Motivating the Motivation Within Us
Motivation is an intrinsic thing… an instinct. No outside force, however persuasive or commanding, can ever actually motivate anyone, because motivation is inborn. I discovered this in a parenting (un-parenting) program that I’m following these days, and it made me reflect on not just children but also adults. What motivates us? Is it other people? Money? Peer pressure? A promise of reward? A fear of punishment? What?? And the answer is very cliche- it is our own self. Persons with alcoholic addiction do not take steps to cure their addiction, no matter how much people tell them, until they admit to themselves and are willing to do it. People with poor health don’t take steps towards better health just because their medical reports aren’t well. They do so because they want to. A person on the path of self-realisation does not pursue it just because he is being told to meditate, but because he wants to. I have numerous more examples, because I’ve been extensively thinking about this top