September 28, 2008 - Motivation.

Life and what we accomplish can be defined by three simple questions and three very common answers.

1. What do we want?

Answer: Something.

2. When do we want it?

Answer: Now.

3. How are we going to get it?

Answer: Not my concern, but if you'd be so kind as to leave it on the doorstep, I'm sure after I've had my coffee I'll go right out and drag it inside.

Dreams and desires exist in every single person; the ranges of which vary from the wealth of kings to an extra sugar packet. A simple dream for one may be the lifelong goal for another. And of course, desires always make for good conversation. At least, we always think so when telling the neighbor, "Oh yes, I've got big plans for **goal/accomplishment/large electronic device** and as soon as **slight obstacle** pays off/is paid off, then me and the **wife/dog/iPhone** will be completely **set/happy/drunk**."

It's a horizon, and we often stare off, hoping it will come closer to us, hoping that for once, the sun will listen to our protests, and hold off on setting on another day no closer to our aspirations. Most of us will curse the sun, curse the horizon and probably curse me for pointing these things out.

At the end of the day, we are the ones who must take the step forward.

How we push ourselves is our choice, but finding that motivation is the key to crossing the finish line. Is it a spark of competition? Is it the fear of disappointing all those watching us? Is it the desire burning so strong we must proceed?

The struggle with discovering one's motivation to continue after failure, or even to press forward in times of stress is difficult...and personally I think...pointless.

Wait, hear me out before running for your **antidepressants/alcohol/more humorous website**.

Some people get caught up in the search for motivation, the search for "why". Deep down, we all know what we want. Deep down, there is something we desire that for whatever reason we have pushed aside, ignored, or boarded up and locked away, because simply thinking about what we cannot have is too painful to bear.

The search for why is pointless because we are given opportunity, we are given resources, we are given love and support, and we are given time. We have hands, we have minds, we have an entire world. So don't ask yourself "Why?" Don't even ask yourself "Why not?"

Ask yourself "How?"

All of a sudden, you may find you have created the motivation you've been looking for all this time, simply by asking the right question, and hopefully, finding the right answer.

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P.S. Forgive the rant, I've cluttered up an entire page with sentences that could simply have been spelled out by saying, "I can get what I want simply by focusing on how to get it as opposed to pondering over where I'll find the motivation to get it." I know this is the 10,000 piece puzzle, simple on the outside of the box, but a complicated mess if you get into it, but I hope that I've at least put forward one good idea. At the very least, I'm motivated to do so.