods we use, many times are not very glamorous, especially at the beginning. It took me quite awhile to look forward to baby spinach and carrots for lunch, and once in awhile I still crave burgers. But the actions and methods are just that, actions and methods: our purpose and goals motivate us.

Why Am I Doing This?

It’s often very beneficial to look at your life and ask yourself why you do the things you do. Often it’s easy to lose sight of our goal or purpose and end up just going through the motions of what we think “we’re supposed to be doing.” Many times reevaluating why we do what we do inspires and energizes us once again.

I don’t want to go through life going through the motions and doing what I do just because that’s what I think I should do. While there are a number of tasks we do everyday that are not very glamorous, I still want to live my life with excitement and enthusiasm! I want to have clear focus and purpose for the things I do. Otherwise, it’s all too easy to see your life as boring, mundane and even meaningless.

So when it comes to someone “motivating” you, maybe it’s a little more accurate to say, “That person really inspires me.” Then, it’s up to you to have a clear purpose and take action. And always remember that you too can inspire others and be a catalyst for them to get motivated, sometimes without even realizing it. One of the best ways I know to do that is to genuinely love people with the love of God.

Mike Verdicchio
2014

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