The Art of Self-Motivation
There are two main sources of self-motivation: the external sources and the internal sources.
External Sources
Let us first talk about the external sources and explore the internal sources at the later part of this article (as it is what I think is the important part of this title).
It is a common experience that when we are at the ground zero of our lives, we run towards our loved ones to find comfort and refuge. This is an instinctive part of human survival. As human beings, we always find comfort at the thought that other people exist to help us in our emotional needs. They exist to support, assist and help us. In fact—again based on experience—the very first persons we run to are the people in the family. This is because they are the closest persons in our hearts, and what we need in them? LOVE and PRESENCE. Their presence and unspoken love can reinvigorate and help us re-launch our journey back to track.
Other significant persons can also be the source of motivation, especially the group of friends where we belong.
Internal Sources
But more importantly, self-motivation is a personal endeavour, and this is what makes it difficult to achieve because motivation is a human need that can only be fulfilled through human means. In this time of technological advancements, we most of the time spend the rest of the day with ourselves because our needs are now being supplied by human proxies. That is why we succumb to loneliness because we cannot find connection with the gadgets around us. In the absence of other people, it is always a good advantage if we know how to connect with ourselves.
In other words, the primary person who can motivate you when you are the lowest moment of your life is none other than YOU. Yes, other people can push you a few steps forward, but it is your motivating power that can bring you to where you want to go. I can only point you to a good direction, and it is up to you if you want to go there. It may even be too much of me if I decide to bring you where you wish to go. You need to bring yourself to the place where you dream to live.
Learning the art of self-motivation is a process. It is not born overnight, but it can be taught to a child to who is just starting to walk so that by the time he realizes that he needs to walk by himself, he knows where he needs to go. Just like any process about personal growth, self-motivation always starts from within, from the self, and it comes out through your actions and words. From there, you can take your first steps and launch a wonderful journey with life.
Life indeed is a journey, but a journey to the right direction. Sad thing about it is that many people of today are not even aware where they are going. It is because they are driven by forces other than what is coming from within. If you have the right motivation, if you have the right connection with yourself, then life must have been a meaningful journey for you.
