Motivation is our medicine. It relieves the pain of hopelessness and stress, and heals us when we are on the verge of rediscovery. A daily dosage leads us happily onto the path of ‘success’. So why does it never feel this way? I’ve watched countless YouTube videos, listened to motivational speeches and nearly overdosed on countless Tumblr quotes, as their diluted motivational wisdom led me to my near-recovered state. The issue was, I always sought someone completely unbeknown to me to diagnose my problems and prescribe me with their own version of motivation.
How to get motivated? Motivate yourself.
“Go to uni and become a doctor.” “Money.” “Wanting to be successful so that I can have a lot of money.”
When I asked my friends what motivates them, it’s no wonder that these were the answers given; society teaches us to work hard so we can go to a good uni so we can get a good job so we can get good salaries. Although material possessions can be necessities, they should never be our sole purpose for living, our strong reason to succeed. Such reasons should come from within and be shaped by our own desires rather than tainted by society’s. Whether this be the satisfaction in helping others, or the things we most enjoy, our own goals should be shaped fundamentally by ourselves, not what others tell us to aspire for.
The definition of motivation:
The act or an instance of providing with a reason to act in a certain way
Having a strong reason to act or accomplish something
The fundamental flaws of constantly seeking inspiration from external sources are:
Others may not understand the true reasons for your behaviour
Others simply cannot tell you why you should accomplish something- their ‘strong reason’ wouldn’t be your own
It’s easy to fall under the pressure of family, peers, teachers and just about every existing social institution. Whether we are over-performing and expected to keep up these standards, or under-performing and expected to improve, people always want us to be perfect. Perfection is an illusion, an unachievable and irrational goal that humanity has peculiarly become enchanted by. So, we should not be driven to fulfil the desires that others have for us. Although generally accepted that our parents want the best for us, they also want it for them. I heard a story of a Computer Science student who was studying a course he despised because his parents wanted him to. He dropped out of university. It is unsustainable to base all our actions and goals on that of others; a building constructed on a weak foundation will eventually fall. Pressure is inevitable but can be used as a driving force. Family and friends should help to push us and our dreams forward, but not so hard that we fall. It takes effort to become strong willed, but we certainly can if we remember why our goals exist in the first place.
Ironically, I’ve said to seek motivation from within, while (hopefully) motivating you. My message is not to resist being inspired by others, but to remember that we are the authors and protagonists of our own stories, and no one should be able to take away a fundamental basis of our humanity- to make our own goals and believe in them enough to achieve them.
Many people are motivated solely for the sake of their adult selves, but I’ve never understood the infatuation with the future- so much so that we would constantly forsake our present. After all, there is no such thing as the future; life is just a series of presents. So, whilst working hard for adulthood, remember that life is worth living now too!
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