Counter-Intuitive Motivation

It’s easy to waste time. Maybe it’s due to lack of motivation or simply taking the time given for granted. Other times, it’s easy to not be productive simply because there’s an overwhelming amount to do, and of course, there’s always a possibility of failure. It can be hard to apply methods from motivation speakers, feel-good quotes, and success stories of other people – it’s not because they aren’t valid, but we all have a unique journey, unique skills, talents, and most importantly, we all tick differently.

When I feel nervous that something isn’t going to work out, or I want to come across as successful or be doing a “good job” I find it strangely motivating and I feel way less pressure when I tell myself, “Someday this will all be gone – I won’t be here forever.” Most people avoid thinking about death, it’s a huge fear because it’s an unknown and potentially painful process – but I think it’s healthy to accept reality.

When I remember that every moment will pass, I realize that everyone else is temporary, our works, accomplishments, our happy moments, sad moments – everything is temporary! Now, the feeling is enough to depress the glass half empty kind of people, but, I think when we accept reality, we’re free to enjoy it fully, without fear of losing what we have, because it’s not ours to keep anyways. Being relaxed, being patient, and being at ease can easily allow for a much deeper and richer experience of interaction.

Sad times don’t last forever – it makes it easier to accept them. Mess-ups are temporary, and since failures are necessary on the way to success. We can then feel free to make more mistakes – they don’t permanently define us - just a passing moment. We all know that we have to mess up way more times than succeed in order to build into resilient and accomplished people. Why not enjoy the process along the way and work towards what’s important. If the end result is not going to last anyways, then perhaps it’s best to just enjoy the process.

The process is the best part – it gives us purpose, direction, and it where we grow. We often look for the next thing to do after we’ve already finished something. There’s always something to do, there will never come a moment in which we feel like we’ve done enough. It’s can be a blessing or a curse depending on how we look at it. However, we’ll always be better, stronger, and wiser as we gain accomplishments. Also, all is not for loss, as we pass into the next phase after life – perhaps all this growth in this time here will pass along with us. We can’t keep the material, but the spiritual will remain.

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